St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-28
MERE MORALITY"
DR.. NJ. ID. Shutter Goes After the
Corrupt Public Officials.

corrupt fuDilC ODlCI0IS.
DR.. M. D. Shutter delivered a very
stirring discourse last evening on Mere
Morality" He showed that the founda-
ton of all religion is morality, and that
without it religion can be but delu
sion. He dwelt with emphasis on the
necessity for honesty in public officials,
and those placed in charge of other
peoples property. He was relent-
leSSly severe on employers who defraud
or Cypress their employees. He held
that while combination was desirable,
and even necessary to certain extent,
yet when such combinations reSorted to
bribery TO corrupt the peoples repre-
SentativeS it was menace to free insti-
buttons, and the members of such COM
bnation deserved the same treatment
that was melted to the anarchists.
For his text DR.. Shutter took the
words "What doth the Lord require of
thee but to do justice, love mercy and
walk humbly with thy God" DIR.
Shutter pointed out that the text was
remarkable one because it helped to
sweep away good deal of modern rub
Dish. There were many who held the
view that man may be good citizen,
a model man in his family, honest in
business, possessing all the integrities
of uprightneSs and virtue, and yet in
the sight Of God that man stood in
deadly peril because he was not
outWardly religious. Some even
went SO far as to say that
the man who was good morally,
but was not religious, was great detri-
ment to the community, because others
may point to him as an example and
W a Nm hn hoe
accepted no scheme of salvation"
Therefore they held that that man
stood in the way of others becoming
religious. That sort of reasoning was
not what the Lord asked for. All that
He required was ITO do justice, love
mercy and walk humbly before Him."
Looking back to the outward services
of sacrifices and atonements-all this
came under the category of what people
believed to be religion. Yet the Lord
had said, Il care not for your feasts and
sacrifices" but He did require men to
be clean, to live and do well. to help the
fatherlesS and plead for the widow.
Nowadays that would be classed as
mere morality. AS a matter of fact,
morality and religion were inseperable.
A man could not be one without the
other. The two were bound together
by cords that could not be severed.
DR.. Shutter declared himself to be an
optimist with very big o. He was one
of those who did not believe the world
was so bad as to be getting worse. He
thought the world to be getting better.
At the same time there was no likeli-
hood of its becoming good SO soon as
morality. Then the doctor dwelt
fhn rnnnnf which had
lately been made in various quarters
and sections Of the country concerning
bribery.
GAS yet" said he. cit has only been
limited at. and we must suspend judg-
ment until such charges are actually
proved; but whether guilty or not, it is
too true that such things do take place."
In strong terms Dr.Shutter denounced
the bribe-giver who corruptS the legiS
lators and the municipal officers, and
said that in 80 doing they were unlock
ing the gates that protect society with
a golden key, and by such act were
highway robbers. They also opened
the gates of numberless evils and
spread corruption all around. DR.. Shut
ter mentioned no names in connection
with these hints, but good many men,
beers of his congregation felt his remarks
were directed at other places than a
certain city whose name is Synonymous
with Doodle. He severely animadverted
on those who, placed in a fduciary
capacity, betrayed the trust imposed on
them. In this connection he mentioned
the late suspension or savings bank in
Ohio and said:
THE officers of a savings bank who
wreck the institution in which have
been deposited the earnings of the poor,
gathered and saved by laborious toll,
are equally as guilty. equally a menace
to the well-being of society and the
peace of the community as were the
bomb-throwers at the haymarket in
Chicago"