In the aftermath of the arrest of two street preachers for proclaiming the Gospel on one of the town's thoroughfares, the Banner published a stinging editorial and a letter to the editor on the matter:
In an editorial, Dundas
Mayor Wardell and Dundas Chief Constable Fitzgerald received heavy criticism
for their actions as regards the street preaching incident, involving Messrs.
Mason and Townsend:
“The wording of Bylaw No.
276 does not, in our humble opinion, bear upon the parties under arrest in
anyway whatever. It cannot be said that those who are earnestly engaged in
preaching the word of God are ‘idlers’ and it cannot, we think, be held that
the reading of the Gospel, the singing of hymns of praise, or speaking the glad
tidings to sinful men contained in the Scriptures is making ‘unusual noises’ in
this Christian era.
“The arrest of these Gospel
Preachers is uncalled for. They make no disturbance. They are our best citizens.
They are seeking to do good to their fellow men. They should be upheld in their
noble work by the strong arm of the law. If arrests are to be made, our police
should arrest the idlers and rowdies who insult and annoy the preachers, and
who blaspheme their Maker. Our citizens are deeply interested in this matter of
freedom of speech, and will not tolerate anything the savors of injustice. We say,
let the preachers preach whenever and wherever they please. And we further say,
let our peace officers be instructed to arrest promptly those who are in
reality idlers and rowdies. To arrest and let the rowdies go is offering a
premium for disorderly conduct.”1
1 “Street
Preaching”
The True Banner and Wentworth
Chronicle. November 22, 1883.
In the same issue of the
True Banner, the following letter concerning the incident appeared:
“Public Opinion – Judging
from the opinions freely expressed by citizens in general, the zeal which our
authorities are showing in putting down street preaching would be much better
applied if directed to stamping out the rowdyism and loaferism which disgrace
the town.
“On Saturday evening, the
front entrance of the H. and D. R’y Station was hard to get at because of a mob
of young blackguards, who made annoying and insulting remarks about passersby.
“On Sunday afternoon, crowds
of loafers were at every vantage ground, and one gang actually hooted at some
ladies coming home from Sunday School, and misconducted themselves thus on King
street, not 20 yards from where our police were arresting respectable citizens
for proclaiming the gospel.
“On Sunday night, at the
corner of Moore’s Block, when people were going to church, a blackguardly gang
occupied the whole walk, and passersby had to wade in the mud in order to pass
them, and then listen to their impertinent remarks, and every evening during
the week, unchecked rowdyism disgraces the town.
“Our authorities have never
shown any burning desire to abate this nuisance, and it is time they did so. If
the police force is afraid of the toughs, then let us have a new police force.”2
2 “Public
Opinion.”
The True Banner and
Wentworth Chronicle. November 22, 1883.
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