Year: 1878

forty years of age have been in the Sab
bath school for longer or shorter period


The Sabbath school is a modern institu


ton Seventy years ago not one child IL


three hundred was in the Sabbath school


fifty years ago not more than one in


hundred; and thirty years ago it wa


very small, relatively to the Church anc


the world, compared with what it ha


since become and now is. Of course


then, fifty years ago not one per cent. o


the criminals had ever been in the Sab


bath-school, because not one per cent. o


the population had ever been there at all


and thirty years ago not more than fif


teen per cent. of the whole population


had ever been scholars Per cent. state


ments need to be scrutinized before being


accepted. There is Western church


that reports an increase of 400 per cent


under its present pastor. The whole


number in communion now is ten. They


had two when he went there.


During the past thirty years missions


have been established in the worst parts


of all our large cities. Every induce


ment has been offered to children to at


tend. Many have come only for what


they could get; many have staid but 8


tendencies that no instruction could Grad
|


would be surprising result and an ample


reward They should be credited to


profit and loss while all that are lost


should not be charged, for they were


dead stock to begin with. Yet, whether


they have been in the schools a day or a


year. after they sink back and become


criminals they can truly answer, when
asked if they have ever been Sabbath
school scholars: II have" Thus the
proportion would be increased, while the
Sabbath school would be doing the best
work imaginable. But we cannot close
our eyes to the fact that the Sabbath
school has not the guiding and restrain
ing power that it should have If form
erly dry, the discipline was better. There
were more seriousness, more reverence
vate eXhortations on personal piety; and
the personal religious power of teachers
as q whole was greater. We are not
blind to former defects; but now in many
schools there is lack of reverence, the
social element predominates, and the
principle of pleasing the children is the
test of adaptation If a school unendura-
BILE to children will do them little good;
it is certain that one conducted wholly to
please them will do them not only little
good, but much harm. Competition be-
tween schools often increases attendance
and diminishes moral power at the same
time Gifts, bribes, and constant appeals
to the glory of beating other schools"
bring in a class of scholars that never
would go voluntarily to well instructed,
disciplined religious schools. At the
same time, these things tend to debilitate
the moral fiber of the schools; to lessen
its restraining and guiding influence. A
foi, Of Iicp1au Nd TO
natural feelings is right and necessary );
but it may be assured, as law, that
whenever the pageant and reward and
picnic spirit of Sabbath school manage
ment gets the ascendency, while the at
tendance of wild children increases, the
power to mold them dimlnishes. Hence,
the proportion of steady characters pro-
duced by such schools will not be as
great and the proportion of the unsteady
will be greater than would be the case if
the religious and moral elements main
tanned at all times not indeed the exclu
sive control, but their just supremacy
Another feature of crime in our time is
the number OF crimes of premeditation
and ingenuity perpetrated by persons
under or just past what is called legal
age. That illegal acts springing from
sudden impulse should be done occasion
dliy ny youHS pSISOhS 10 uCU cul
1t has always been so. Hence, the care
Of young children is given by the state
to the parents; and, unless the parents
show their incompetency, either by cru
city or neglect, to protect or restrain
their children, the state does not inter |
fere


But we hear continually of crimes of
deliberation, involving much knowledge |
of law and the exercise of a sharp intel |
lect. To this may be added another fact, |
which the one just mentioned explains
the GOODNESS and effrontery of the young
villains when apprehended. youth of
seventeen in New York had a difficulty |
with a man. rushed out, got knife, re-
turned and plunged it into his breast
When asked why he did it, he declined |
to talk until, as he said, II have seen my
lawyer" 1t is quite common now to see
the statement made of mere boys: THE |
accused, when brought into court, seem
ed the most unconcerned person in the |
room" Nothing but long previous fa-
with the crime or with criminal |
thoughts and reflection on the possibility |
of detection and arrest can account for |
such GOODNESS and effrontery. Those who |
commit crime in a sudden excess of |
rage or when drunk are usually confused |
and distressed beyond measure when they
realize the position in which they are
placed.


Nor can we forget that many cases new
er get into the papers or reach the courts;
but are hushed up, privately settled, and
never known beyond narrow circle.


The fact of the increase being indispu
table, an inquiry into the causes thereof
is imperatil ely demanded. The writer,
at the request of the editor of this paper,
is willing to contribute to the solution
of the problem the best thought and the
most patient investigation which he can
command


Two points only will be presented in
this article The hard times" have, un-
doubtedly, in certain directions, increased
crime While the country, as a whole,
is not as much embarrassed as some think
and it is true that in many cases. if we
had not been up, we should not know
that we are down, it is fact that the
number, extent, and distribution of the
inequalities of society have been very
greatly affected by the hard times. -
Many are destitute that were able to live;
many wretched that were in comfort;
many are compelled to economic who
were accustomed to luxury while vast
multitude have nothing TO do and can
get nothing to do. 1t was true in this
country that every man who wanted
work could get it; but it is not true now.
Where the necessaries of life are cut off,
especially when man is willing to work
but unable to get the opportunity sees
those who have made money illegiti
mately or inherited it in the enjoyment
of every luxury, and perhaps receives
contemptuous treatment from them, the
strain on honesty is terribly severe. In
many cases among the young spending
money is no longer to be obtained hon
estly.