Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-10-03
LIVE TOPICS
OF COUNTRY
4 \ ID. TOW \

.emething al onee. In last week ;
session OF the Southern Illinois an
rua conference plans were laid 10
.aed missionaries into Herrin to con-
yelt the foreigners.
This Is a step in the right direction.
l. IS the first movement of the kind
launched by the church so far as the
Review is aware, and if carried out
In detail under the proper leadership,
is sure 10 produce the desired effect.
The way TO stop lawlesSness Is to
take lawlessness out of the human
heart. There is no other way.
All branches of the church should
follow this example set by the Metho-
dists. No denomination should have
4 monopoly in soul saving. Ii Is a
- Ia, beloass 70 every branch of
the church.
One thousand lawless people in n
community of $4,000 may easily dis
credit the entire territory and bring
reproach upon the better class of
citizens. The lawless element in
williamson county come from practi-
cally every class. Many who are
fighting for law enforcement along
certain lines are among the more
lawless in other lines. The church
is represented by the lawless who
creep into its membership and for one
reason or another cannot well be ex-
cluded.
The fault lies in attempting to es-
tablish the law by force instead of
supplementing force with reform
measures.
The latter method is tedious, more
EXPENSIVE and requires infinite pa
tience and tolerance, but in the end 1t
is effective.
The common error of many law
abiding citizens is to attempt to
build a law-abiding society by fines,
incarceration and other forms of pun
ishment, all of which has merit as lar
as it goes, but the plan has never
worked successfully, and never viii.
Heaven is made by Transforming bad
and Indifferent men into law-abiding
God- -fearing men. Heaven is made
bv no other method. This is the work
of the church more than any other
organization and the speed of the
modern church in its fight against the
illicit liquor traffic is four miles an
hour with a stop at every intersection.
The action of the Southern Illinois
conference indicates that at least one
branch of the church is waking up.
Washington has cinched the Ameri-
can league pannant. Walter john
son is coming into his own after 18
years service in the major leagues.
The whole country is jubilant over his
triumph. No American athlete has
won greener ! aurels than this mar
velous pitcher who has stood by a
losing team when he might have had
the best the major leagues offer.
While other athletes have been
roaming from one club to another
seeking a higher preferment and
greater honors Walter johnson has
fought what appeared to be losing
game with a second division club,
and has stood at his post with the
loyalty of good sentinel.
The Washington club will clash
with the New York Giants in
worlds series. 1t will be clash be-
tween Walter Johnson, world famous
pitcher and John McGraw the Giant
manager whose laurels equal those ot
johnson.
When the clash comes the fans
will be divided. Both athletes have
friends who are anxious to see them
win what may be in either case the
htal triumph of a long baseball
career.
Two women in southern Illinois
have effectively gotten rid of unde-
Sirable husbands by the poison route.
Under the laws of the state either
NAV be hanged, sentenced to life
Imprisonment, or to a minimum OF
fourteen years, sent to an insane
asylum or acquitted.
Newspapers are specializing as TO
what should be done with the women.
Most of the editors think they should
be hanged, because the nation needs
a lesson. Probably the majority OF
readers think they should be sent to
an asylum. A few believe they are
victims of circumstances and strong
emotionalism and are not responsible,
and therefore should be acquitted.
Clarance Darrow, true to the pre-
ceedent he established in the motor
ious Franks case, believes all parties
connected with the murders should be
"a AebhEh 1NoAtiA
row is at least consistent.
The case resolves into the ques-
ton as to whether anyone should
be executed for murder. Those OPP
posed to capital punishment ask;
What good effect will result from
hanging?" Those favorable declare
that the maximum punishment deters
others from committing murder.
Neither position gives the final an
swer, for the wisdom of neither can
be proven. We do not know what
effect the death penalty has upon So
ciety at large. We do know by ex-
perience and observation that the
lawless do not speculate as to the
penalty, but as to the manner of
eluding officers of the law by cover
ing their tracks. Apparently no
criminal thinks that he will be exc
euted for a crime, not at least until