Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 January 1904 — PULPIT ON IROQUOIS DISASTER. [ARTICLE]

PULPIT ON IROQUOIS DISASTER.

Pastors in Snnday Sermons Refer to Awful Loss of Life. Pastors of many Chicago churches turned their attention Sunday to the Iroquois Theater horror. They discussed the effects of the disaster on the community, the measures which should be taken for punishing the guilty and the precautions necessary to prevent a repetition of the catastrophe. Quotations from sermons in local pulpits follow: - Civic duty has been neglected for private gain.—Dr. Emil G. Hirsch. Surely the Lord Is speaking to us out of the fire.—Dr. James P. Thoms. We are reaping the harvest of the seeds of lawlessness.—Rev. E. V. Sliayler. It js time something made ns stop and take stock of life.—Dr. Cleland B. McAfee. Shameless inattention to duty on the part of public ofßcials is responsible.— Rev. G. D. Cleworth. We ought not to need the awful warning of calamity to make us faithful to duty.—Dr. Joseph K. Mason. The chief culprdit is a spirit of lawlessness which characterizes our American life. —Rev. M. Edward Fawcett. It costs less to secure obedience to law than to repair the results of disobedience. —Dr. Wjlliam M. Lawrence. The way to avert snch calamities is for the people to insist on the enforcement of the laws.*—Rev. O. B. Antisdel. Chicago has been baptized anew with fire and I trust it may make it a cleaner and devouter city.—Rev. John T. Christian. Do not ascribe it to the Almighty. He did not do it. Ascribe it to men’s vicious disregard of law.—Rev. Frederick G. Priest It is the next thing to blasphemy to call this the providence of God. It is the selfishness of man. —Rev. Frederick E. Hopkins. However responsible the managers may be, the officials of the city government cannot escape their share.—Rev. L. A. Crandall. It has taken this costly sacrifice to rouse Chicago to see that its worst evil U the Boa-enforcement of existing laws. —Bishop Cheney. "Vengeance "Vs mine, I will repay, eaith the Lord.” With malice toward none, let us fix the blame where It belongs; let us not think that the good God sent this calamity; it waa • terrible accident, resulting from human negligence.—Dr. J. P. Brush Ingham.