The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-04
SEATTLE. SUNDAY. DEC. 4.
JUSTICE TO THE LIVING AND THE
DEAD.

weak, emotional side of Christianity, the
feelings, the palpitations, to the bounds of
mawkish sentimentalism, to the neglect of
the austere moral sense and of the GER
tainty and justice of moral retributioD
upon which Christianity is bottomed.
Industry, sobriety and fidelity go into the
background and the gushing sentimental
gospel OF Victor Hugo's bishop who
rescues thief from just penalty for base
theft by q philanthropic falsehood comes
to the front. The manliness of Christ is
cent 10 the rear and the sweetness of Christ
is presented constantly in the perverted
shape of vicious gospel Of sentimental
ism.
In rebuke of this false and pernicious
gospel, the late Rev. James Freeman
Clarke, of the Unitarian church, once
said: "Men commit all sorts of Crimes
they swinde, lie, violate sacred trusts,
and almost everybody takes them by the
hand as If it were nothing. Love which
has no truth in it is not love. but real
enmity. To treat bad man as if he were
not bad is cruel kindness; is to put
darkness for light and light for darkness;
bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. It
confounds moral distinctions. 1t en-
courages man who might be cured by
vigorous remedies to 60 on from bad to
worse"
This is all true, and to it We could add
that its worst effect is that it breeds that
spirit of skepticism as to the reality of
right and wrong which educates men who
have never been criminals to think lightly
of crime, however seriously they may
think of its legal pains and consequences.
it is this vile gospel which begins and
ends with the vile sentiment "speak no
EVIL Of the dead" no matter how evil may
have heen the public life of the dead, and
GIGS n the vile eleventh commandment
waelI denounces as the worst of mortal
sins, because the really only fatal oiiense,
the s'n Of getting found out. This is the
gospel which would have peace when
there can be no peace. either in this world
or the next. purchased by the concession
or suppression of truth.
The fruits of this vicious gospel are
everywhere visible. The sublime egotism
of immoral genius when crowned with
carnal success and material rewards ven
lures audaciousiy where medocrity fears
to tread, or ventures only to tumble with
a crash into odium and oblivion. I'M
moral mediocrity, living or dead, sees its
skin stuck full of poisoned arrows, while
immoral success. bursting with Astounding
liberal health. continues to grin and sin
and sin and grin, to wink and gesticulate
before the crowd that burns incense before
him. The sins that cloud the lite of i'm
moral success are no more TO the crowd
than the passing eclipse of the moon or
sun, while the fate of mediocrity, under
similar lapses. is like jack o'lantern
suddenly extinguished: there is nothing
left but an offensive odor of scorched
pumpkin shell.
Immoral success bids defiance to his
record. and snaps his fingers at what is
called retributlon. Immoral success re-
mains a Brah,nin. while SHINING medi-
ocrity lives and dies q Pariah And il is
this situation. or rather the gospel that is
silent over it, that breeds skeptics, cynics
moral Indifference. drifting finally into
absolute immortality. The bright, grow
ing youth is quick TO see that the world
hss little rebuke and punishment seldom
for wrong doors who are radiant with
riches or great talents. In no graveyard,
as Charles Lamb said, can we find
any bad people buried; but what is
FAR worse for the growing youth, he
listens in vain to funeral sermons
TO discover when bad men die. The
nks If ha ~
enough III all conscience, but the average
funeral sermon is a complete coat of white
wash. Women are too often not taught
wha; is morality; they are not seldom
taught only what Is propriety, and the
result is that the bright boys and the
bright girls. while they 60 not necessarily
go 10 the bad. do become in their lowest
hearts skertics aud agnostics, fearing and
distressing all human faith and sincerity,
even if they do not always wonder if there
il God.
To educate children TO believe that right
and wrong stand only in poetry: that
right in life means riches and successful
fame, while wrong means poverty failure
and obscurity. Is to breed skeptlcs. From
skepticism in man il is but short step 10
doubt in God, aud then comes moral indif-
ference. which is but one step below abso-
lutte immortality. Away then with this
shallow sentinentsiity which forbiis a
moral rost-n,ortsss on public man in order
20 fix truthinlly the historical glory or
shame of the deceased. II 1t is sound
public policy TO hold up dead virtue TO
public admiration and praise As al objec,
lesson 10 the young, then i; cannot be
sound public policy 10 enioin silence
concerning the dead sinner, much less 20
gid his infsmy or whitewash his black
ness. When Jay Gould died il was as
sound public policy to recall the fact that
he robbed the Erle railroad of millions OF
dollars SIS it would be if John Sherman
died tomorrow 30 describe him as q cistln-
suished patriot both IN wsr and peace; IS
an honest ana ae.s aasne!sg who Led us Up