The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-06
Invitations TO Work,

1t Is significant that among many
learned men the condition OF affairs to-
day is interpreted as forerunnins great
reforms. The anarchist who hopes to
hasten that reformation along lines
OF murder and assassination; the So
cialist who believes that it can be best
promoted by an excess OF paternaiism;
the infidel who regards it as coinsi-
dent with the downfall Of religion /;
aud last Of all. the economist who fan
cles it must come through a sacrifice OF
mans individualisn consummated in
the merging o: great hosts of men into
the inpersonal agencies called trade
unions and corporations. are all types
Of contemporary thought and action
that presage important changes, We
cannot well go on along these diverg.
ing paths without getting into trouble.
We cannot we'll tolerate the multlpli-
cation of strikes ana riots; the increase
OF uniformed police forces, militia
bodies and regular armies and the
steady tightening OF the lines Of class
without reaching at no distant day a
period when either government must
yield or human agitation take more
wholesome course.
10 the pessimistic prediction that the
former will prove true we taxa no
stock The present form Of our govern
ment is abundantly good enough for all
the citiz.ns within it, II has endured
through 1lS years Of constant trial,
stress and strife and it will endurs for
centuries to come. 1! may be that the
dreams OF our pioneer sirss relative TO
tho practicahility of universal suffrage
will have soon to be abandoned, owing
10 presentinequalities not tnen thought
of. 1t may be that the test OF citi-
zelship will have to be made the same
as the test Of personal esteem. that is
to say, BY proof Of merit and char
acter. But it is idle to contend that
beyond these peaceful evolutions of
civilization there will be genuine need
Of the, chaos that has oft afflicted
France or the wreck and smash that
besct governmental failures in the
medisevsl centuries. The fermsnt that
is behind our present epidemic of vast
boycotts labor instructions and strikes
is a vicious and u deprave1 ferment,
originating among mSn whose minds
are narrowed and purposes perverted.
IL will spent its force iu vain upon the
intelligence of this nation; and upon
its ebb tide will float away all serious
danger of revolution by force.
There ia undou btedly at this time a
great mission for the church. II should
view in all these shifting phases of dis
content precisely so many challenges
to renewed activity in works evangeli-
cal. The mission will not be accom-
plished by tho waging Of wars Of sect
or creed The disputes of the thso
logians interest few others than them
selves. Outside and beyond, the great
masses of men are grooming in battles
for existence and concentrating their
energies upon problems Of live human
interest. The church that fits itself
closest to this great human need will
be that which will do most toward the
tranqnilizstion of society and toward
the Contamination of the future. To
these ends the agencies Of religion
should now bs earnestly directed. Pre-.
dictions of proximate dissolution and
fore announcements OF the milenniai
crash are premature and of idle vanity.
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