The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-10-18
THE BLIND CLASSES.
ARE THEY FASTENING THE COMING
SOCIAL REVOLUTIONH


Their Destiny Hangs In the Balance.
NEW YORK, Oct. The new series
of sermons on 1.-THE Coming ReVOlu-
ton" was continued this morning in AS
sociation hall by the Rev. Thomas Dix
on, Jr. The subject of the sermon for
TODAY was "The Blindness Of the Class
es." He declared that in face Of the fact
Of q worldwide discomfort and restless
ness among.t the masses most startling in
it's character the strong and privileged
classes face the fact with blind adher-
once to their traditional ideals. He main
tains that the conservative powers of
state by their aggravating course are
Fastening q revolution; that the pluto
cratic forces of society with blind fatu-
ity are fastening their own ruin, while
the church throws aside the scepter of
the world for the privilege of building
gilded "steepled clubs" The text chosen
was from Isaiah i, 8, my people doth
mot consider"
REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION.
We have seen in a previous study that
the masses Of the world are today in a
condition of restlessness that can but
indicate the approach Of a revolution.
Revolutions have been averted from vio-
lenCs In the history Of nations and their
forces transformed into the vital work
of an evolution accomplishing the same
results. But this has only been done
when the powerful classes representing
the conservative elements of society
have shown the wisdom of recognizing
che approaching cataclysm and readjust-
ing to the situation.
It is very rarely that class power can
maintain itself in the face of threatened
change. The trouble is, the moment
danger approaches, the threatened inter
ests themselves seem smitten with the
blind determination to work their own
ruin.
Jerusalem of old did not know the day
OF her divine visitation. There was an
hour when the Saviour was nigh. Hel
destiny hung in the balance. She turned
q deaf ear to him. And in her desola
tion there was left not one stone upor
another. Such seems to be the history
of almost all established power.
THE EXAMPLE OF JAMES II.
Macaulay says that James II seemed
''bent on running himself, and any at
tempt TO stop him only made him rusk
the more eagerly to his doom. When hi
throne was secure, when his people were
submissive, when the most obsequious o.
parliaments was eager to anticipate al
his reasonable wishes, when foreign king
doms and commonwealth paid emulouI
court to him, when it depended only OF
himself whether he would be the arbitel
Of Christendom, he stopped to be the hire
ling of France. And when by q series o.
crimes and follies he had succeeded il
alternating his neighbors, his subjects
his soldiers, his sailors, his children, anC
had left himself no refuge but the pro
lection of France, he was taken with
at of pride and determined to assert hi
independence. That help which, wher
he did not want it, he had accepted will
ignominous tears, he, now when it wa
indispensable to him, threw contemptu
Ously away. He resented the friendly
Intervention which might have saved
him. Was ever king so used9 Was h,
q child or an idiot, that others mus
think for him?"
THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL.
Macaulay's inquiry as to James /,
might well be repeated to the rulinl
classes of the closing days of the nine
teenth century. Are they blind? Ar,
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