The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-07-01

moral government, but system OF
civil government as well. The GRIM
inal law is founded upon and taken
from the Bible and in the main is de-
clared in the Ten Commandments. A
wise and just administration of the
criminal law is nothing more nor less
than Gods government on earth
through man, and if rigidly and un-
compromSingly enforced would very
much liken the government Of earth
to the government of Heaven. 1t
takes no cOgnizance of mans in
ward thoughts and intentions and
does not touch him until his evil
thoughts and purposes, suggested by
the devil, are manifested in his ac-
tions. Crime, then, is simply the
devil IN human action, and the crimi-
nal law was designed and intended to
Subjugate the devil in human conduct.
God, in his wisdom, has placed this
responsibility upon man, and he can
not Shirk it without suffering dire
consequences. God will never do any
thing for man that he can do for him.
self, and il man will not use His ap-
pointed agencies and inStrumentali-
ties for the SubjugatiOn Of the devil,
he simply stands aside on the princi-
pie of mans free moral agency, and
permits the devil to run the country.
The devil totes all the pistols, runs
all the blind tigers and gambling hellS,
does all the stealing, pIeSides over ev-
cry den Of vice, shame and infamy,
commits all the perjury, breaks open
your homes in the night time, and
commits all the murders. The devil
is the father Of all human suffering,
has enforced every tear Of agony, and
pierced the human heart with every
pang of remorse and despair. Every
time l stand my little e-year-old
boy on my knees and look into his in
nOcent face and smiling brown eyes
and remember that he must run the
gauntlet of the despGilers' snareS and
temptations, ! feel like renewing my
official pledge to use all OF my Official
power and authority to drive the
devil out of the land. If l could
gather together all the blind tigers,
gambling hells, and denS Of infamy
and shame that are preying upon the
living morals and souls Of the boys
and young manhood of this city,
would tumble them all into the face
of the devil in hell, where they be-
long. ANY father who ever relentS
in his efforts to destroy these agencies
of the devil is not only traitor to
God and his country, but he is trait
or to his offspring as we'll. Gods plan
to Subjugate the devil contemplateS
the cooperation Of man, and is inOp-
erative as long as man is inactive or
tangled up with the devil. The lag
gard who folds his hands across his
stomach with his eyes turned to Heav-
en- praying TO the Lord to send him a
crop Of big yam potatoes, has just as
much right to expect his prayer to be
answered as the people have to expect
the reign of the devil to stop without
first Subjugating him in human action
by Gods own appointed Instrumental
tiles. He will not give man yam
potatoes, Hayti potatoes nor any sort
OF potatoes unless he does something
to pr,duce them. In certain sense,
then enforcement of the criminal law
resolves itself into contest between
God Almighty and the devil. While
the State and the Church are wholly
separate, the Circuit Court must first
do the following by suppreSSing crime
before the Sunday Schools and the
Church can do their work. Is this
fact or is it fancy? There is not in
this state d community where the
criminal law is enforced that the
church is not virile and active and
reaching out and gathering people:
there is not single community where
the criminal law is not enforced where
the church is not mildewed and
blighteG, and the Sunday Schools par
alyzed. Any community, state or
county that will not enforce the Grim
inal law has just as we'll to close the
doors of its churches and send its
preachers To Africa.
1t is the purpose and design of the
devil TO pull down and destroy crime,
and to use man to forage on humani-
ty. If the criminal law was rigidly
and uncOmpromisingly enforced and
the devil kept confined within the in
ward thoughts and intentions Of man,
and not permitted to reign in his ac-
tions, he would just as the fish in the
Mammoth Cave lose their eye-sight by
non-use, lose his power to destroy man,
and a cross roads preacher could then
read the Ten Commandments before
him and run him out of a Who'll coun-
Nv. The most foolish thinge that a
people can do is to fail to enforce the
criminal law. Disregard for the law
today is our national sin, and its effect