The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-08-18


continental Europe and all those infu-
ences which they 50 much dreaded, al
most in a mass into our very midst. It
was felt by all at the beginning of our
independence as a nation that cur great
need was population, and so immigra-
tion was encouraged, and it has been
increasingly artifcially stimulated from
that day till this. 1t was never before
coming in upon us so like flood as it
is to-day; not only tending to lower
our religion and morality to the level of
continental European standard, but
also to reduce our labor to the level of
"the pauper labor Of Europe" by bring
ing it into competition with our own
upon American soil. No political
party tries to stem the flood; but it is
beginning to be felt by large numbers
of people Of all parties, and of all ma
tionalities, that however good it may
have been at the beginning, there is
such matter as 'getting too much of
a good thing" and that it is time that
some restriction were put upon immi-
grafton. 1t is a notable fact that the
most prominent action on this subject
has been taken by German society in
Milwaukee. It is no antipathY toward
foreigners as such that leads to this
conclusion, but the conviction that for
the national welfare we must become
homogeneous people, intelligent, versed
in the national language, literature,
traditions--civil and political, and that
even in religion there should be an ASST
milation of American ideas. The Cath
olic may still be Catholic, the Episco-
palian an EpiscOpalian, the Lutheran
Lutheran, but the Catholicism, Epis-
copalianism, Lutheranism of america
must be of an american type; not
quite the same in tone as that of Italy,
Germany and England. 1t must be
Americanized.
2. Another cause of decline in Sab
bath observance is our rapid material
development. Never did nation de-
velope SO rapidly in material things
open up and settle up new country
grow rich so fast as we have done.
Some individuals have not grown rich,
the masses have not, may be, but large
numbers Of individuals have. No coun-
try on earth can show so many so rich
men as America. And counting them
all in, the country, as whole, of course,
has grown rich. Business in America
goes with a rush that it has nowhere
else. Those who are not rich want to
be, and those who GosnoS expect TO be,
catch the rushing spirit. They feel
that business is so aIl-important that
they cannot stop nights Or Sundays.
They hardly stop to eat. Hence we
have become a nation of dyspeptics.
The struggle, the rush, the conflict, the
competition becomes more intense every
year, and more and more people are
becoming insane, breaking down from
nervous exhaustion, dying young, be-
coming prematurely old every year.
We are becoming the most nervous
people on earth,-that is nervously
weak, for nervousness is weakness. A
gentleman who ought to know tells me
that more are becoming insane from
this cause than from strong drink, ter
rible as the effects Of that are. 1 have
no doubt that this nervous exhaustion
brought On directly by the individual
himself, Or inherited from debilitated
parents, is in many cases the reason of
the stronghold which a desire for slim
ulants gets upon persons. The weak
ness calls for a stImulant, and the ulti-
mate effect of the stimulant is TO fur
ther increase the weakness and hand it
down to those who come after.
8. Another cause Of the decline has
been the tendency in human nature to
become careless, to slacken effort, ito
let ones self down easy" so to speak.
We all of us need urging or need to
urge ourselves to keep up morally and
religiously where we ought to be.
Therefore | think the tone of the pulpit
on this Sunday question ought to be
strengthening to the higher ideals of
right and duty. We can't think that
the mass of the people in this day,
whatever may have been true in the
past, need any counsel from the pulpit
to be less conscientious in regard to the
Sabbath, less earnest about regular
church attendance. There may be
few who are too particular about the
strict performance of religious duties;
but they are exceptional cases among
modern PrOtestants, and need to be
treated individually and exceptionally.
1. Another cause of the decline is
the reaction that has taken place against
the extreme strictness of the past, of
which it would be almost impossible to
find surviving instance at the present
day. 1t is the same feeling that some
times makes boy who is compelled to
go to church and Sunday-school VOW,
that when he gets to be man he will
do as he pleases.
Few of us like to submit to author
ity when it is against our will. But
often it is the making of us that We