The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-12

ViChSh SuitiOn W lCoiuSho SuluOb.
THE joys of heaven are understood, some
pious poet has remarked, and relished only by
the good. In other words, heaven is an ac-
quiredtaste, like caviar and olives. Those who
have not trained for it cannot understand it.
Its delights would pail on the perverted tastes
of the wicked if by mistake they should be
permitted toslip in Their jaundice1 eyes would
see no beauty in its walls of jasper and its
streets of gold. Their jaded ears would weary
of the perpetual music-festival made by the
harps of the elect and the voices of the angelic
choirs. Their cantankerous hearts would be
made tired by the endless outgushing of
brotherly love, and they would no doubt long
for old-fashoned earthly row just to break
the monotony. And may it not be that to some
thing of this sort is due the view which the
wicked world just now takes of the financial
methods which have been shown to prevail in
that city of benevolence, humanitarianism, and
brotherly love, Philadelphia? Might not the
couplet of the pious poet be appropriately
changed go as to read, 'sThe motives of Bards-
Icy, Marsh, and Wanamaker None can Judge
but brother-loving Quaker?'' With unen-
lightened and unchristian rashness and harsh
ness the outside world is judging, by its own
perverted standards, and condemning the ac-
tions and motives Of the above-named and
other Christian gentlemen who had to do with
the Keystone Bank. 1t is calling some of them
hard names and making wicked insinuations
about others; and so great has been the effect
of this course of procedure that Philadel-
phfa court has given way to the wicked
clamor and sent Mr.. Bardsley to the peniten-
tiary for fifteen years. Probably the real
truth Of the matter Is that Philadelphia has
striyen so strenuously to live up to the signifi-
cance of her name that the best types of her
manhood, who would naturally be selected
as leaders, have practically realized the ideals
of early Christianity. They are filed with an
immense and dominating brotherly love,
which causes them not only in moral and
spiritual things to hold their brothers. welfare
as sacred as their own, but in busi-
ness and politics. Nay, they have gone
beyond this, and hold their brothers. welfare
more sacred than their own, thus presenting
the beautiful spectacle of each forgetting his
own interest in his anxiety about the interests
of the others. To paraphrase the words of
another poet, 1t thus came to pass that the
| property of one the property Of all was, and it
was used Unfortunately, in pure, Christian
iOFc, CdCu 40 HC uCCucu ~ lOr Ills
| own welfare or to promote the welfare of his
brethren. A condition of what might be
| called Christian socialism or communism of
| the highest and most transcendental type was
thus brought about. The narrow and selfish
distinctions between nleunl and tuunl were
! burned away in the fervor of brotherly love
and disappeared in a soft, luminous haze.
Mere sordid, worldly standards and distinc-
tions were forgotten In the beatifc zest of
| Well-doing. That this is the real state OF
the case there is much to show, notably
the fact that the Philadelphia news.
papers, understanding the true motives
OF the Christian gentlemen who
have been maligned and prosecuted by the
wicked press of other cities, have refrained
from criticising them and, indeed, have de-
Tended and praised them.
But while the Keystone Bank affair has re-
Vealed the existence of this beautiful mil
lenial state of things in Philadelphia business
circles,i remains true that the rest of the coun
try still perVersely sticks to its old ideas and
standards. 1t is still selfish and insists on pre-
serving sharp distinction between meunl and
tlea.0l. And therefore the state of affairs II
Philadelphia is OF great interest to the rest OF
the country and to the Government OF the
United States. The latter has much valuable
property in Philadelphia, Including the mint
where millions of money are annually made
is this money any longer safe In community
where the no Doubt beautffnl hut NOT 0anar.