The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-12-21
WISCONSIN.
Good citizenship Meeting at La Crosse
Address of DIR. Lafiin.-Miss Carlyle's
Death

Sunday evening, December s. our La
Crosse church held Good Citizenship
meeting at which four brief addresses
we're made on: 1, 1.-THE Citizen at Home
2, 1.-THE Citizen in Business" 8, "The
Citizen in Office" 4, "The Citizen at
Church." H. 3. Latin, M. D., gave the
first address. Mr.. S. B. Oatman. the
second, DR.. A. M. Benson, the third and
the pastor, Rev. G. G. Conner giving the
fourth and last. DR.. Latin has been
asked to furnish al outline of his re-
marks which The UNIvERsALIsT is
pleased to lay before its readers:
DIR. LAFLIN's ADDRESS.
am requested to say few words on
the subject, 1.-The Citizen at Home
and / would remark that that is very
good place for the citizen, when his duty
does not require his presence elsewhere.
But the too common neglect Of this
duty, furnishes the excuse, if there is
any excuse, for my remarks this even
ing.
When we read in the Book that the
Infinite One placed the solitary in fami-
lies, it means something to US; it should
mean great deal to us. Not only that
we have all one Father. and consequent
ly that all men are brothers. but that
home and heaven are the dearest, sweet
est places that his children may ever
know. And as he is keeping one OF them
holy and pure for us, let us keep the
other so for him. Home, the true home,
is the center of the universe to its mem
bers. The center from which emanate
and radiate all the cardinal virtues.
No one can easily rise to the true level
Of citizen who has not been sheltered
by home. 1t in itself is elevating; it
gives independence and force of charac
ter nowhere else obtained.
1t furnishes the moral ozone for the
growth of the good citizen. A man
without home feels like a passenger
and acts like one, mainly thinking OF
his destination, taking no interest in the
rest of the passengers nor the road he
travels; he becomes selfish and narrow,
trying to do that impossible thing that
Christ said no man could do-live unto
himself alone. Life is too large for one
alone to live. A man can make corner
on grain and bonds and stocks. but no
man is large enough to make corner on
life. We have it too abundantly.
AS so much depends upon the home
in the problem of good citizenship, |
can but plead for the true home and the
home lover. The lover of home is safe
citizen; he may differ from you and me
in politics and religion. l am surprised
that he should, and sorry if he does, but
in spite of that he is safe citizen. And
it is self evident fact if we are to have
good and enduring government. with
wise laws, justly administered, we must
have good citizens, and in order to have
good citizens, God fearing, law abiding,
liberty loving and loyal. we must have
good homes, as that is the only place
that grows this product.
1t is the rule that all good things may
be abused and have their enemies, and
the home is no exception to the rule.
To mention all its enemies would re-
quire a long sermon, and | am not
preacher, or an extended brief, and am
not lawyer. Being just private citi-
zen. will mention two or three.
And at the head of the list of course
must stand that sum Of all villainy, the
saloon, as it goes without saying that it
has ruined more homes. caused more
heartaches, produced more widows,
orphans and paupers. melted to more
crime and bloodshed than all other
causes combined. And yet how careful
we are of it. 1t is one of the very few in
situations that we protect By special law
We coddle it in our courts and license it
by law, only to ruin our manhood and
wreck our homes. You don't know why,
do not; it is one of the unsolved myster-
les. But one thing is very plain, while
the saloon exists, all homes are in
uduScI. lAO uou OctibS VIZ OF 10 O uuOu-
ace to the homes near him. but he is a
harmless kitten, purring at your feet,
when compared to the saloon.
There are club rooms and various
other places where time and money are
spent. that for the good of all concerned
had better be spent at home.
There is just one more place that
will mention as being inimical to the
homeland that is the boarding house.
l realize the necessity and utility of the
boarding house. 1t feeds and shelters
those who for the time are from home,
and assists them in the delusion that
they are not homeless with this find
no fault, but it does more, it furnishes
an excuse for those who from Incidence.
selfishness or avarice, seek to shirk the
cares and re responsibilities of home MAX
ing. One glory Of La Crosse is that its
citizens have homes; consequently we
have no strikes and industrial troubles
and we do not furnish recruits to the
army of idlers, causing so much trouble
to find what to do with and for them.
And now like others who walk and