The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-01-23
NOT WORSE, BUT BETTER.

gsndsnt. before he rests for the seventh day
generally does his readers the favor OF pre-
pairing them n Sunday editorial that many |
take as an excellent alternative Tor ser
mon. But that of Sunday last entitled
st The General Decay" is entirely too lu-
eubrious to emanate from a gentleman OF
the amiability, serenity and happy appear
ance of the present editor. Even admit
ting the depressing effects on the Demo-
cratic barometer of the news from Maine
or the triple attempt to burn Helena, or
the end of the Pinafore season, or near ap-
proach of day of rest, we do not see
that there was anything in the SITUATION
locally or generally, to induce such dolor'
despair as the article indicates. We trust
we are not going to "the demnition bow
vows" at the pace intimated. It's an
awful wicked world perhaps but it's all
the one ws've got, aud better than the one
we are likely to get, and we feel disposed
to say q good word for it. 1t does not
strike us that crime is greater than IN the
o.den days, or shat politics are more cor
rupt, or that religion is less pure and holy.
| We think the world is better now than it
ever was before. The crimes Of individ-
nails aud nations are less numerous and
beinous. Politics on the larger scale arc
purer. What would be said now If our poll
tics included the legal or divine right of ru-
Ter to behead his subjects at will, or even if
he should attempt 10 cram an ostracsed wo-
man down the throats Of his cabinet iii
GERS wives? And yet in "the good old
day" we hear of rulers who had the priv
ileee of beheading subjects at will, and His
Excellency, Andrew Jackson, did disrupt
his cabinet by the method stated. What
would be thought now If the religion OF
the meek aud Iowly Jesus were to be ill.,
culcated with sword and scourge and in
ouisitorial tortures even unto death, and
the cross and cresceut-crowned banners oil
nations should be carried up against each
other on bloody fields white millions were
Hating each other for the love Of God
There Is a great deal OF stuff and non
sense we think in this talE about "t5e
good old times" The evil Of the past is
, forgotten aud the good only remembered
The world Is really growing better ant
more beautiful and so are its people
With many times greater ability Tor eV'
> the average individual behaves himscl
better, lives better, knows more, keep
himself cleane and worships more intel
. lipently and has more good in him tina
:. had his ancestors hundred or thous
and years ago. "The General Decay "
y the decay of superstition. Of brute force
OF bigotry, intolerance, slavery, tyrann
and ignorance. The decay" Of SLAYER!
alone atones for hundred years Of ordi
nary American sins. In the olden day
u great principles and material issues wer
i determ ined on the battlefield, while nation
l. and peoples were extingnished becaus
thew were weak and their enemies strong
" and the axiom of that good old day wa
u "mjght makes right" In this day til
!" strong protect the weak and dozen seda'
u gentlemen in quiet parlo-, in the name
J. hundreds of millions Of people, arbitrate !
u amity the questions our ancestors woul
q have settled in bloody wars, with the ruiz
and destruction of all that makes life lovely
y But the Independent says:
q The church, too, is ceasing to exert tina
l. healthy, purifying influence upon socet,
which IL did in the olden times. We sc
but little of that Jealous, stern, self. denyin
puritanism of the past. In its stead "
n have sort of fashionable religion that cal
It ries water on both shoulders. While q
n stated intervals it worships formally in tn
gilded synagogue of the saints, 1t viii
oftener seen Ia the ball room, at the car
T. party or the theatre of the sinners. III
v new fashioned church no longer believes !
, He'll or any other place of eternal punish
ment. Aud this is just what is the mattel
Like Rufus Choate, we believe in preact
i inc M the old fashioned He'll; the veritabl
% lake Of fire and birthstone.
Ie That method was to scare living souls u
10 to the arms of loving Redeemer. 1t b,
'e longed to the era when infuriate minister
r preached that hell was full of infants n,
d a span long" If our neighbor believes
y preaching these things he must, to be col
D, sistent, believe there Is such hell and we
70 not believe he does believe any such thin
A religion that is not one Of love is no goc
m thing, and love is not propagated by fear
h terrorism. The person who merely a
r. cepts Christ to keep from going to hell wi
M get there IL there is any such place--ar
RI he'll get there II there isn't. Hypocrii
IA will not 20 in that day, and the hell al
in birthstone religion is the seed of bypocri
n. and its natural propagation is BY tortur
IN terrorism and death to all who will not
a, lieve. The world grows better. 1t is l
:. fusing to be humbugged and the numbu
re gerry is dropping out OF religions. VI
"A our neIghbor say that the Christian WI
in Is one for the love Of Christ and who b
ia lieyes his God to be one Of mercy a
,af forgiveness is worse than the one who
be lieves that the Mediation was failure a
ob his God wants to burn him forever.
far cannot believe our neighbcr is going
turn Puritan and advocate the burning
witches as In "the good old days.
- rather trust the editorial referred to "
somewhat Pickwickian in its nature
- rather that 1t might be explained away
Mr.. Wilson did his bitterest invectives
!. "merely an intellectual effort with no fe
ing whatever" We trujt next Sunda,
y. editorial will be in happier vein. 4
=. world is wagging on we'll these days.
DIS ABOUT THE EXTENSION.
bat
"a | rL. that tha Ivuiap part6e Dir