The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-23
PARKHURST And WAR |
II Christendom Wants to Be Ridi-
culed Let EN- Fight.
DON'T BEAT ROUND THE BUSH
The Doctor Says the Newspapers
Are Tanning the Flames of AMI
mosity-He's Long on Small
cap" Headlines.

New York. Dec. Administers In
nearly all churches of this city made
reference to-day to the Venezuelan
boundary dispute and the possibility Of
war between the United States and
England. DIR. Parkhurst, in the course
of his sermon, said: 1T almost seems
as II there was a providence in the way
these Christmas days synchronize the
year with events that are now filling
our hearts with disturbance and throw
ing an uncomfortable shadow across
the track of the near future. Now we
do not care to beat about the bush In
this matter. but prefer to go straight
to the mark by saying that IL Christen-
dom wants to make the religion of
Jesus with it's Bethlehem. its angelic
choir and it's anthem of Peace on
Earth a laughing story to the ungodly
and contempt to the heather. the best
thing 1t can do will be to set the two
foremost Christian nations of the earth
to work blowing up one anothers cities
and blowing out one another's brain.
Unless we utterly misconceive the
sentiments of the Christianized masses.
both here and on the other side of the
water, such an issue will be morally
impossible. There will be no conflict
that will go beyond the point of mes
sages and pronunciamentos on either
side. If the church of the Bethlehem
Christ comes out and records its veto.
Christianity, both here and In England.
is too thoroughly an integral part of
national life for armies and navies to
that the churches of the two countries
tG
place to enter into a philosophical or
historical exposition of the Monroe doc
trine only it is safe to say this nation
is not going to be drawn into an inter
national conflict of arms-to the dis
honor of Christianity, the discourage
ment of civilization. the destruction of
life and treasure and the demoraliza-
tion of our entire organic life-in be-
half of a doctrine such that probably
30 per cent. of a congregation as well
informed as this would not be able to
interpret and the other 10 per cent. dis
agreeing among themselves as to
whether the doctrine is applicable to
the present situation.
I'VE are not speaking disparagingly
of loyalty to country or to patriotic re-
gard for our. .country's rights, but patri-
otic passions are incensed and can be
easily fired to the point where right
eousness is ignored and reason and
balanced consideration tabooed; and
that is the mischief Of infiammatory
sheets that make paying the newspaper
business of tanning the flames of in
ternational animosity / wish for two
weeks IL could be a states prison Of
fense to print newspaper headlines
with anything larger than small CAPT.
tails. If the nations would take up the
business that belongs to them first. and
II England and the United States
would join hands in the rather more
gospel enterprise of rescuing pillaged
and outraged Armenians from the
dirty. bloody grip of the Turks. these
two brother nations would soon find
themselves in a good Christian condi-
ton to settle that little question OF
civil engineering down in Venezuela in
a way that would save both parties
not only their pride and their heads
| but their Christian repute"