Newspaper Page Text
VOL. LXXXV.
RICHMOND, NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA, JANUARY 3, 1917.
No. 61
I
Ctritorial J2oteS attb Comment
DANGERS of many kinds are before the
American people. Two of those which
loom up large and threatening are the love of
money and the love of pleasure. It is inter
esting to see what the Wall Street Journal
has to say on tills subject, and it should be
remembered that this paper is published es
pecially for the moneyed people of the coun
try. It says :
"What America needs more than railway
extension, and western irrigation, and low tar
iff, and a bigger wheat crop, and a merchant
marine, and a new navy, is a revival of piety,
the kind mother and father used to have, piety
that counted it good business to stop for
daily family prayer before breakfast, right
in the middle of harvest; that quit field work
a half hour early Thurpjay night, so as to
get the chores done and go to prayer meet
ing; that borrowed money to pay the preach
er's salary, and prayed fervently in_secret for
the salvation of the rich man who looked with
scorn on such unbusiness-like behavior. That's
what we need now to clean this country of
the filth of graft, and of greed, petty and
big; of worship of fine houses and big lands
and high office and grand social functions.
What is this thing we are worshipping but
a vain repetition of what decayed nations fell
down and worshipped just before their lights
went out? Head the history of Rome in de
cay and you will find luxury there that could
lay a big dollar over our little doughnut that
looks so large to us. Great wealth never made
a nation substantial nor honorable. There is
nothing on earth that looks good that is so
dangerous for a man or a nation to handle
as quick, easy, big money. If you do resist
its deadly influence, the chances are that it
will get your son."
+ + +
PROHIBITION is rapidly sweeping over this
country and is gaining ground in many
parts of the world. One reason why it has not
spread more rapidly, and why it has not been
more successfully enforced has been that no
substitute has been provided for the saloon.
Man is naturally a social being, and one of
the secrets of the great power the saloon has
had lies in the fact that it has provided some
thing to satisfy the demands of his social na
ture. One of the greatest problems before the
Church and the philanthropists of to-day is
to provide this substitute. It must afford in
nocent pleasure and recreation, which may, at
a moderate cost; be enjoyed with neighbors
and friends. He who will devise such a scheme
will render to his fellowmen, to the commun
ity, to the country, to "the Church and to God,
a service, the value of which can never be
estimated. The conditions vary so greatly in
different communities, that no plan will prob
ably suit everywhere. Let each community
take up the matter for itself and see what
can be done. Then pass on to others any
experience that may be gained. It is a big
problem, but Americans love big problems.
+ + +
RELIGION in the public schools and their
relation to each other is one of the prob
lems that occupies the thought and attention
of many wise men to-day. It is felt that the
youth of the land are not getting the moral
and religious training that they ought to have.
The State through the public schools come in
touch with more of these young people than
any other institution. So many feel that,
while the State is training the brain, some
attention should be given to' the heart also.
In order that the boy may become a first-class
citizen, he must have both head and heart
educated. The heart cannot be trained with
out religion. Is it not the part of the Church
rather than of the State, to furnish religious
training? Suppose the whole Christian
Church of this country were doing all that it
possibly could |do /to train all the people,
young and old, in the vital truths of religion,
there "is no reason why everyone in all this
land should not be reached. And if this should
be done, there would be no need to turn this
duty over to the State, which cannot do it
half so well. The serious question, for ;tfyc\
Church to consider is, whether it.' d6 ' its
duty or shirk it and try to tuqv&.oVer to the
State.
+ + + " ; - * ' ?
AMERICA'S responsibility is greater in
one respect at least than that of any oth
er nation. An old German father, who has
several grown sons, said a few days ago that
he had tried very hard to raise his boys in this
country with German ideas, but they were so
influenced by Americans all arouncj. them that
they had grown up with American ideas. He
said that he. thought there is a gr?at deal of
good in Americanism, but that tbere is also
much that is bad. When we think of the
millions of foreigners that have come and are
coming to our shores, do we realize that they
are going to be what we Americans make
them? They may have some influence on us,
but little compared with the influence we
have on them. The question which we ought
to consider most seriously is, what kind of in
fluence is being exerted upon them? The pow
ers of evil are at work everywhere, and the
stranger is an easy victim. Has the Church
ever waked up to its responsibility to these
strangers at our doors? Very few of them
are being reached with the gospel. If they
could be given a Christian welcome and have
the influences of religion thrown around them
as soon as they come upon our shores, the
agents of evil would not gain ^uch influence
over them a^d they would maljk far better
American citizens.
"every
PROGRESS u^'Liuetimes a little uncomfort
able in its oilects. It has proven true in
our case. For a year and a half our office
has been in the Park Building. The owners
consider that building somewhat out of date,
and have decided to pull it down and erect
a more modern one on its site. The result
has been that we had to move out, much
against our preference. But we were very
fortunate in being able to secure the same of
fices from which we moved a year and a half
ago. We. are now again located in Rooms 307
and 308 Old Dominion Trust Building, at the
corner of Ninth and Main Streets. AVe shall
be glad to have our friends call to see us at
any time. The elevator entrance is on the
Ninth Street side of the building.
+ + +
CHRISTMAS has come and gone, but the
spirit of Christmas need not take its flight
with the passing of the dciy. This spirit is
that of good will shown to others in deeds of
kindness. Why may this not be done every
day in the year, and many times in the day?
The Boy Scouts are taught that they are to
"do a good turn every day." Let us all in
this respect be Scouts, and great will be the
blessing, both to others and to ourselves.
+ + +
F* jfeXCE among the nations will probably
fcefchfc some time during the year. Just
when or 'upon what terms no one can now say.
, l)iit' yvery Christian should be very earnest and
fervent in prayer that the war may be brought
to an end in God's own time and under such
conditions as He will approve. And let the
prayer go up from every heart that this may
be the last war ever fought on earth, except that
between the forces of righteousness and evil,
in which all of God's people shall be as loyally
enlisted under the banner of King Jesus, as
the brave soldiers have been enlisted under the
banners of their countries and their kings. Then
it will not be long before the Prince of Peace
will reign in every heart and in every land,
and the powers of evil will be entirely over
thrown.
+ + +
1EADERS among the foreign
j country, who are anxious
countrymen to a higher plan*
character, say that the most
in their way is the saloon. The in ds
it almost everywhere he goes. \n
the large cities, in which most ,s
congregate, the saloon opens wi
ing door. In a section of Gary^
3,000 Croatians, and among
27 Croatian saloons, or r
a hundred of the popr*
ditions, it is not
prove themsel* .id poverty