The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1901-09-25 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

MEN'S MIDETING.  On Stinday afternoon a large number of men met Rev. F. Church at Charing Cross, and accompanied the Shore-road Brass Band in the march to Bromwich Chapel. When the meeting commenced the pews were well filled, and at once every man entered heartily into the singing. Miss A. Willoughby Walker, the well-known soloist, sang The Voice that bids me come" and the "Gleaner's slurniber song." Both were rendered with pathos and power, and were applauded in the iiieeting'e heartiest fashion. The band excelled itself in the selections they gave, and none were backward in showing their appreciation. Mr. Church at once approached the subject, " P,:iceman A 1." He said that in more senses than one he had found the policeman to be a sort of conscience of society. But the Policeman A Ito whom he referred neitlher wore blue coat with metal buttons nor carried a staff of hard wood, nor handcuffs of cold steel. Yet this policeman WAS to everyone what our police force was to the town. He was infallible in all his' pronouncements on simple right and wrong. stood a sentinel at our side, was never off his beat, restrained men from wrong and enoouraged them in right doing. Those who took his counsel would never figure in the prison cell. Policeman A 1 warn man's conscience, of which Byron wrote:  Whatever creed Vila-41;17;i land be trod, Man's conscience is tlhe oracle of God." _ _  As guilty men hide themselves from the arm of the law, so an accnsing "conscience cloth make cowards of us all." It warns as of sin before it is committed, fills the culprit with fear when guilt is contracted, and at last enchains the guilty souls with remorse that , is worse than death. It was the echo of the guilty conscience that seemed to whisper to the assassin "Thou art the murderer." Conscience was clearly a faculty that could be educated and warped, as wen in the case of the miserable young Pole Osolgosz, the assassin of Mainley. Be first read doubtful literature, then joined an anarchical club, and listened to anarchical lectures until he was capable of this diabolical deed. With no personal grievance against the murdered ruler, he exulted in his crime, felt ' that be had done hie duty, and was shocked that the people should retaliate fiercely. Anarchy, Mr. Church said, only desired to kill society, as well as individual, and was, therefore, the enemy of every honest community. The "Spectator," under the heading of "How to deal with anarchists," had in an able article answered the question how not to deal with it. Not by 17n0hi07, for that was against order, and increased the chance of injustice; nor by torture, for that was contrary to Christianity; nor by imprisoning all anarchists, and suppressing all their literature.for that would possibly manufacture anarchists by exalting them into apparent martyrs. Perhaps the best suggestion was that instead of putting the assassin's ' name in every paper and ministering to the anarchist's insane vanity, it would be best to try to punish him privately, and so leave ' in the world as Mr. Nieman or Mr. Nobody. But even Mr. Nieman's conscience was Amak: ing, or he would not make the cowardly attempt to shirk his responsibility and throw the onus of his crime anon the woman wham lectures he said had influenced him. Whatever happened, the murderer who refused the call of conscience would find that at het he would be left in remorse and that faculty would "laugh at his calamity and mock when his fear cometh." At present we could not tell how to make these awful crimes impossible. Something might be done by the wider spread of Christian principles. In the meantime, the honeet Ruler's only comfort was in the fart that millions of mMeeta would risk th-ir own lives to save the Ruler; and there was nothing but to accept the risk with the honour. "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown." Policeman A I rewards the right and enheartens the suffering righteous. Happiness always belongs to the man to whom conscience says you hare done your duty." Better be hated, maligned, tortured, undone, with a good conscience, than be the most respectable member of society with an accusing conscience whispering "Thou art the man." Next Sunday Mr. Church announeed that Rev. S. H. Hallam would address them on "Lessons from the Gymnasium."