The morning times., 1895-07-08
ESSENTIALS OF FREEDOM
Dr. Kent Speaks on Individual
Liberty and Individuality.
DIVINE LAW THE GUIDE
Present Competitive System Not Fa-
vorabie to the of These
characteristics Whenever Man Is
Dominated by the True Christ
Purpose He Can Cure Existing Evils.

Purpose He Can Cure Existing Evils.
Rev Alex Kent, pastor of the Peoples
Church, thinks that individualism destroys
liberty and kills Individuality He spoke
yesterday to his congregation on I'm
dividual Liberty aud Individuality"
1--WE all agree" said DR.. Kent, "as
to the Importance OF individual liberty
and the development Of true individuality.
We differ only as to how we shall best
secure and promote them"
He proposed little clear thinking on
that point, aud proceeded, as his first step,
to the definition OF terms. Liberty he
defined as that degree of freedom required
by the individual for the attainment Of
the end indicated by his powers
Because life is good every being is
bound to make the most and the best of it,
and the way TO do this is through obedience
to the laws by which it is conditioned.
DUTY OF SELF-PR RESERVATION.
Self -preservation-the preservation of
life in the largest and noblest sense in
which man knows it's mans highest
duty. But as man rises into the moral and
spiritual life that makes him one with the
life eoftheUniverSe, he comes more and more
to think of this higher life as his real life.
The preservation of this he sees to be the
aim and end of all the laws that hold him
in their grasp.
Liberty must be limited to those forms of
activity that further complete living in
self and others. l have a right to all the
freedom that is requisite to my best un-
foldment; to the attainment of the end
indicated by my powers. You have the
same right, and neither OF US has any right
to put any barrier or hindrance in the way
of the other
TRUE FREEDOM
When We move along these lines of
Divine law freely, spontaneously, then we
have come into state of true freedom, OF
genuine liberty. When we do the right and
just thing, not simply because it is right
and just (much less because we fear to do
the wTOng), but because We love it, are
drawn to iC, and have no desire or inclina-
ton 20 do otherwise, then we have come
into what Paul calls the liberty of the
glory OF the children of God.
individuality the speaker defined is
that development of the individual which in
view Of Individual endowments, best fits
social body. He distinguished between
this and that iudividualism, which care
less of the welfare or comfort of others,
misses all that is best and uoblest in the
development of self.
He claimed that individuality. S he
defined it, was in no danger OF running
into uniformity or tameness; that though
there was in it but one purpose and spirit
the purpose and spirit OF mutual service
those influenced by this would manifest
the greatest possible diversity of gifts.
The speaker held that the present COM
petitive regime is not favorable to the
development of either liberty or individ
uality in any proper or worthy sense Of
these words. It results in liccnse on the
one hand and virtual slang on the other.
LICENSE TO DO WRONG.
The freedom which it fosters is freedom
that disregards not only the equal rights
and Interests of others, but also all the
higher rights ana interests of self. 1t is
freedom for the strong to trample upon the
weak; freedom for the swift 10 head off
the slow; freedom for the cunning to Outwit
the simple; freedom for the unscrupulOus to
gouge the honest; freedom for the rich to
exploit the poor and freedom for the lower
and animal self to drag down and subject
the higher This kind Of liberty, he said, =,
is not wholesome.
We must not forget that many Of the
wronged are one in purpose and spirit with
the men who wrong them. They too
would be among the eXploIters if they
could. They have no hatred OF injustice
as such. They hate it only when-dnd be-
cause they themselves are the victims.
So, too, we must remember that there
are hosts of men in the ranks Of the more
or less successful who are men Of generous
md a
the best they can under existing conditions.
They are not responsible for the present
regime.
They need enlightenment They need to
see that those evils are not of Gods max
ing, but of mans making; and that man,
whenever he comes to be dominated by the
Christ purpose and spirit, will be able to
cure them. Society viii see that every man
has freedom to live human life; freedom
to work and enjoy the fruits OF his labor;
freedom to employ the best gifts he has
in the service of his kind, and TO grow to-
ward the end indicated by his powers.
ORGANIZATION a NECESSITY.
This notion that industrial organization
involves the carrying over into the arts of
peace the rigor CT discipline employed in
war is all q bugbear. We who live in
Washington know how little force there is
in this objection
How many thousand people are here to-
day in government employ and subjected
to all the discipline that a wider Industrial
organization would involve. Are they very
discontented? Are they exceedingly anxious
to get out, and try their hand at individual
enterprise? There are 80 out of every 100
in this country to-day who would like to
get in, if they could only be assured of a
life position, and there are millions that
would jump at the opportunity anyway and
take their chances of holding on.
Complete organization is simply ne
cessity of effective and economic admins
tration. We shall never get rid of disorder
and chaos and deadlocks until it is effected.
The solution of the social problem lies in
the wise, just and economic employment of
industrial forces, and in q wise, just and
economic distribution of industrial results.
In this the individual viii find all the liberty
he needs in conformity with laws that condi-
ton life in himself and others. He will
make the most and the best of himself,
while devoting his powers aSsiduously and
faithfully to the service of his kind.
o H
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