The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-25
SOMMER'S TALK
TO JUNIOR
ORDER
500 Members Heard
Sheriff Speak on
Patriotism.

Sheric Sommer was the principal
speaker at the annual rally of the local
councils of the Lunior Order United
American Mechanics at the Y. M. c,
A. Hall yesterday afternoon. Junior
Past State Counselor Frank r.. Sharpe
of Irvington, presided. He first intro
duced Edward Burns, of General Law
ton Council, who delivered an address
on the greatness of the United States
and the honor and glory of being an
American citizen.
Sheriff Sommer was introduced at
the close Of Mr.. Burns's address, and
was greeted with round after round of
enthusiastic applause by the large au-
dience. He used a quotation from
Lowell as his text.
He stated there were two kinds of
patriots-tllose who searched for weak
points and then destroyed and those
who criticised and endeavored to find a
remedy. He made a plea for justice
between employers and employees.
Undr our laws, he said, corporations
are ~soulless, but a conscientious mar
may make a conscientious corporation.
One of the most important proble/ls
now confronting the citizens of this
country Is the relationship of the en-
ployer and employee, and the liability
of the former to the latter when he is
injured in the performance of his duty.
Under the present law an employee ham
dies a machine, frequently imperiling
his life. and solely at his own risk.
An employers liability law should be
enacted clearly defining just how far
the employer is liable for his en-
ployee's injuries.
Patriotism in its broadest sense" said
the Sheriff, us simply a restatement of
Christ's saying: 'Inasmuch as We have
done 1t unto the least of these children we
have done 1t unto me. He urged the Junior
Order members to work for neighborhood
Fairgrounds an recreation centres, SO as to
lessen the moral dangers in the Sums
He also criticised again the present sys-
tenn whereby witnesses are detained in
jail with c~onvicts.
"You tell me by statute" he said, THAT
I must keep Witnesses separate, but o
don't give me a place in which to keep
them" The aw is clear enough and at
present the application of 1t is simply to
place the prisoners IN the second tier of
cells. A detention house>i is an urgent ne
cessity for Newark.
Another object of criticisly was the herd
ing of short-term prisoners and uveniles
with older and more hardened criminals.
A man on short-term sentence has moth
ing to do, and soon acquires the no
work. habit, and as a result our criminal
is a menace TO society many times instead
of a protection to 1t. Wha lie needed is
n Temporary abiding place for men who
have committed their first ~offense, and
Juveniles.
"a mans duty as an American citizen"
said Mr.. Sommer, sis not done when he
votes, but he must be continually on the
alert to better conditions for his children
and p~osterity. The enactment Of laws
will not make men better, but education
and regeneration of the citizen WILL
Despite the disagreeable weather. about
800 men from many of the councils
throughout Essex County greeted Mr..
Burns and the Sheriff. Halsey Council. of
which the Sheriff is a member, had a
large delegation present.