The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-11-29
THE FREE LANCE.

Incited perhaps by Booths scheme to re-
deem darkest London" or darkest Eng
land" society has formed in New York
to improve the world. An audacious plan
it is, to be sure, and impracticable, per-
haps, and yet, noting the long array OK
prominent persons who form the organize
ton, we hesitate to say it is wholly Quix-
otto. In addition to the leading clergymen
of the various denominations, hundreds OF
public spirited citizens like Chauncey Nj.
Depew, DIR. Albert Shaw and Abram 5.
Hewitt have joined in the movement.
Very properly, too, the beginning is to be
made in New York city.
+
From the prospectus we learn something
of the proposed plan of action. Poverty is
no longer to be treated simply with dona-
tions from the well-disposed rich. 1t is to
be attacked at its sources by heroic meth
DDS. Concerted effort will be made
for the suppression of open and acknowl-
edged evils. In this connection it is recog-
nized that every evil that exists is a source
OF profit TO some one. There are men who
grow rich on intemperance and others
whose profits are obtained by oVercrowd-
own. The interests that thrive upon
human suffering are united. What 10
needed for their overthrow is the union Of
all moral forces and agencies. And DR..
Shaw adds:
1.-The means are known to society where
| by these sores on civilization, known as
the sums can be renovated and made
healthful and even desirable locations of
residence. All that Is needed is that the
well-meanlng men and women of all de-
nominations and shades of belief unite in
demanding the same thing at the same
time. The press and The pulpit united in
the interest OF humanity against the special
interests that profit by existing evils can
overcome every obstacle in the way Of q
healthier and happier CITY,"
+
1t would be folly to comment on such a
scheme. The very magnitude of it shows
the magnitude of the evil which under our
advanced civilization has spread over the
earth and which no ordinary means suffice
to cope with. 1t also shows that the reli-
gion OF the creeds is not influential or
powerful enough to better mankind. Civ
ing 1t all the credit it claims and 1t still
remains q fact that Notwithstanding its
utmost efforts 1t is not able TO keep step
with the progress of poverty and vice. A
contemporary discussing this very projecs
says: while the movement is in antagon-
ism to nc religious creed, yet. for the accom-
pllshment OF the work in hand, it will
recognize the fact that sectsrianism has
been a serious drawback, and will seek to
eliminate every cause or preteXt for diYis-
ion" And it concludes thus: sit is some
times thought, and the thought is often ex.
pressed, that religion is losing its power
among men. May it not rather be-
| that it Is like the little leaVen that leaEen-
eth the whole lumps' Forms may pass
away and creeds may be changed. The
old bottles may be discarded because they
cannot contain the new wine. But relig-
ion survives in purity and practical power
when its spirit unites the Christian, Jew
ish and ethical societies in self-sacrifcing
devotion to the well-being Of society"
| That diphtheria prevails In this city to
an alarming extent, thereof the daily death
notices in the newspapers give ample and
mOurnful notice. A reporter of THE
! HERALD sought to get authentic data of the
number Of cases now under treatment, but
in the absence Of the city physician, he
failed. From reliable information, how
ever, he ascertained that a full half hun
! dred little patients are down with this and
kindred maladies, among which doctors
claim to be scarlet fever. Ger
Iainly the death rate among children
! from these causes has never been
| greater than it Is this month. Nor does il
satisfy the anxiety of parents to know that
the disease Is raging in other cities as well,
or i'll, and they demand all the protection
and precaution possible to restrict it.
While all the people are alarmed, the Off
Gals alone seem to be tranquil. Why il
this thusa Heroic measures are necessary.
Let US try them at any cost If life is
worth living let US try 10 save it.
1t is strange how backward medical SCI
ence is after all. While surgery has ad-
vanced with rapid strides until now it
performs veritable marvels, medi-
cine has gained lutte since the days of
Hsculspius except in the use of anRs-
thetics and the treatment of skin diseases.
| We are told that the average of human
life IS increasing, but what is the cost in
nervous tension: And how much of it is
due to better living, to improved sanitation
and to a stricter compliance with the in
junction OF the Greek sage: 'Know thy
selfl'