The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-03-21

ulcers upon the DOuy polieic' Luz
cities do not become liberated by sac
cident." Bad municipal government
does not come by accident" Vice
and crime do not "happen." "Every
overt act is the result of previous in
cubation, nourishment and growth"
And society in general is responsible
for what society is, The crime-pro-
ducing agencies are here because So
ciety invites and tolerates them. The
saloon, that Infamous and worst OF
all wreckers of manhood, remains
among us because men legalize it and
patronize it.
1t Does Not Come by Chance.
And children do not degenerate into
the "slum" element by chance. Back
of all that we see in the way of mis-
conduct and misshapen humanity are
certain causes. And society is mainly
responsible for most of these causes.
Even the church itself is not without
blame. In certain quarters OF all our
cities there is a constant increase OF
that class known as the Submerged
tenth"-consisting of criminals, men
dicants, and other undesirable ele-
ments. Can nothing be done to stay
this evil tide? To say so is to deny
our Christian faith. To say SO is to
fy in the face of the teaching OF
Jesus. To argue that because Jesus
said: "The poor ye have with you al
ways" signifies that we cannot elm
mate that poverty stricken element is
fallacious and I do not believe it.
Nor do | believe that we need to go
on breeding criminals forever.
If Jesus came among us what posi-
ton do you think he would take
touching the improvement OF society
and especially touching the proper
education and training of the chill
dren? Would he be so pessimlstlc
as to say as do some: "Ohl you can
not do much along these lines. HUI
man nature is so totally depraved
and perverse. And these things have
always been so and will continue so
to the end"? Now, I do not believe
it, But imagine Jesus would say
something like this: my religion,
though not of this world, yet it is for
this world. Ihave taught men every
where to pray: THY kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven;' and since you cannot have
Gods will done on earth, so long as
these children are neglected and per-
mitted to grow up in vice and crime,
I therefore commission you, my dis
ciples, to take such care of these lit
tie ones as will
Keep Them Pure and Good.
"Preyention is better than cure. Ii
my followers love me they will keep
nv commandments; they will have
compassion toward these children
who fall among thieves and robbers,
such as vile associations, idleness and
evil resorts. My followers will go
forth unitedly and rescue these chill
dren. They will educate them in
mind, in body and in morals"
Jesus surely meant his gospel for
all classes and conditions of men and
not for the favored few. And it is
the duty of the church and of society
to do more for the masses and less for
the classes. We must reach out and
instruct all those children who other
wise are likely to become disturbing
element in society. We must so edu-
cate and so train, and SO environ
them within and without as to bring
them up to maturity free from vice
and crime and make good citizens OF
them, instead of leaving them in the
hands of the despoiler, as we are now
doing. We cannot absolve ourselves
from this duty. Nor can we separate
ourselves so as to avoid contact and
injury from these baser elements; for
we are all bound together by indis-
soluble ties. mo man liveth to him.
self"
Society goes up together to higher
attainments or it goes down together
to baser levels. We are each and all
affected by the conduct of every other
member. Remove the slum element
to the remotest parts of the city and
its polluting effects will still faint the
entire body polite. And the Golden
Rule idea and the Good Samaritan
idea were never more demanded in
the case of the man who fell among
thieves than they are demanded to-day
in behalf of these children, who by
reason of our neglect, by our passing
by on the other side," are permitted
to be wounded and robbed of virtue,
honor and integrity, which are more
to them and more to society than