The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-07-12
THE AMERICAN PIIIPIT


1t is a notorious fact that the American pulpit
is largely and actively arrayed on the side of the
rich against the poor in the momentous struggle
now going on between them. This fact is unac-
countable to the outside world.
The Great Head of the Church associated
manly with the very large class who earn their
bread by the sweat of their brows. He preached
His gospel especially to them. He rebuked with
fearful severity that small class who were clothed
in purple and fine linen, and Jared sumptuously
by eXtorting through ustry and unjust taxes all
the earnings of thereal toilers, leaving the victims
of their cupidty in abject poverty. In one of His
inimitable parallels, He paints poor man, whose
life has been a severe struggle with want, being
escorted by angels from his death at the gate
of a rich man to the place of highest honor in
Paradise; while he portrays the rich man lifting
up his eyes in hell, hopeessly tormented. He de-
cared that it was easier for camel to go through
the eve of a needle than for rich man 20 enter
the kingdom of Heaven.
He knew that great riches are seldom gathered
honestly. He understood that wealth can only
be created by toll, and that those who have very
large amount have not created it, but obtained it
generally through some kind of extorton from
those who have toiled. He fully understood that
the possession of wealth in excess tends with a
fearful current toward sordidness and selfshness.
The toiling, impoverished multitudes gathered
about Him and heard Him gladly, attracted by
His tender pity and sympathy for them; while the
pampered rich cursed, derided, prosecuted. and
finally crucified Him. The rich sought His de-
struction because he took the part of the helpless
poor against their eXtortions.
The irrepressible conflict between those who
earn their bread and those who live off their surp
lus earnings is now at white heat nthis country.
system offnancial legislation dictated entirely by
the small class who gather up the wealth created
by others, has aided them to confiscate all tile life
Accommodations of the producing class, and to grind
into abject poverty very large majority of their
victims. In doing this, they have greedily taken
even the tools and facilities of production, depriv-
| ing the impoverished host of the means of earn
| ing more leaving them in actual want and almost
] despair. Homes have been sacrificed, furniture
and clothing have been sold, and absolute destitu
/ titution is at hand.
Millions in this favored land are suffering from
! actual want, with no hope of relief. The cry OF
hungry childhood goes up day and night to God
This robbed multitude are organizing to defend
| themselves legitimately through the ballot; and
] the Money Power is resisting by all the might o.
| its accumulated wealth. It has nearly the whole
/ secular press. If Jesus were now among US, as
He was present with the Jews during His residence
in flesh and blood, can any one question on which
side of this conflict He would be found? How L
/ It that many of His ministers are found plead
ing the cause of the oppressorf What can be the
inspiration which impels those who profess to bt
! called to proclaim His gospel to defend the i'm
poverishing of the masses? Is it because they arr
/ not creators of wealth themselves that they ar
therefore in sympathy with the non-producers
or is it because they get their salaries mainly iron
the rich, and therefore pander to them! or, maj
w, is it because they are supremely ignorant!
We judge that all the reasons suggested IN GU
questions combine to inspire the unworthy course
We are deeply panied at the fact, whatever tn
cause or causes. 1t is doing more to shake tn
faith of the people in thel teachings than thous
ands of Bob Ingersolls could. The gospel c
Mammon is not the gospel of Christi Michiga
Grange paper.