St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-02-15
SCORES The CHURCHES.
Rev.lB. F. Butler Criticizes COndi-
lions Alleged to Exist in St.
Johnsbury.

We have been requested to pub
lish the following sermon by Rev.
B. F. Butler of the Universalist
church because it touches conditions
revealed at the recent parents meet
ing at the Union school building.
Not long since we attended
most stimulating meeting of parents
and teachers at Summer street
school. What shall make for the
best interests of our boys and girls?
was the question of the hour. Among
the many things said there were
few that touched me.
Our district attorneys words rang
true In his emphasis of issues he
stood off in a class by himself. He
felt that the law of the land as
touching criminals has been mega
tive rather than positive. Vermont
should be in touch with the present
day attitude Of penology which seeks
the reform of the criminal. Hence
we should have a Juvenile court and
such conditions that first offenders
should not be shut up with hardened
criminals. Again, he thought that
we too easily forget the young who
fall into the clutches of the law. The
young of both sexes are frequently
in jail for months without receiving
a visit from a single soul from the
outside. AS we listened to our dis
trict attorney we kept hearing the
words:
Forget not that no fellow-being yet
May fall so low but love may lift his
head;
Even the cheek of shame with tears
is wet
he
And we resolved to at least try
to aid our brothers and sisters who
fall down the sleeps thru their own
fault or the fault of others and to
extend the hand which might again
lift them to firm foundations.
Other speakers dwelt on the idea
that the great work of all is forma-
ton of character. Reformation is
good but formation is better. Along
this line certain negative things were
emphasized: Curfew law to keep
children off the streets; supervision
of moving picture shows; parents
must understand that if children are
permitted to float and drift, that that
will have reflex action on character.
Hence less drifting, more loyalty and
stability.
Finally all that was askew was
laid at the door of the home and the
meeting adjourned.
Now pardon me if | try my hand
this morning and seek to probe this
matter to the bottom, with malice
toward none and charity toward all
yet with an eye single to the facts.
Let us begin among the upper strata
of society and see what we are all
doing.
/. 1t comes to me on good au-
thority that in our public schools
here in town there are from four to
six teachers who before they came to
St. Johnsbury attended a particular
church which in this town happens
to be among the less popular bodies.
Since coming to town these teachers
have been as those that pass
by on the other side. They have
scarcely looked toward the church
they attended elsewhere. l am not
now referring to Universalist teach
ers. Have had little interest in OBJ
tanning data concerning such though
I know there are some of that class
Let us be charitable. Perhaps in
the home town they went where they
could, as there was no church of
their faith. Here they take the
first opportunity to go where they
belong. In some cases this may be
so; in others I know it is not so.
Now at the meeting the other
night we heard about the moral as
, poets of certain ungirt ways of doing
things. Let me ask-are there any
moral aspects to this case also? In
the year of our Lord 1911 we are
learning that much as brains are
needed there is something we need
even more and that is moral fibre.
In spots where the world goes to the
devil, it is quite frequently under
the leadership of men of brains who
nevertheless have not that deeper
education which amounts to loyalty
to their deepest convictions of loyal
ty and principle. What this country
and town need is more men and
women who cannot be bought and
sold. We need those who being 'tin
the swim" or not, loaves and fishes
or bread and salt, will stand, live,
sweat, grind, be dubbed, yes, die if
necessary for convictions sake.