The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-03

other days, but because on that day
the working man has his pocket full
of money and nothing to do and tn,
community has to step in and protect
him from himself"
Sermon By Rev. Willisford.
AT the First Baptist church tn,
pastor, Rev. E. H. Willisford spok,
yesterday morning on "The Enforce
ment of Law" The following are
some excerpts from his address.
1t is easier to pray in the parlol
!, than to testify in the court room
Every person is a special policeman
and a deputy sheriff serving for the
sake of the public good.
| The civic duty of a man does not
end when ne has cast his ballot. He
should constantly study civic condi
lions and give personal attention to
civic interests.
/ 1t seems easier to secure the pas.
sage of good laws than to get good
laws enforced.
I Less Legislation.
( If every other session of our state
legislature was devoted not to pass
ing new laws and amending old ones
but to ascertaining what effect past
legislation has had and to the in
vestigation of how well present laws
are being enforced and what means
and methods are necessary to secure
better enforcement of law, the inter
ests of the people would no doubt be
better served than they now are.
Less Talk.
great weakness of many reform
organizations as the w. c.. T. u.
Anti-Saloon league, Law and Order
leagues and kindred organizations Is
that they. talk too much, they do not
do enough practical work. They need
to secure enforcement of present laws
rather than to spend the most of
their time deploring existing condi-
lions and calling the kettle black.
Such magnificent organization as
the w. c. I. U. could make it's work
count for much more in accomplish
ing the desired result, if it would
smash few of the man-traps-not in
the Carrie Nation smashing way-but
by insisting upon and helping to Sc
cure the enforcement of law.
Prayer is a good thing, commend
able exercise. 1t has accomplished
great things, produced heroes and
martyrs. But to prayer there must
be added action The law breaker
will not cease his lawlessness simply
because few good people pray.
Gunckel-by the way Gunckel is
going to speak in our city very soon,
better go and hear him-tells story
that hits the spike on the top. "Some
bad boys had set a trap to catch the
robins. A good little boy felt badly
about it and told his mother. The
mother told her darling that she
would pray God to tell the birds not
to go near the trap. This satisfied
the boy for a time. A few days
later a friend met the boy and asked
him how the robins were getting
along. Alright replied the boy, the
boys set the trap and my mother
prayed hard asking God to strengthen
the instinct of the birds so that they
would keep out of danger and not
go near the trap 'And did God an
swer your mothers prayer?' Sure
thing He did, replied the boy, why .
are you so certain?' Because" said
the boy, after dark, I went and bust
ed that trap all to pieces There
wasn't wood enough left to make
tooth pick" 1 call that effective pray
ing"
Why Laws Are Not Better Enforced.
The following were some of the
reasons given why laws were not bet
ter enforced:
First. Many officials ignorant of
the laws and of how to secure their
Second. Officials incompetent.
Third. Officials not interested in
the best state of society.
Fourth. Personal interest, indirect
and direct. Officials represent special
interests, desire reelection.
Fifth. Public Indifference.
Sixth. No public demand for law
Seventh. A feeling that through
of justice offender will es-
cape.
Some Results of Enforcement.
First. Creates respect for authority.
For law itself. For officials. For the
rights and claims of society.
Second. Decreases criminality. Pre-,
vents attempts at evil doing.
Third. Makes life and property
more secure.
Fourth. Protects the weaker man.
Fifth. Creates a wholesome moral !.
Worse Than Lawlessness.
Dr. c. A. Vincent tells us that "The
first step in the solution of every
other moral problem is the enforce
ment of law. A lawless people can
never be made a prosperous people.
1t is disastrous to be wicked, but it |
is hopeless to care nothing about it.
There are many indications of this
deadened sense of responsibility. The
lack of the enforcement of wholesome |
law is the most conclusive one.
A nation may be drunken, or ignor- /
ant, or anything else, rather than be
lawless. The great danger to Ameri-