The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-11-21

irving themselves entirely to material II
interests 1t cannot be said that they S;
are as class doing much for themselves a
and nobody else is doing anything for a
them as to culture or morals lhelr iu- q
ture course depends upon that OF the a
cultivated classes. If there is within [
few years marked expansion OF nation a
al culture and increase of its dynamic I
vitality, these people will do much to /
the better tendencies Of the S
nations life. They are capable OF I'm
portant changes.
Below these as to intellectual charac-
ter and equipment there is larger class,
in whom prehistoric or savage thought
still survives with very slight modlnca-
tions from science or any other modern
influence. Our fellow citizens Of this
class believe in luck. omens, dreams,
signs of many kinds (that is, in super
natural indications or foreshadowinss OF
future events), and in the presence and
influence of the spirits OF the dead, whom
they habitually or occasionally consult IN
various ways These have not all reject
ed evangelical Professionalism, as great
numbers Of them are members OF ihe
popular churches Many OF them have
wealth and social position The women
| of this class constitute the larger portion
! of the great army OF readers OF worthless
books of fiction and serials in the story
newspapers Perhaps majority OF the
members of the evangelical Protestant
churches in this country have at some
time consulted the spirits of dead people,
by the help Of some professional ghost
seer or medium But outside OF the
church the believers in spirits, spelis.
possessions omens, visions, warnings anu
the other features of prehistoric super
naturalism are unusually hostile to Chris
tianity. They think the inspirations ana
revelations Of many trance speakers anu
mediums in this country superior IN val
ne to those recorded in the Bible. They
have usually scorn OF history ana OF
the past as a teacher. and are especially
hostile to belief in any authority except
that of the individual soul They mostly
regard society as great oppressor' ana
believe that priests (they call all minis.
'ters priests) have been the authors ana
are now the chief supporters OF nearly all
tho evils which af1ict mankind. They
are all sentimentalists; that is, they at
tach little value to facts, and do not
think it important to study them. Thelr
g., contempt for scientific methods OF lnves
tigation is nearly equal to their scorn ior
history. They depend chiefly upon intu
;tion and the great instincts of humanity
for their guidance, and for the determ-
nation of all problems. They would like
r to see the existing organization and lnsti
, tntions of society displaced and think 1t
would be a great gain to stop trying 10
match m the old systems of religion ana
j law and begin anew. They see no great
}, difficulty in the attempt to establish an
q entirely new organization OF society VIII [,
. all necessary institutions, machinery anu
activities, and believe that 1t couid oe
J. done at once, with immense advantage
he and the
J. money power were put down. They have
a kind of rage against churches and all
the orpanized activities OF Christianity -
o Thev have not vet any religion OF theh
own in the modern sense OF the word, at
e. they do not worship or revere anything
"a hiuher or better than themselves
Their nearest approach to alteration II
+ their belief in the omnipotence OF free
a. platform; that is, of mass meeting o
10 believers in the sovereignty of the indl
"a yidual with absolutely no restrictions q
to the direction or extent OF the discus
sions. They have stronger impulse I!
nropagate their sentiments than is mani
lie fested by any other class in our countr
y, at present, and have more enthusiast
r and self.sacrifice for their cause and OF
iects than the people who hold bette
doctrines. (This stirring of powerful IN
III nulses among the more ignorant an
- undeveloped, while the cultured classe:
u the leaders of society, are bewildered an
iu iudisposed to action, is one OF the mos
0' significant features of our age) Inc
ia have not wholly escaped injury TO tne
"a morals in thus casting Oft the restrain
rs of the old beliefs There has been s
al rious and general lowering OF moral tor
III and quality among them during the la
ry fifteen wears, and this deterioration
'r; still going on. But this has not yet r
w suited in any great increase OF concre
~ immortality, except the lmmorailty
ne worthIess talk, incessant, universal an
vi interminable There has been some Sc
ais ual vice among them, but 1t has oet
OF mostly of a cold blooded kind the effo
.oi of theorists making experiments ana
an tentatiously trying to be wicked, rath
eo than the wild play of ungoverned II
de- nulse and passion There is not yet
Sc large growth OF flicentiousness in Anne
- can society 1t increases only as t
our criminal classes increase, and especial
US ss thieves become more numerous
are Thieves of all grades, burglars and PIC
en1 noekets, habitually resort to houses OF
Ino fame. 1t is the common method OF speI
- ing money dishonesty obtained
u there is not yet any considerable spre
lan of RIGHTEOUSNESS upward through socle
Vno and life is probably cleaner and better
lass this resnect in our time than ever befo
ch; In other ways the immoral effects
OF auced by the ideas and sentiments OF
oeo large class which / am now descrlbl
So are extensive and important. Ihey hf
one seriously weakened respect for law IN
the narts of our country, and have profou
"a lv Influenced public sentiment IN opp
ess ton to the punishment OF criminals
any They have to a great extent aplured
rom doctrine of individual responsibility
nge' wrong doing, and their ideas have
ro" % vaded the atmosphere Of the age,
;, ,ese have so benumbed the conscience OF
ney nation that the unwililngness OF g
lou. people to have the laws enforced
But their sympathy for criminals, are am
laih, the most threatening evils OF our socI
ana Their worst immortality is their teach
po" esnecially the character of their addr
rec 90 lectures, and discussions, In WI
laiiy there IS almost everywhere wild W
the mence of attack upon all the primer
ctV of religion, morality, and social or
'elVe which is unrestrained by ary regard
ateV- truth. decency, or justice, The ora
d. as ore absolutely irresponsible, as they
entai copnize no authority but their own W
orals Tnev have fuency of extempore u
lie ance. with ability to talk tor any ler
CLASS of time. which inspires great admlra
teen among the people; for the masses In
at Is conntry have boundless delight in Y
mons thew call eloquence, meaning usual
gene great flow of words and a confident l
the ner. with many sounding phrases a
coun- the progress of humanity, the gram
anus of free thought, and the resistless
'sldes ing of the people. No other class
oman nresent so successfully educating