St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-15

nave done the same DldHy tluleS wv hat
will not the American people do. when it
turns into the highways OF justice and love
of truth. The world has been long waiting
for more perfect matrix for the reception
of these beautiful virtues of humanity. At
last it has found it in the gospel of labor
and in soclalstic institutions. Now.
America is progressive, yet practically the
Americans are more bent on preserving
than acquiring liberty and equality. hope
though that these things will change. 70
know the principles which constitute
humanity, which constitute manhood. and,
mind YOU, act in conformity with them, is
the duty of every man and woman. As
saws Rev. Elliot: Prejudice holds reason
down passion ensaves it, ignorance blinds
it." Until prejddice, passion and ignorance
are overcome there is only slavery of the
man. Mark my words. Socialism fights
against all kinds of slavery, against all
unjust INEQUALITIES and against all the
armies OF mammOn. Therefore | say,
in addition to this, that any one
who recognizes the principles of cO-Opera
ton as stronger and trIer than those of
competition. is Justly called socialist.
A fter all, the e are in the world many more
socialists than we know of. We must only
form acquaintance with each other. and we
will become strong and victorious. And
now few words in closing about our posi-
ton as socialists toward
RELIGION AND THE BIBLE.
AS true and developed socialists we con-
S;der the Bible as the poor mans book, tine
lab0r's Holy Writ, the voice of God or. if
you will, of great men, against tyrantS,
dlers and humbugs. 1t demands. in fact,
for the poor as much and more than
they demand for themselves; it eX-
presses the deepest yearningS of the poor
mans heart. Justice TO those whom men
Cypress. that's what it breaches on almost
every page. Now | wish also to say that
the Bible the different religious sectarians
Use is not the Bible, but cera Ii peculiar in
terpretatiOns of That book. The Bible that
the Baptists have appealed to is the Bap-
list bible; the bible the MethOdistS have APP
pealed to is the Methodist bible, and so on.
There is all the difference" says writer
in the Forum. OF September, this year,
between treatingt the Bible as living
growth of the human mind and heart
through several centuries. still capable OF
spiritual nutriment and treating it as col
lection of aer0liteS, whose metallic
value can only be aScetained
through the blow-pipe and the
crucible" The microscopic way of
looking at texts. disputatons as to
whether the proposition INTO" (when
used in close proximity to pool of water),
implies the doctrine of immersion; the
chipping of text off here and another
there, 10 put together in tesselated pat
terms of dogma, etc, all these ought to
impress any one Of the unnatural method
of ,treating the book. The Bible cannot
faIs
an infalIible Interpretation, and it takes
maturity of both brain and heart to under
stand the Bible. There is nothing meta
physically, however, about the book.
1t begins with a fine metaphorcal
narra tive of the genesis of human civiiza-
ton mot at all of the universe as the hum
drum interpreters make it). and ends with
the revelation of the progress OF that
civilization. We as socialists, are not
against the Bible or against religion. No.
socialism is destined to baeDme the future
religion of the civilized world. And social
democracy the future politics of mankind.
1t is a great difference between religion and
that organizotian we usually call the
church. | also wish to say. in this my
sketch of socialism,. that we are nDt
disciples of neither Strauss nor an lnser-
soil we are no free thinkers in that sense;
mark that The men who confess them
selves socialists, but are free
thinkers ala Strauss and Ingersoll,
are of that doomed sidebranch of socialism
known as anarchiSm: they are anarchists
An anarchist is freethinker; a socialist is
not. Anarchism has the black flag as its
banner; the socialists have the red one
Socialism is conservative to society in the
best sense of that word: anarchiSm is de-
Structive to society.
Whoever w shes to inform himself better
and surer on this subject ana Oh soc alism
as a whole. is cordially invited to come and
listen to the famous leader of socialism in
England. DR.. Edward Avelings He will
lecture on Modern Socialism" next Mon
day evening in Turner hall. Washington
avenue north All are cordially welcomed.
This is written only as an Introductory and
in order for you to better understand and
appreciate the lectures of our coming
guests.
Minneapoli Nov. r. 1885,