Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-12-20
Christmas Thoughts.

ssteth not in the abundance OF the things
which he HATH .Mortity COW
etousness, which Is idolatry."
OF the many millions who join
in the various modes of commence
rating the advent into the world of
the great exemplar of all virtue and
righteousness, how few there be that
do SO worthily, and how fewer still
they be among the teeming millions
of earth whose lives and conduct
conform even approximately to His
AmongiHis worshippers and putative
followers even, including priest and
layman of whatever denomination,
sect or creed, we look in vain for His
like. And should his counterpart APP
pear on the streets of Mineral Point,
in the midst of the Christmas festiv-
tiles, he would meet as cold recep-
tion as did the Goldman among the
Jews 1894 years ago.
The history of Jesus discloses in
him not scintilla of selfshness-
primary, basic, inspiring and under
lying cause of all crime, sin and mis-
cry known i'm the world Therefore, it
may safely be asserted, that should
there come among us today, while
the civilized world is supposedly de-
voting itself to observing the coming
of the Messiah, man devoid of self
ishness, he would be regarded as an
imbecile or worse, and probably be
arrested as vagrant. A purely un-
selfish man, if he We're a preacher,
would be unconcerned as to the sala-
ry attached to charge, and consider
only the question, where can ! do the
best service for the Master. IF he
We're a layman he would be devoting
his talents to making his neighbors
more comfortable and happy, instead
of planning to provide new luXuries
for himself or immediate family. A
lawyer unselfish as Christ would en-
ploy his abilities to shield the weak
and unfortunate, and to prevent the
wicked from working harm. An un-
selfish merchant would accept no
profits beyond what We're sufficient
to provide comforts for himself equal
to those of his customer. A banker
wholly without selfish instincts, as
Christ was, would carefully plan to
do the greatest possible good for his
fellow men with the means at his
disposal, instead Of studying how he
may most surely and largely add to
his own wealth.
This condition is to be hoped for
only when millennium dawns. Then
only will there be christians i'm fact
| Christlike men and women in truth.
Until then reforms must be superb
cial-only surface deep. The drunk
ard will become sober, the thief will
turn honest, the blasphemer will
cease profanity, the Sabbath breaker
will change his way, the lying tongue
will speak the truth, want and pale
poverty will be unknown, when self
ishness is eradicated from the human
constitution; when man reflects the
Christ in whose coming we ut this
time especially rejoice.
From selfishness grows every crime
and vice in the world. The murderer
kills to crafty selfish revenge or with
other selfish aim. The drunkard
drinks to appease selfish appetite.
The liar lies, the thief steals, the
swindler swindles, the cruel oppress,
the hypoerite dissembles, each with
motive to benefit self The bus
iness or professional man takes adj
vantage Of his brothers ignorance or
necessity to profit self. Our laws are
framed and society builded on foun-
dations Of selfishness. Churches even
are permeated and dominated by a
selfish spirit. See this in the defer
once TO the richer members, from
whom the larger contributions are ex-
pected in the ambition to have the
finest church buildings, and in many
other ways.
Professor Ely defines the economic
system Of the world as brutal and
not without reason. Among beasts
the physically stronger takes to itself
whatever it wills, though the weaker
starves. Among men the intcllectn-
ally stronger takes to himself even
more than he can use in most luNu-
rious living, regardless that his weak
er brother suffers for the ordinary
comforts of life. Both are actuated
by unchristlike selflshness-lnan en-
ulates the beast in this respect more
than lie does the Christ.
TOMORROW. Friday evening,
Dee, 2Ist, the Mineral Point High
school gives its entertainment at the
city hall. This Il the same entertain
ment mentioned in the TRIBUNE Of
last week To he on the 8lst. which
was a typographical error The pur-