The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-20
THE GOLDEN RULE.
James G.. Clark's Plea for
christian Sentimentalism."
WILLIAM PENN's SUCCESS.
Dogma and Ceremonial Are Not Relig-
ion-The Teachings of Christ App1i-
cable to Our Daily Life.

The last paragraph of the editorial in the
Posr-IETELnGEScER of July IA on the In
dian question is so good that dislike TO
criticise the preceding one, a portion of
which reads as follows:
1t Is not possible for the state to carry out in
oil Its relations literally the precspts of Christ.
Even the late Bishop Magee of the English
church. admitted that state which attempted
this could not exist for a week, and IL it were
possible to do this the result would be q per-
fectly intolerable tyranny. The bishop might
have gone further and said that man could not
conduct successfully any business of conse-
quence in this world on the platform of the Ser
mon on the Mount; the Golden Rule and all the
other famous precepts of Christ: if he did at
tempt 1t he would surely go to heaven by way
OF the court of insolvency
Bishop Magee was not infallible. Will
lam PENIS golden rule, or peace policy,
proved a material success. That much
abused patriot and philanthropist, Thomas
Paine, used to refer to Penn's treaty with
the Indians as the "only one not sealed
with an oath, and the only one that was
never broken" The prosperity and thrift
OF the Quaker City is proof that it is not
absolutely necessary for Christian nations
to emulate the bad example of Jewish
kings and "hew down" and rape the ORR
ginal inhabitants of new or pagan coun-
tries in order to establish the higher order.
The old Quaker residents in and around
Philadelphia have frequently told me how
their ancestors lived for years surrounded
by Indians, who had free access to the
houses of the whites day and night, and
were never guilty of theft or outrage of
any sort. They say that these relations
were kept up for years without single
interruption or exception until after white
people had full possession and control of
the country and the Indians had retired
to new hunting grounds and reservations.
These are facts that have never been
disputed by the Pennsylvania historians
OF course you and Bishop Magee are cor
rect in the statement that the Golden Rule
and the precepts of Christ are altogether
''out of whack," so to speak, with our pre-
vailing commercial methods, and this the
reason why the latter-not Jesus Christ
and his teachings-must go and give place
to practical Christianity.
Not long ago the 0regonidn contained an
editorial on Christian Sentimentalism,"
from which select the following extracts
as expressive of the radical spirit of the
whole:
The looking Backward"::of Bellamy is likely
to have one. unlooked-for effect, viz: 1t viii
cause an exhaustive examination of Christian
sentimentalism that will end in its modification
or overthrow. The ultimate will
be that the world will confess that Christian
sentimentalism is as much out of joint with
PRACTICAL modern life rs polygamy and slavery.
The soul OF ancient civilization was paternal-
Ism; the soul OF all modern life and achieve
ment IL fndiyidualism. The breath of paternaI.
Ism Is pity and compassion for the depraved, the
Incompetent and tho indolent; the breach OF In
diyiduaism is not maudlin mercy, but justice;
n he
Much that intervenes between the fore
going passages relates especially to the
social theories based ON the Beatitudes,
which are condemned as utterly imprac-
ticable, when tried by actual experience
and measured by the demands and neces-
stiles of individualism as developed by our
modern civilization.
The worlds greatest teachers have In
variably been the most uncompromisingly
radical-necessarily 80. Otherwise they
would prove to be "blind guides" for
future generations. Civil engineers and
explorers, in making original surveys of
new countries, always go by the needle
that points directly to the pole. no matter
what deviations may afterwards be in
dulged in by individual purchasers.
Likewise architects, when planning and
erecting buildings, always base their oper-
atoms on the demands of the square and
compass, and the absolute plumb line,
which must hang in its proper relation TO
gravity, without regard to future dehec-
tons that may occur in the structure in
answer to caprice, taste or necessity. And
on the same principle great, original re-
formers and lawgiyers who establish new
lines and erect new and higher standards
for future action in the moral world must
necessarily be true as possible to the lines
OF the absolute, leaving the matter of IN
cldental deviations and compromise to the
"adjusters" who follow them, for it must
needs be that compromises will come
Hence, Jesus being great leader instead
OF follower, gave us absolute and positive
rules for action. For instance:
"Bs ye perfect, even as God is perfect"
Take no thought for the morrow"
III man smits thee on one check turn the
other Also
Whatsoever ye would that men should do
unto You do ye even so unto them"
OF course these rules are presented for
hnman aspiration and approximation.
And, no matter how much we may make
them the subjects of criticism and hair
splitting, the plain, immovable fact re-
mains that honest, earnest effort at their
fulhllment invariably tends To the eleya-
ton OF character, and that to reject and
defy them just as surely tends to moral de-
formity, over-anxiety, contention and
murder, and TO the ultimate destruction of
society and of nations. 1t is true that the
old war is still being waged against them
by mdividuaiism, because thew strike di-
rectiy at the very vitals of human SELFISH
ness, and aim TO aid the Survival of the
tttest"-or best aud highest-rather
than to develop abnormal ami
malism and despotism of character.
But let US bear in mind that the war
which must forever go on, in some form.
between the old and the nevis not vet
over, and that the white flag of the I'm
mortal Beatitudes has never vet been
raised and waved in token of surrender.
and has never lacked for volunteers to carry
II boldly into the mouth of hell-into the
Jaws OF DEATH" One by one the pet ideas
and institutions OF individualism have fal-
len before it-like Lucifer, never to rise
again.
The Oregonfdn refers to polygamy and
slavery as the offspring of paternallsm.
There is no denying that the primitive Christ.
ian ehurch was eommuuistie both in precept
anu example, but modern civilization has tested
the worthlesSness of this communism and sen
tlmentslism sad has risen TO the higher Atmos-
pb 're OF individnalism, just IL hiss risen
soeNs ga testament polygamy, eoneubinRge
anu a. very up 10 monogSmy, and freedom So
eiSl, civil and domestic.
This Is placing the cart before the mule.
These evils were, on the contrary. born of
indlyidualism in the form of acuuisitiye-
ness, and protected and fostered hv a
paternailsm Instituted and inspired by the
same spirit that now inspires our American
syndicates and trusts-which starye the
many TO feed and fatten the few-and
which protects our American industries
10 the end that another limited class NAV.
uhueF the wing OF paternallSm. grow rich
our OF the labor of halt-paid wage serfs