Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-03-12
IF CHRIST CAME 10 CHICAGO.

ME- William t. ntoalt once AuN
famous editor Of the raj Malt Gazette
London, has written book about
Chicago under the catching title, Ell
Christ Came 10 Chicago, or, q plea iof
thounion Of all who live Ia the service
Of all who suffer-" lis intended 10 be
mn exposure Of Chicago lie, social, In.
dustfial, political anu religious, "a the
author after hls soloufn In that great
city conceivos u. Mr. Steal discusses
the themo under the following i've
headings, Some images yo have made
me; Chrisps metowand (measuring rod)
Ia Chicago; satan'a invisible world
displayed; Christie Church In Chiolgo;
What would Christ do In Chicago?
Tho volume Ia not yet published but
extracts Of the aivanue sheets fur.
nished the pres give some idea Of the
general tenor Of H. Viewing society In
general and Chicago In particular ns n
quagmire, the author looks about ior
an effective remedy, and ho finds
this, II seems, Ia Christianity. He
would pour enough Of this material
Into the soft mire, to make IL compact
and dry, and tho City Council. he
thinks, ought to take the matter In
hand. On this subject he says, ao.
oording to a dispatch TO a eolemporary
In this city;
For tho improvement ~ tho least Of
those Christa brethren, tho assistance %
the municipal authority IN Indispensable.
The law must DO invoked u only ns a
achooimastor 10 bring mon 20 christ
Before wo can make mon divine, we
must east out the devils who are brutal
ixing them out OF oven human remittance.
Bui this cannot b0 accomplished except
ing by use Of means which can only be-
welded by the city council. Hence as it
used To be said Of tho old limo, that all
roads lead 10 Rome, 40 the moro atom
lively We study tho way OF our social
quagmlre, tho moro clearly will IL DO
dlscornod that all roads load TO tho city
hall.
IL Is noticeable that Mr.. Stoad, as
20 many other social reformors,
fails to sec that no by no means traces
the evil no oomba,s to i,s root, when
he follows It only to the representa-
t!ves OF the community. And this Ia
all tho more remarkable because hs
deals with the problem from the as.
sumed standpoint OF the great Prophet
OF Nazareth. "what would Christ do
In Chicagog" The answer TO that
curious question IL near ut hand and h
not based on hypothetical premises
either. He would do just what He did
when He came TO the capital Of Palcs-
tine. lie found u condition that was In
many instances similar 10 that OF our
own day, and IN some respects even
worse. Tho country In which lie lived
was politically oppressed, subjected Ia
the caprlces OF murderoua aud avarl-
olous favorites Of the Roman emperor.
The chief occlesiaslicAl authority was a
degraded creature whose corruption
had become unhoArable even to the
Roman governors. Aud as the head
Of sanhedrln NO were the members.
The saored,ptooinota Of the tcmple
were by them made a market place
where strangers who came 10 worship
were fieeced for the benefit OF th'
priests. Hyprocrlcy and iuhdelity had
become the leading oharaolohslici O
the religious part Of the people and vii,
Sins were openly pracliced, whit
preachers against impurity sometime
paid for tholr caudor With their lives
Tho righteous were comparatively few
and seemingly without influence both
IN social anu political circles.
Ia this condition what did the great
est ofTeformeTs doc lie did not appeA
10 his oountrymen for general up
rising against governors and priest
alike. NOT did lie appeal 10 these 10
more stringent laws. Instead lie wen
10 the very source Of the evil and as
dressed Himself 10 every individual
nimoninhlng 10 personal repentance
He recognized that 10 Is in the hear
aud not in the city hall that corruption
originates. 10 iB true He rcbukpd so
vcIrly those in authority, but even tina
was In their capacity Of individuals
Good fruit cannot bo expected from
rotten tree. The heart, the source O
oil feeling aud Oh acts, must bo "bori
ugain" and then the laws will b.
framed accordingly ami 09ci0,y ilael
will bo made new, Such were tl
sentiments ouuuciatpd by tho divlu
Master IA His age, and thesB woul,
govern His Ggia iu Chicago, were H
10 appear there today,
Many changes have occurred sine
tho beginning Of our era, and we llv
under conditions in fomu respects vor.
different from those Of Palestine a
that day. But siuoe tho PEOPLE In thi