Year: 1878

Last week man was arrested for bur-
glary whose history conveys a valuable
moral He was formerly a professional
thief and had served two terms of i'm
prisonment, but some time ago professed
to be converted. For year or more he
has appeared to lead a reputable life, and
has been made much of by those who de-
light in such reformation as this. Dr.
Deems, of the Church of the Strangers,
recently wrote a letter saying that the
man had been for several months mem
Der of his church, and was perfectly trust
worthy. He has been also employed as
an assistant in Jerry McAuley's Water
Street Mission, where a good work is be,
ing done. This case is by no means ex-
ceptional in most OF its features. "Gos-
pei temperance meetings" are now held
every Sunday evening at one of the
Broadway theatres, and a large number
OF reformed and converted men relate
their experiences. On recent evening,
one of them began his remarks as follows
"One week ago to night was a profes-
sional thief" He appeared to be spe
cial favorite with the leader of the meet
ing


The moral of this case is that it is ex-
tremely unwise. to make so much Of these
recently converted and reformed men,
A man should have every opportunity to
make his reformation permanent. En-
ployment, sympathy, advice, everything
that he needs should be given him. But
it ought to be impressed upon his mind
that by his past life he has justly forfeit
ed all claim to the confidence of the
community, and that this confidence will
be regained only by years of honesty,
sobriety and work. For a few men to
h olroo1,y h1y &C ol1
dence and esteem, is to do an irreparable
injury to the man as well as to the COM
munity; it is to persuade him that a
resolution to reform is reformation, and
that the work Of years can be done in
moment. Say what you will, men will
not trust an ex-convict as they do one of
unblemished reputation, until he has
shown himself worthy of such trust-and
they ought not to do it until then. So
ciety owes it to the man to give him fair
chance to regain his lost position; it
owes it to itself not to treat him as if he
had regained it when he has not.


To such lengths is this false sentiment
with regard to criminals carried that it
becomes positively demoralizing The
most popular temperance lecturer is he
who can paint in the blackest colors his
condition previous to his signing the
pledge. The most be.praised convert is
he who laments most over his extreme
sinfulness before his conversion. Men
who have earned good report among
their fellows by an earnest Christian life,
or by sterling honesty in all their deal
ings and strict propriety in every act, see
themselves set aside for men just taken
from the gutter or the prison. 1t is not
mere envy that makes them feel that
this is unjust. A series of temperance
meetings having been conducted in an
Eastern town in this style, a well known
temperate citizen remarked that he was
going to get drunk few times and re-
FORM and see if he could not become a
respected member Of society again" He
humorously expressed what others seri-
ously felt.


Give the reformed drunkards and
thieves fair chance to build up good
character and to acquire a fair name. We
have no sympathy with those who would
keep a man down forever because he has
fallen. Put them on their feet, but let
them climb the hill themselves. Give
them every opportunity of rising, and
help them to rise, but trust them no fur
ther than they have proved themselves
worthy of trust. To do otherwise is only
to expose them to temptations stronger
than they are able to bear, and to expose
society to renewed depredations from
those whom it had fattered itself to be
reformed.