The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-24
GOODWIN SMITH ON "OHRIsT IN
CHICAGO"

We have in the September Con-
temporary very clear cut review by
Goodwin Smith of Mr.. Stead's recent
book, eff Christ Came to Chicago"
which is worthy of note. First he
thinks it no injustice to class it with
the literature of sensation. The title
is likely to place the reader at false
point of view.
If Jesus of Nazareth did come to
Chicago, he would see what never
presented itself to his eyes, or, SO far
as we know, to his thoughts. The
scenes of his preaching were the lake
chores and hillsides, amid the olean-
ders and the lilies of his paternal
Galilee. Commercial life and civiliz-
alton never came to his field of view.
If he saw Tyre and Sidon, the sight
left no impression on his mind. At
Jerusalem his attention was confined
to the temple, the magnificent build
ings of which he seems, as Renan
says, to have regarded with little ia
vor. The society in which he moved
was society of peasants, apparently
poor and suffering, with many sick,
and, when it followed its teacher to
the hillside, beholden to him for
little bread.
Wealth he beheld, apparently, only
on its evil side; and his picture of it,
and of its relation to poverty in the
parable of Dives and Lazarus, is an
abstraction. Of politics, of which a
visitor to an American city sees and
hears so much, he saw and heard
nothing. With the struggles and
factions at Jerusalem he came into
contact as martyr to the tribal and
religious bigotry of one of them.
Otherwise, nothing met his eye but
the autocracy of Roman governor.
1t is difficult, if you go beyond the
most general rules of ethics, for
censor of Chicago accurately to re-
present Christ as Judge, while in the
attempt he may sometimes be led to
forget his own limitations.
The reviewer then passes to note
some of the subjects treated by Mr..
Stead, and finds him guilty of in
justice and sweeping charges. No
body doubts that there are million
aires who have made their money in
bad way, and are social nuisances
and scandals; but let us not con-
found the good with the evil "On
the whole, great fortunes have prob
ably done more good and less harm
than might have been expected" A
period of rapid development must al
ways be one of large gains and losses,
and the rich man has made great en-
terprises possible. The worst that
can be said of the millionaire is that,
when she dies, he leaves his wealth TO
idle and worthless sons" Money
making in this country is not greater
than in others. While the American
is eager to make money, he spends
freely. Mr.. Smith also takes exeep-
ton to Mr.. Stead's TRADE against the
Church. On the matter of gambling
the reviewer is ready to go any length
with the author, and the former cites
startling examples of the extent to
which this prevails in England; and
he regards racing as much gambling
as poker or roulette. England has
been converted by the turf into a vast
gambling table," Mr.. Smith also
paints into Mr.. Stead's dark picture
light colors, which, for the most part,
are true. But, passing over many
points Of interest, the closing words
are discriminating and JUST
1t is unfair, we must add, to take
Chicago or any great city as com
plete specimen of American life and
character, or trustworthy index of
the probable destiny of the American
commonwealth. In all the great
cities there is large alien popula-
tion, Boston itself being now full of
Irish; and it is in the great cities that
the ethirst of money, the vulgar luxury.
the municipal corruption, and most
of the special evils prevail.-Chris-
tidn Register.