The record-union., 1893-06-19
" THE DEVILS MASQUERADE"
Rev. J. B. KOehne's Discourse at the
Congregational Church.
A Vigorous DenuncIation of Social
Evils and Finely Drawn Dis
tinctions in Life.

j. b. koehne's discourse at the Congre-
gational Church last evening. his subject
being 1.-THE DEVILS Masquerade"
DIR. koehne uses very vigorous and
terse language, and does not hesitate to
express himself in terms that cannot be
misunderstood or misconstrued. He
took occasion to say that it was perhaps
well that he was not personally very
largely acquainted with the members of
his congregation, or many citizens, so that
feelings of friendship or interest did not
tend to modify his views or the express
sion of them.
He said at the commencement of his dis
course that the devil was neither asleep
in this day and generation, nor was he in
the condition of the Irishman who fell in
the pit and who protested that he was
mot dead, but speeches."
he said people draw conclusions and
distinctions that are altogether too fine to
be accepted without question, and many
OF these distinctions would not stand
close analysis. People who read the
popular novels of the day may be too re-
fined and respectable to read or discuss
the contents of the Police Gazette, but it
might be the novels were no better. Ger
tain it Is that the paper deals with actual
novel may be more imaginary, more
popular and more pernicioUs. The one
dealt with fact, the other with fancy.
Words in themselves have no value-it is
the things the words represent, and evil
things may be finely expressed.
Men who would shudder in passing a
Chinese brothel or low den OF iniuuity
might enter gilded palace and thereby
maintain their responsibility. a sneak
thief, stealing a few dollars, was univer-
sally condemned, while the affluent bank
clerk might sojourn for awhile in Canada,
but still be respectable. These timely
drawn distinctions, are mostly lies Peo-
pie lie with a shrug of the shoulders, and
the devil masquerades behind that sort of
"respectability.o
1t was, he said, in drawing these fine
distinctions that people sinned daily and
hourly, and persisted in gliding them
with splendor. These distinctions were
drawn IN trades and occupations. One
trade is as good as another, so long as we
do not merge ourselves or our individu-
alIty into 1t. A man might dig in ditch,
but he must not let himself merge into
the soil and become like it. Distinctions
were finely drawn in cases of landlords
and tenants. a man might be SEEM
1ngIy respectable, yet rent houses for sa-
looms and dens of other kinds, but there
was no real distinction between owner
and occupant.
Many might speak with compassion of
servant girls and walters, and with fas-
udious shrugs of offended sentiment say
they hoped never to come to that; but in
honest labor there was no such division.
lie believed the age would come when it
would be as honorable to be a servant
girl as to be a queen.
The devil, he repeated, masquerades
behind responsibility. He had been APP
palled by being told the percentage of
i Il.
stores OF Chicago. lie would not pretend
TO give the number, but there are many
They do not get good pay, but they dress
and live eXtravagantly-they do not do
1t out of their wages.
Distinctions were finely drawn between
silks and calicoes. The moment a woman
put Oft the former and dOnned the latter
she was gone. These fine distinctions
were fine indeed. Many men were ruled
by conscience, and many mistook this
imaginary conscience of theirs for the
promptings of duty; they drew a fine dis
unctlon between conscience and duty.
Conservatism was a good thing and
perhaps necessary to move the world for
ward, but it was like the ballast in the
hold OF ship-an inanimate quantity.
lie would rather be a sailor on deck and
doing duty.
Many drew distinctions between creed
and deed. The world needs more o. the
4dblOA al bASAOs OIuICuGS were DurOGne0
with creeds. Instead of people who pre-
tend to be holy, and who are absorbed in
church and creed, the world needs them
to work TO do good. 1t took all the time
some people have to go to church and be
holy.
When men die their tombs are often
inscribed, Here lies noble man" etc.
when in reality he Left little worthy of
communication or emulation - nothing
but footprints of selfshnesS, which were
not in any sense creditable to civilization.
1t was to be regretted that Martin
Luther was only remembered chiefly as
the great theologian that he was, and his
greater work as reformer less generally
recognized. He believed that it was not
all OF living to exist. Many things ex-
listed that did not live. The distinction
between existing and living was not
fine one.
In speaking OF the late events in Ger
many, Mr.. hoehne paid high tribute to
that great empire, and said the late de-
velopments showed the strength of the
people and their inclination TO freedom
and against war and the sword
lie Hkened the people OF Germany to
Diogenes, who, when accosted by the
great ruler n all his majesty and power,
and asked What can do for YOU p, re-
piled, stand out of my light"
Many people, he said, got along very
well, If, like drum-major, they could
lead in the procession, throw up their
batonS in pride and exultation, and mt
on all the style Tor whole brass band.
The drum-major imagined, perhaps, that
all the music burst forth from him, when
in reality he produced not a note of it,
Such men were too much inclined to ex-
ternal polnp and were likely to need
watching. Such men were the ones who
dropped rusty nic1els and holev dimes
in the contnbution-box.
In speaking OF Tolstoi and his work in
Russia, he eulogized his sell-sacriiice and
held that a man who said his religion
consisted in fraternity" was deserving
of greater things than were accorded him
in that country. Too MANY peopIe now
adays hid behind the saying that if they
were rich they would do much, but this
was another mask OF the devil. When
such people are rich they never do it.
lie referred to the notoriety of Sontap
and Evans by saying that they Went out
and robbed and shot men for gold. Their
actions We're telegraphed all over the
world, and the newspapers were filled
with display headlines regarding them.
They were desperate men. robbers and
nurderers. But here again fine dis
tinctions were drawn; in reality there
were greater robbers and as cruel ones
behind counters and desks in MANY
places who operated in unmolested RE-
spectability."
1t was necessary for people to be more
than respectable, as the term had become
a cloak Tor a multitude of sins and was
the mask of the devil himself.
MIR. koehne closed his discourse with
some caustic references to the late trials
of persons for gaming. He said the in6i-
vidual members of the jury were no
more to be criticised than the other citi-
zens who refused to serve as jurors or
lent their moral support to maintain a So
.allaI tshnSinRSSf which WAS a it,rai NV