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Show MAMMON'S FASCINATIONS. "Sin of Covetousness" is the thrnr of ;t!1 , editorial in last week's issue of Church Pr,,u-r , would seem, however, that it is booties to i,-,.,-; against the sin, unless the temptation ma ! materially lessened. So long as the. :i-.'ii-it. . , wealth is popularly regarded as the true m. ;i.,,..e of greatness, wealth will be the idol of tho p. The power of money, it. would verily s-oii , . greatest power in our land and day. It h '! , turc of man to sacrifice tho lesser for in 2 ,-. , the less desirable for the morj desirahh. The problem that confronts society t,.,i . n j how to minimize the power of the dollar. !, . I ficaeiously instill into the popular miml ,,;l f that "the man who dies rich, dies digraof-ii" j be a long step in the solution of the pr ; 1. , , Is this impossible '. Have the minds of jh n ;., so thoroughly besotted with inaferiali.-ni th.,-cannot th.,-cannot be imbued with higher hioaK? - ; .,, absolutely true that, the man who sa.-riri,-, principle in the amassing of a stupendous . ,n unwieldly fortune has disgraced hini-' lr !;., ,;. bauched his manhood? - If it is ittipo-.-il.e ? ., :: ..r .;; this sentiment into the hearts and mind- i t ., ,. kind, it is useless to plead with them to , their aspirations and effort inio higher ; Just now the acquisition of wealth is the ,: , passion of men of ability of tin- men v. j.,, ,; ,,. inate society and their sway i. unirnpea- (,i.lv despotic. Is it not obvious, therefore, that it is h. -hiu-of moral teachers and leaders to direct their , ;T.,r;, and influence against those of the entn tieli. d l iiit,,. cratic rulers of society? If this latter iuf'n. n,.,. is essentially and inexorably pernicious uhver,ivv of all Christian principle and salutary morals- ;s it not a sacred duty to accomplish its struct in., ; If this influence is inherently un-Christian a:-.. I immoral, does it not stand self-condemned, aial does it not become a holy task to aim to direct t',.. forces of society against its further aggrandizement? aggrandize-ment? To insist that every law available shall : invoked to achieve its destruction, and if eUr present civil and criminal code is inadequate for J the purpose, to irresistably demand the enactment of laws that shall be adequate ? Conservatism is a laudable virtue, but it may govern to a degree to render it as subversive of all true morality as is the most radical of radicalism. radical-ism. If our present industrial system renders it impossible for the great mass of American toilers and producers to dominate our political institutions, institu-tions, then must they be changed radically changed, if necessary to oust the plutocrats who now so ruthlessly control. God grant, that leaders animated by Christian principles direct the forces that shall accomplish the overthrow of this iniquitous reign. Otherwise shall we be, in the not remote future, at the mercy of Godless demagogues who. in their wantoness. would engulf religion ami society in their wrath, engendered by the monstrous plutocratic greed tlint is so ruthlessly dominating society and oppressing the masses. Rapidly is the struggle for 'mere existence he-coming he-coming so intense as to crush out of the hearts of the combatants all thought of higher ideals. If we may afford these merited amelioration then will they, happily, hearken to pleas to conform their lives to saving Christian principles. God hasten that day! r |
