The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-04-08
TH0UGHTSDo
AOHk
MORALS% MANNERS
HONk
BY A CLERGYMAN.

decade Of the nineteenth century and the
condition of Roman society under the late
Csesars, and the state of France during the
closing years of Louis XIV and in the early
reign of Louis XVI. who might be named
Louis the unfortunate, or Louis the scape-
goat, who inherited the penalties without
sharing the personal vices OF the Bourbons.
We find, so it is said, the same Sybarite
habits, the same confused moral sense,
the same hard-hearted indifference of
the rich toward the poor, the same
grasping monopolistic greed. Nothing,
we are assured, saves US from
the horrors of French revolution or an
invasion OF Cloths and Huns but the I'M
paralleled resources of our virgin country.
enabling us as yet to survive unparalleled
abuses But the day of reckoning, we are
reminded, Is only postponed. not averted.
Although Overdrawn and pessimistic,
there is truth in the above Indictment
The situation is serious. A million of
workers idle because they cannot get
work. One tenth of our city dead. buried
in potter's field The evictiOns for non
payment of rent in New York City, for in
stance, last year numbering q. l50 per-
sons A hubble of millionaires absorbing
the wealth of the Countrywide Pharaoh's
lean and ill-favored kline, eating up the
fat and well-favored kline. Monopolies,
trusts and syndicates galore. These are
certainly omens OF evil.
On the other hand, be il remembered,
that we have what the ancients lacked
and what the France of the Bourbons had
was composed of nc les and serfs-
was divided between the castle
and the howell. Education and
power were the privilege and preroRative
OF the classes, nor OF the masses. Today,
as Lord Bacon says, Science lights her
torch at every mans candle"-the people
think. The ballot box is the palladium
of citizenship. Best of all, the sublime,
ethical system of Jesus Christ has been
adopted as the standard of behavior
system which teaches the fatherhead of
God and the brotherhood of men, which
makes need the neighbor of wealth, and
which holds that wealth is n trust, not n
possession, and that whoever has more
than enough for his own necessities is I'M
der bonds to conscience to seek and re-
heve the more unfortunate.
The difficulty is that these principles
are only held, not applied. They must be
precipitated into conduct. But, as Tyn-
dali said of matter, they contain the
promise and potency Of life Deliverance
is to be found through the golden rule
The constant, prayerful effort OF churches
and pastors should be to exemplify and
popuarize christian principles. Society
needs not no law and no order Ia nihilist
UTOPIA, but better law and q surer or
der.
From the gloom of Good Friday to the
gladness of Easter was but a step. But
what is step? Out of winter into spring.
out of sorrow into JOY, out OF death into
life.
Why not prolong Easter? Why let Eas-
ter close with last Sunday? Why not
abide in its light and life? That memorial
of resurrection might fifty stand for scores
of other resurrections. Society needs 70
rise out of the death of pleasure into the
life of good works. Politics needs to come
forth from the sepulchre of corruption into
the vitality OF honest serviceableness
Commerce needs to strip oil the grave
clothes OF seifishness and to put on the
garments OF healthy qttid pro quo. Nations
need TO come out OF the tomb OF prejudice
and isolation into the life of cosmopolitan
fraternity. Hence, every day might be an
Easter, and restrictions of Justice of
right feeling and action, might be made
every day occurrences. The original res
direction was the work of God. The ones
we mention are within our power.
Whom the gods would destroy they
fist make mad, says the saw. 'Tis illus
trated just now in England. Atamoment
when British aristocracy is under hot fire
from the ever enlarRing ranks of the
democracy over there, and when, there
fore, the mobiles should carry themselves
with special decorum-comes this card
scandal. Two open secrets are made
more open. The prince of Wales is a
habitual gambler, and the crowd OF titled
profigates who surround him do not
scruple, on occasion, to cheat when they
gamble. At card party in private
house, when the heir to the throne was
present and participating, Sir William
Gordon Cumming, SO it is charged, was
caught in the act OF cheating at baccarat.
Well, why not? In gambling at all they
were all breaking the law Of the land.
these magnates who, on the principle of
nOblesSe Obiige, should have been the best
opponents and sternest defenders of the
law. If they would break one law why
not another? A man who does not
6crupie 10 Dreak q great law Will naruly
be reluctant to transgress a little
one. De Quincy says: IF once q
man INDUCES in murder, very soon he
comes to think little of robbing; from rob-
bling he comes next to drinking; and from
that to ill-manners and procrastin alton.
Once enter this downward path and you
know not where you'll STOP" The prince
of Wales, however, has taken warning and
stops at gambling.
All right This scandal only drives an
other nail into the coffin of nobility. 1t
will not be many years before hereditary
rank will be by-gone abuse-when titles
will be reiegated to the British museum,
together with other antiquated relics, and
Will be examined by the curious as medi-
seval armor and the spelling of the old
English kings now are, as singular mon
strosities. Meantime right-feeling folk on
both sides of the ocean will say with Ten
nyson:
Hove'er IL be. IL seems to me.
It's only noble TO be good
Kind hearts more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood.
A wall having become feeble by age. a