The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-09-25
Rev. E. Burns Martin Says
People Should Force
Officials to Act.
RAPS ILLICIT TRAFFIC
Declares that by Licensing Soft
Drink CD Parlors People
Are Aiding Assassins.

answered by the Reverend E. Burns
Martin, pastor of the Park Avenue M.
E. church in a sermon address at that
church on Sunday evening to an audi
ence that packed the church audi
torium. His answer shocked the large
number who heard him as it also
Weakened in them the sense of respon-
sibility for the tragedy and for action
to make it certain that these two per-
sons should not have died in vain.
'cYou helped" was the answer which
was put to the queries.
ooh, yes, I know" continued the
minister, "that presently they'll have
this drunken STRIPPING, who is charged
with murder for driving the car that
struck the two victims, and his drunk
en- companions before the bar of JUS
tice to receive what will probably be
just sentences! l know also that the
four saloonkeepers who sold the poi
son will also be arraigned to stand
share of the blame"
Not Forgetting Officials.
"No, I'm not forgetting the $25 fines
and COSTS" he continued. "Im not
forgetting that police officers perhaps
have shown more concern in enforcing
the speed laws than some other sta
tutes that are on the books; I'm not
forgetting the men in hority-and
say openly that / think the city
manager and the chief of police can
enforce the liquor laws in Kenosha if
they so desire-Tm not forgetting the
men in authority who seem to have
been so busy paving streets that they
forgot to deal in terms of life, but if
you and and all of the good folks of
Kenosha get this question on our
minds and make it clearly known that
the people of Kenosha want the laws
enforced, these others will have
to do it."
"We need seriously again to con-
slider the phrase Am l my brothers
keeper?' and that other text, The
blood of my brother calls up from
the ground
tThe blood of Truman T. Parker and
his daughter Jean, calls to us from
| the ground. do not call for vim
dicative avonging of this tragedy, but
llet us recognize anew that we are
our brothers keeper and go out to
make sure that these two victims have
not died IN vain"
Denounces Illicit Traffic.
The address was on the subject:
Liquor and Law With Some Obser-
vations on the Relation of Soft (?)
Drink Parlors to Crime"
In prefacing his remarks the Rev
erend Mr.. Martin said:
81 came here this evening to pay
tribute to a good man and true and
to his daughter, Jean, who assayed to
come to this same service seven days
ago and were ruthlessly hurled to
their deaths. There are times when
men arise in their recklessness and
madness to mock the plans Of God in
the continuance of human life. We
need something to tell us to call a
halt and warn us to obviate the ter
rible conditions that stare us in the
face here. l am compelled to speak
because of that tragedy"
eff any came here tonight to hear
me say sensational things regarding,
city or county officials, they probably
will be disappointed. l am perfectly
frank in saying that l believe the law
could be enforced if folks wanted it
enforced but mayor, a city manager
and any other officials cannot bring
about this unless public opinion is
behind them"
People Need to be Aroused.
eve have all heard it said not in
frequently, The people do not want the
law enforced; excuses have been made
that the men set over US do not ex-
spect US to enforce the law.
what we need in Kenosha is a
Renaissance of the rights of the peo-
pie to be protected not only in life
and limb, but also in their home life,
their moral and ethical rights. The
biggest business of a city is not to
safeguard the material interests of its
citizens but to safeguard the lives of
it's boys and girls and make the com
munity a safe and decent place in
which to live. The whole question
comes back to the people. Will they
sit idly by or will they rise, reused
by this tragedy, and demand an en-
forcement of the laws 2"
1.-TWO men in the city of Kenosha
can see to it that the laws are en-
forced if they care to do it and if they
cannot, let them abdicate and let
others take their places who can en-
force the laws. We need to make law
enforcement popular in Kenosha; we
need to so roll up public opinion on
this question that there can be no
resort to trickery and the plate will
be swept clean"
Some Praise for officials.
The minister said there were many
things for which the city and county
officials could be praised He mem
toned several things which were done
by officials and by police in a most
excellent manner, stating that he was
convinced that these men wanted to
do the things which the people wanted
them to do.
when the people of this city, who
believe in the best interests get to-,
gether and show that they mean bust
ness, they will get what they want"
he said. "The supreme blame is not
upon the officials, but upon you and
me. There should be censure for the
poor youth who drove the car and his
four associates, but we would be re-
strained almost to spare them if we
could get behind them to the real
cause of the tragedy. Even beyond
the four saloonkeepers, who could not
say, them nay, are those who issued
the permits. Do we not recognize that