The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-01-17
PRESBYTERIAN
BROTHERHOOD
From Tuesdays Daily.

Aid society with her lieutenants and
comrdes were responsible last even
| ing for the initial enthusiasm at the
meeting of the Presbyterian Broth
erhood The floral decorations were
beautiful and the dinner was of the
| substantial kind man enjoys after
a hard days work. And the dining
room was made CHEEKY as home by
the presence Of the wives and sis
tiers who waited on the table.
To add to the good feeling Judge
Lorin Cray, chairman called on Mr..
D. M. Jones to favor the club with
speech or song or anything in
the shop. NJ. Jones never fails to
produce the goods. H
Judge Cray in introducing the
speaker of the evening, said eve
had too much law but too little law
enforcement. Everyone with griev-
ance wants an amendment to the
constitution or seeks relief by lum-
bering up our statute books with
new laws. Our constitution was
| flexible enough for all purposes.
the great need of the hour was bet
| ter law enforcement"
! e. F. Soaring then read mis- clear
and vigorous arrignment of the
weak and unsatisfactory way in
which the criminal laws have been
enforced and his earnest appeal for
revised criminal Jurisprudence.
When the speaker concluded
| George Black was first on his feet
He contrasted the fear and respect
criminals have for the federal
courts with their disregard for the
more lenient district courts. Judges
of our district courts would have
greater independence if appointed
| for life"
F. NJ. Currier urged that the peo
ple got what they demanded. "li
3; is our own fault if the law are not
enforced. Public sentiment is the
one irresistible force. The Sher
man interstate commerce law was
on the statute books for years; now
that public opinion reached the
porper intensity it is being en-
forced" Mr.. Currier thought the
laws were being made too much fol
! the protection Of the criminal rath
err than for the protection of the
| law-biding people. This drift toward
sentimentality was producing more
crime. The punch bowl at the gov
errors reception was wholly un
| iustifiable and was bad influence
on the coming generation.
DR.. C. J. Holman said the Grim
inal was product of heredity anc
social conditions and should not be
punished for societies crimes. He
| thought those who advocated the
death penalty had not looked care
fully enough into the causes thai
produce the criminal. The muir
derer was often the victim of &
diseased mind entailed on him by
causes over which he had no con
troll.
Professor ]. r. Brandrup believed
the sheriff and police officers meas
ured up pretty well with the res
of the people in doing their duty
1t was natural and convenient some
! times to all not to see things ant
let the boys slide. Officers mus
be backed by public opinion.
w D. Willard thought it a de
/ batable question whether greater
severity of penalty prevents crime
A large percentage of the crime OF
murder rise out of the saloon No
only are crimes Matched in the sa
loon but nervous disorders are caused
| by drink that produce criminals. 1--WE
ought to fight the fire in the base
ment and not wait till it had reach
ed the upper rooms. "He advoctet
a law forbidding the sale of re
he q a r
themselves with police laws so as tt
better aid in their enforcement.
Theodore Williams agreed will
others that the people get what thu
majority demands; but the troubl'
was that good people talk while BAT
people act, and sometimes this re
suited in the rule of vicious mi
nority.
George Clark felt that there woult
always be difficulty in getting
righteous verdict while people insist
ed on it's being unanimous. Mr.. Cur
rier insisted that the cause of crim'
was traceable to the lack of hom'
discipline and reverence, this late
breeds disrespect for the officers o
law.
! III. P. Jensen thought the boy
would go to the devil as long as thu
parents set the pace.
Judge Cray then reviewed the al
guments on all sides very vigor
ously. The one prevalent crime tina
prevents the ends of justice wa
perjury. There had not been tern
of court for forty years in which
COMA ono had NOT wjl1fu1lV Dreiurot
themselves. This crime should b.
severely punished. He had no pa
thence with the theory that all "a
tional men are good and that mel
commit crime only when they hav
brain storm.
w. d. Willard offered the follow
ling resolution which was SECONDED
by Professor Brandrup and unani
mously adopted.
Resolved, that this brotherhood
commend the mayor for his ord
nance forbidding policemen to drinl
while on duty or enter a saloon II
uniform unless called there on dut!
and that we urge a strict enforce
! ment of the ordinance"
1t was also decided that member
OF the brotherhood take it upol
themselves to assist in the enforce
ment of the law by writing on /;
card such violations of the law tina
are observed by each member an
hand the same to the party who
violating the law.
Fairmont, January 1.-THE scoffe
I nnf