The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-12-21
Our Present Civilization.

An extract from Il sermon Of the noted
western Divine, Rev. J. II. stewart, delivered
AT the Kansas state soldiers Home, sunday,
sept. 2, 1884.
But the god Of this world is and
always has been avarice. Avarice
caused the war of rebellion, and
heapcd the battle fields with the
millions Of slain 1t was holocast
to that fell spirit Of human greed.
Talk about Juggernaut, Baal and
Moloch! Avarice is diabolism.
But | hear some one say, "the
war is overl' What was the war?
Only preliminary struggle between
capital and labor-slave labor
against free labor. 1t was most as
suredly labor trouble, labor con-
flict 1t was not the first, neither
will it be the last. Is there no ar
istocracy now? Is there no despis-
ing of the poor? Is there no
slaughter Of the innocents? Is not
justice farce and religion mock
cry because of the seductive and de-
lusive power of wealth? Wealth
not now in "slaves and souls of
men," not now in plantations.
Now it is stocks and bonds; now in
permanent securities. Now it is
not African slavery against free in
stitutions, but it is corporate greed
and vast accumulations Of wealth
demanding and securing industrial
slavery and practical serfdom and
, vassalage of $1,000, 900 Of people.
|, As 50, ,OOO,O0O are greater than A.
600, 900, so are present ills and
|, wrongs greater than in the ante
r bellum days. 1t is condition that
, confronts us, not theory. The
"clanking Of these chains" can be
heard not only ION the plains Of
!, Boston," but everywhere. We have
hoped for national longevity. But
, it cannot be unless reforms come
rIswift and soon. God says, "The
land shall not be sold forever" but
we have sold it. God says, "Thou
shalt not vex the stranger, and we
| have vexed him. God says, "Thou
) shalt not take usury," and we have
, taken it. God commanded the re-
/ turn of alienated estates, and give
laws for equity of redemp-
! ton; we have denied it. God de-
manded execution for murder; but
! murderers stalk abroad and 60 ur.-
whipped of justice. Were there
1 many political murders in the south
3 since the war avenged? Was Sam
Woods murder avenged? Was the
|, murder Of the ranchmen in Wyo-
ming avenged? No.
! The increase Of the millionaire in
|, America marks the nations decad-
ence. The genus tramp is the nec-
3 essary consequence Of the evils OF
the present system that produces
the uselcssly rich and wretch
edly poor. One millionaire calls
for thousand paupers, In this
view of the case "our gold is can
kered and our garments moth
eaten We are passing along the
same highway that Egypt, Babylon
and Rome long, long ago travelled.
/, Accumulated wealth in the hands
: of the few was the incubus Of their
, decay, as it plainly is Of ours. Our
institutions topple to their fall the
people perish and no one lays it
| seriously to heart. Billy McGara-
. han and Naboth's vinyard, how
alikel When an American presi-
dent can abridge the tights of an
/, American citizen to come into court
and prove his claim to an estate,
and deny and repudiate that right
, by the great power Of executive
veto, American liberties are farce
and this after both houses had
/ passed the bill allowing him to
come into court,
Reforms will never come from
, the party in power, either in state
or nation. They never did; they
never will. Who were Moses and
Elijah? Fugitives from justice Gas
the world goes.) Who we're Luther,
! Calvin and Cromwell? Excom-
municatcd members Of the church
, and insurgents against the civil
power. Who were Washington and
: his compecrs? Rebels. Who Christ
! and the apostles? Professors
against existing order and its vic
tins. Such is history; such its les
|, sons and warnings.