Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-07-06
SOCIALIST AND PREACHER.


cialist orator, has been installed pastor
of the First congregational Church,
Independence, Kansas. In announcing
the above fact, the Evening Telegram
of Providence stated that Mr.. Nrooman
had abandoned the Socialists, This idea
must have evolved in the "inner con.
sciOuness" of the writer; for there is not
the slightest foundation for the state
ment.
In a recent letter. Mr., Nrooman says;
81 am urging the philosophy of frater-
nifty, of universal social cooperation
with none the less enthusiasm and sue
cess for having changed my profession
Again, he says: Il believe, and preach,
and write as much as ever that Social
Democracy is but the ideal Of Christi
anity materialized.
The June number of Dalr1l, the organ
of Christian Socialists, endorsed by
Rev. T. f. Hale, D. D., Mrs Mary Liver
more. Frances Willard, Edward Bel
lamy, and other thinkers, speakers and
writers of national reputation, contains
an article from the pen of Comrade
Vrooman, giving an account OF the
progress of Socialism in Kansas. The
communication shows that Mr.. Nroo-
man is as deeply interested in the cause,
and is working as faithfully and ener-
getically to educate the people in the
principles of Socialism, as he did before
he entered the ministry.
1t is not such rare phenomenon for
Christian to believe in Socialism, or'for
Socialist to occupy Christian pulpit,
that it need excite any surprise. There
is not anything in the socialistic philos-
ophy that will repeal belief in Chris
tianity. The Christian Socialist be-
lieves in the fatherhood Of God and the
brotherhood of man. The Socialist be-
Eic.es that inanklnd is OF one origin, ana,
consequently, all men are brothers,
Doubtless, the majority of Socialists
believe in the doctrine of evolution and
Darwins hypothesis of the origin of
species by modification, hereditary
transmission and natural selection, at
least, to the extent that by the opera
ton of those laws and with our present
industrial system, it will take but few
more years for some Of the human
beings now living to develop into a race
of hogs, or a hoggish race, and that but
very little modification is required to
produce that result This, however, is
but an individual difference of opinion,
and is of but little importance.
The Christian Socialist who believes
in the fatherhood of God, and the So
calist who believes in the doctrine of
evolution agree that as we are living in
this world our duty is here and HOtr.
And perhaps they agree that if a per-
sonal Deity exists, he is capable of TAX
ing care of himself and needs none of
our assistance, and that it is fully as
pleasing in his sight to see his children
trying to help each other-striving to so
change conditions that wee children will
be no longer snatched from the cradle,
and during that period when they
should be chasing the butterflies and
enjoying the sunshine and flowers,
maybe, imprisoned within the factory,
shop or mine; so that the pale, toil-worn
mother will no longer be obliged each
day to leave her home and family and
take her place in the army of toilers, to
exc out an existence that is hardly
worth the living; so that woman will
no longer be obliged to barter her virtue
for food, shelter and clothes, so that
human beings will no longer be
obliged to visit barrels of otfal to satisfy
the cravings of hunger-in short, striv-
ing to change the damnable system Of
"private enterprise" and inaugurate a
system under which the interest of one
will be the interest of all, as it Is for
him to see a man get down on his knees
every Sunday and hear this man tell
him what great and good Lord he has
been for preserving the life of such a
sinful cuss, and then see this fellow six
days in the week engaged in cornering
wheat. raising the price of sugar, re-
ducing the wages Of his miners and
putting up the price of coal; manipu
lating the circulating medium, bonds
ETC., ETC.. in such a manner as to put
millions of dollars that the workingmer
have produced into his own pocket