The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-03-17
EDITORIAL BRIEFS.
BY REV. 1, M. ATWOOD, D. D.
Canton, N. Y.

A FEW MONTHS ago an enterprising re
porter of the New York World staff
brought out the confession of Charles
Stain, by which the question of the Dex-
ter bank robbery and the murder of
Cashier Barron, was again opened. The
alleged robbers and murderers were ar
rested in Massachusetts, taken to Maine,
tried and have now been convicted. 1t
has been interesting to note in the mean
time, that certain other enterprising re
porters of certain other papers have been
quite busy in discovering evidence against
the authenticity OF the WOrld reporters
story, and in preparing the minds of the If
readers for the prompt acquittal of the
prisoners and the collapse of the prose-
cution. This incident is a side.light on
the journalism of the day.
The circumstance that thirteen pull
pits in Boston are waiting for occupants,
and the fact that several of them are in
prominent churches, leads the Boston
Journal to inquire into the reason OF
such apparent ministerial destitution. 1t
is discovered that young men in our col
leges are very generally of the opinion
that the pulpit of our day does not de-
mRnd the highest style of talent. The
Journal takes the occasion to dissbuse
them of this groundless notion. The ed
itor AYERS in the strongest terms, that the
pulpit calls for the best brain, and heart
and education that any man has TO give;
and assures the young men that there is
no place where these lalities and quslif-
cations will be more warmly welcomed
or more certainly appreciated.
We suppose the truth in the matter
to be this: That the demand which the
pulpit Of to-day makes is higher than it
ever was before. 1t really requires more
native force, finer moral insight and a
stsadier head to fill acceptsbly the pulpit
and administer a church than in any pre-
vious age. 1t is not so much because
this is more intellectual age or more
spiritual, as because people are more
preoccupied, the world is more interest
ing, competition is sharper. Add to this.
that the line between the church and
"the world is growing indistinct, that
theology is in q state of upheaval, that
democracy has invaded our sanctuRries,
and that the enterprises OF religion, like
those Of business, in our day are conceiv-
ed on vast scale,-and it will be seen
how complete and mastertul man a
modern minister should be.
The bill introduced at the instance
of Mrs. Cleveland, enacting that it shall
be misdemeanor to use the likeness of
any woman for an advertisement, without
her written consent, fac-simile of which
shall be displayed with every advertise
ment, is in the interest of decency, and
ought to pass promptly and unanimously.
1t will run no risk of veto. Mrs. Cleve.
lands face has been appropriated by liq
uor and tobacco manufacturers and sel-
lers, and by soap makers, until it stRres
at the public from shops and sRlutes
them with smirk from bar rooms and
saloons all over the land. 1t is pity
that the bill cannot be so framed as to
suppress the use of the female figure for
advertising purposes altogether. 1t has
become fragrant offense to womanhood
and fruitful source of corruption to
youth.
The career of Bronson Alcott proves
that the utilitarian spirit has not by any
means destroyed sentiment among the
American people, nor repressed the noble
rage for ideals. Such a character, so un-
like his fellows, yet so beloved by them,
justifes the belief that human nature in
this age and country is not less rich in the
material of which seers and philosophers
are made than it was long ago in Greece
or Syria; while it shows that the venera-
BILE proveTb, " a prophet is without honor
in his own country" is becoming obsolete.
Mr.. Alcott was a man of illusions as we'll
as of insight, and not seldom talked jar
gon under the persuasion that he was ut
tering inspiration. But his was a rare
and serene spirit, gifted with high COM
munings, and utterly without guile. The
almost simultaneous death OF his dRugh-
ter Louisa, whom all the little women
long since canonized, consummates, as by
an omen, unique family history.
-" The Rev. II. j. Wilmot-Buxton,
A. NJ" in a sermon on " The Pleading
: Saviour" informs his congregation,
that "every time we repent and are
truly sorry for our sin and tell God so,
Jesus takes our prayer and our confess
sion, and offers it as priest in heaven,
and pleads for us, showing his pierced
hands, and feet, and side, and all the
marks Of his agony" Not to dwell on
the theology of this picture, which is an
unconscious bit of pure mythology, we
offer it as a beautiful example of the alb
iect liberalism into which even educated
men fall, when they try to be too simple
in the treatment of great themes,
We have read recently the text of
several speeches launched from the great
national dry dock known as Congress.
We have been led to ask ourselves what
public interest would suffer if these
greatly over-rigged oratorical craft never
set sail; and the answer is too obvious
They profess to be discussions OF great
public questions S; they are really stump