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Show EPIDEMIC OF CRIME. An epidemic of lawlessness, with its consequent fruits, mischief, misdemeanors and crime, seems I I to have visited this community. , The frequency of minor offenses and the dastardly character of a few ' of the major ones has caused a feeling of uneasi ness to prevail. In some quarters it has provoked indignation, in others bitter denunciation. The causes are variously attributed in such instances. The politician finds in such conditions excuses for a an attack on political enemies in power, whether , lhe object be to cunningly make capital for future iconipaigns or to seek revenge for disappointed hopes. It is easy to lay hard times at a public official" of-ficial" door, when 1 ho public mind is in a state of discontent. It is then in a receptive mood and is : prepared to swallow any bait. Whether criminals, judge this a safe field for iheir operations, duo. 1o the incapacity and carelessness of those who arc ! , guardians of the public safety, or whether it is J simply no of those nToral waves that at intervals . J ' sweep into communities lik an epidemic of grippe ; or measles; or whether it is due to. the migration ; in tins ili reel ion of bands of marauders, who act I in unison and have no particular reason for visit- !injr one place more than another, except that it is i, on their line of march, we shall not venture to say. , The condition may be 'due to a combination of . circumstances. If so, we should refrain from pas- j ; : ' r interest in laying the blame too quickly at any particular door, lest we do some one a grave injustice. Hut there is one thing that is certain I ; ihat crimes and criminals are not produced by re- ligious influences or by the reception of religious Is teachings. There is another thing almost as eor-? eor-? tain, and that is, where religious influence does not I- reform a man's life and religious teachings are not included in his sum of practical knowledge, he is very much more exposed to become not only a use- I ' less citizen, but a dangerous member of society. I The engine may run faster without a governor but it will not run safely. We twentieth century 1 independence-loving philosophers have wisely de- 1 cided to do without moral governors. We are even 1 liable 1o speak flippantly of those influences that kept other generations in the path of righteousness, such as a religion with fixed teachings and binding ! commandments. Why, pure, unrestricted intellect- 1 ual and moral freedom, cut loose of old-fogyism, I is our logan. Let us slop for a while and reflect. let ns just, ask ourselves 'and what has been, the j result r If we arc practical this questiwi must I force itself upon us. f we are interested in the f.;te of posterity and arc not mere parasites, fecd- I ins: on the living present, with no regard for those I that come after us. we must ask, "What will it all f lead to;"' leads 1o the same goal as does all I meanness, selfishness and disorder, to hell on earth I and damnation after. It is all very well to swagger 1 along and act lhe braggadocio in moral and, re ligious questions. A man may do it to mask his deficiencies de-ficiencies and be worldly wise, but he or any other who doe so. is in great danger pf becoming a coward cow-ard or a fool.. We had better take counsel with ourselves. We are a nation with a' pretty fairly I well developed religious instinct, but it would seem we were losing it. Were it not wise to take our bearings and look up our navigation charts t This f ship of state without the compass of religion is ji likely to come to the same dangerous pass as a.sis- i ter ship, also flying a tri-colored flag. Her public I . officers of all descriptions, and. particularly those I who preside in courts of justice, are now filling the press with distressing reports and mournful pre- dictioas. Yes, France's ship of fctate has been sail- I piz firaid shoals and breakers. Liberty, equality, fra- i ternity do not seem to attract fair winds and to open into fair seas. So with us. Let our pride'and self-conceit be less prominent and even if it should require a little more sacrifice, let us cultivate those ideas and sentiments" that will promote contentment, peace and happiness. Religion is the chief of these blessings. It is the best abater of crime and offers of-fers the best resistance to the criminal's evil inclinations. |