Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-08-26
SERMON BY REV.
F. /. WATKINS

Sunuay ulOTIlJR ltCV. J.. ~ Wd'nAho
delivered a vorv able sermon at the
Methodist church. OF this city. Sub!
ject: "Thc Sin of Acquiessence."
Text: Acts WEI, first part Of first
verse: And Saul was consulting unto
his death.
One of the first statements was
that many a man has committed muir
DIR with u dagger or gun in the hands
Of another. I'VE see the men with
the stones in their hands when Stey-
en- is slain but we fail to see the in.
luance Of the Elders, the Sadducees,
the Pharisees, the Sanhedrin.'
The speaker then went on and
showed how the mob was worked up
to the stoning of Steven and that the
crime of the death of Steven was
much greater upon those who instl-
gated the killing than upon those who
threw the stones. and that those VINO
stood by yer equally guilty il Trey
did nothing to discourage the killing,
and that all who acquiessed were re-
sponsible to the degree Of their neg
lect in trying to stop it.
Then the argument was made that
we today by our Indifference or mega
tive acts, are often more guilty
than the man We send to prison for
the overt act itself. Often the more
| guilty escape and the lesser criminal
is severely punished. 81 did not steal
the horse. l did not kill him, l did
not sell the liquor that caused the
crime" "Yet you did all Of these
things when you by your indifference,
or tacit noninterference, perhaps for
financial gain d. moral cowardice,
failed to protest against the crime
and b. this tolerance and indlffer-
cnce you are intoxicating theft into
the heart Of your son and when ne
goes to prison for stealing, or some
other crime you are the real Grim
inal because by your attitude you
have said that it is not so bad after
ALL" "Then again when you con-
denim the octfiials for the discharge of
sworn duty you again encourage your
son and your neighbours o to be-
come criminals and you are guilty
of their sins The same applies to
mothers and there would be no 60
ing astray OF daughters if all moth
ers discourage the so-called lesser
evils and encourage true mOdesty OF
their own daughters and their neigh.
boris daughters" And that the so.
called good women of this country
were responsible for the social evil.
that there could be no red light dis
trict but for the tolerance Of the good
women of the church and cOmmpn-
ity."
The Two Dispensations.
"The old dispensation law was thou
shalt not kilr." The new dispense
ton says he that is angry with his
brother is a murderer he that covets
is a thief and he that lusts is an adul-
terer." According to this view the
man or. woman that hates the officers
or the enforcement OF law are Flaw.
breakers" and v en if they do no
overt act they are guilty to a greater
extent In many cases than the real
physical participants" Recently we
had rioting on the streets of Bismarck
and the parties actively engaged were
not of a high order OF citizenship but
they were less to blame than mary
of the so-called good citizens who at
heart were in sympathy with the act.
The Officer is Often More to Blame
Than the Man he P~rosecutes..
IF the states attorney and sheriffs
of the country we're in earnest many
times law would not be violated and
men would not become criminals. II
you do not believe in enforcing a law
resign and do not perjurc yourself
and encourage the, making of Grim
inals." MANY men are not towards
but they have not thought this thing
cut. They say do not use my name
but the law is beng violated and
something should be done" These
people could stop the violation and
stop the need OF prosecution if they
would honestly and openly say this
thing has gone far enough and law
Shall be enforced"
This has been tried and no sooner
did the law breaker see that people
were in earnest than he loaded up his
goods and left the town at once"
Serves Pla n Notice.
In concluding his remarks the
speaker said that as law enforcement
officer he now and here made plain
and public the fact that the clubs In
Bismarck that were violating the law
were going to have an injunction plac-
ed upon them and that the %violators
all over the state were going to be
prosecuted. THAT many a time the
real criminal escaped but that the
lesser would be prosecuted because
we get hold of. him and the greater
goes free because Indifference of the
so-called better people,"
Mr., Watkins spoke plainly Of what
had been done in Fargo and other
cities and that the same results would
follow in Bismarck. That just SO soon
as the police force, the county off
cials and the ?ress got busy that the
results would be the same in all
towns OF the state that had just been
in Fargo and elsewhere.