The Mankato free press., 1903-07-17

1hls sermon was preached at the uniol
services held in Lincoln park and wa
listened to by large congregation
Rev. Cowgirl made reference to TIN
brotherly spirit which exists among thu
churches of Nlankato and the great goot
that was being accomplished by them
Continuing Rev. Cowgirl said:
"NOw on the basis of the Christian
units already recognized and manifestine
themselves in the amity and comfy OF
the ministers and churches, we ought tC
build strong, beautiful, safe, structure
of moral, social, industrial, and political
life. In this statement 1 have brought
large field of thought into view, and
can only point at few things.
First, let me emphasize what Brother
Miller said last Sunday evening here,
with respect to the enforcement of law,
and especially the liquor evil. If to all
the good Roman Catholics in town you
add all the good Protestants. you will
have a company representing the money
and the character and the brains of the
city. You will have a company who
can run this city and run it as they want
to. They can say to the liquor dealers
VI lLiIS NIlNs OOGN l1te IdN. anu lu6N
will obey it. They can save from the
social evil hundreds of boys and girls
that will otherwise 90 to destruction.
They can create clean municipality.
For such purposes as these all our
churches ought to be a unit, ought to be
as one man. There should never be in
the future one campaign in which the
voters of this city viii not have chance
to vote for man for mayor who can
be depended on to sympathize thorough
ly with a clean and moral city govern
ment There should never be a political
campaign in this city in which the whole
weight of all these churches is not
thrown into the scale that represents
good citizenship.
"And this leads me to say that the
greatest victory which our common and
united Christianity can now achieve for
Christ is this whole matter of muni-
cipal house cleaning. While we have
been toiling to save our boys and girls,
and establishing and maintaining the Y.
Nj. c. a. and giving as much attractive
ness and varities as possible to our
church services in order to save peo-
pie from immortality and vice and bring
them into the kingdom of God, we have
been allowing a lax administration of
city government to open pitfalls for the
feet of inexperienced youth, and open
moral pest houses for social resorts, thus
exposing our people to influences and
agencies that directly tend to nullify our
religious work. As members of Chris
tian churches we ought to rise in moral
majesty and say that we will not elect
men to run this city who do not be-
1ieve in the enforcement of laws that
were made for the protection of the
people.
"Now let me say a word or two of
appreciation. | thank Brother Miller fol
saying what he did here last Sunday eve
ming on the subject of law enforcement
generally and concerning the saloons in
particular. l thank my brother minis
tiers for having said again and again the
same things essentially in their own pull
pits. 1 thank our present mayor for
looking at thirty or forty SALONS in this
city doing business all day Sunday in
violation of law, and saying: "Gertle-
men, close up your saloons during the
hours of church service" Now | must
confess that that was not saying very
much. l don't suppose it added one to
my congregation, or anything percept-
able to other congregations. Perhaps
the mayor did not do it for that pur-
pose. If he meant it as token of re-
spect to the churches, thank him for
that. Ii his idea was to diminish by
little bit the fragrant lawless of the
saloons, as l suppose he did, shank him
for that If he meant by this order to
imply immunity from punishment for
violating the law The rest OF the day, |
would scold him for that. But as, under
The circumstances, to have said moth
ing at all would have implied consent to
all day violations, think it helped mat
ters little to say, "Close up gentlemen.
while the churches are engaged in wor-
ship"
Let me add that l thank the county
attorney, Mr.. Wilson, for successful
effort to make an example of few OF
the law breakers. When it became
known that Mr.. Wilson was making this
effort there was quite a coinmotion
among these SHINING saloons and
their sympathizers, and some OF
it appeared on the surface of
things, where we could all see it.
| understood that Mr.. Wilson incurred
the enmity of good many people on ac-
count of his effort.
81 thank the editor os The Free Press
for his words of commendation and sup
port for the county attorney In his ef-
fort to punish lawlessness. That paper
oraotad This attempt to punish lawless-
ness as every newspaper ought to greet
such efforts, affording no comfort to the
law breakers and affording support to
the officers of the law.
81 thank Judge Cray for his wholesome
words to the grand jury and his whole
some words to these men who had violat-
ed the law, and for melting out to them
such penalties as will inspire greater re-
spect for the law, such penalties as re-
veal the Judges own interest in the sup
preston of lawlessness.
"Let me now add that thank Mayor
Taylor for having, as soon as this mat
ter began to receive the attention of the
county attorney, ordered the saloons to
close up all day Sundays. am told that
the order was strictly obeyed for a few
Sundays, at least From rumors coming
70 me, do not feel so certain that the
law is now being obeyed. | think we
have no doubt of the mayors ability
to close them tight and keep them closed
all day Sunday. / hope he will demon