Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-09-22

lads and lasses
shall be as safe in the public thorough
fares as in the nursery.
Pulpit and printing press for the most
part in our day are busy in discussing
the condition of the cities at this time;
hut would it not be BEAUTIFULLY encour-
cging to all Christian workers, and to
I'll who are toiling to make the world
better, if we should for a little while
look forward to the time when our cit
les shall be revolutionized by the Cos
pei of the Son of God, and all the dark
ness of sin and trouble and crime and
suffering shall be gone from the world?
Every man has a pride in the city
of his nativity or residence, if it be a
city distinguished for any dignity or
prowess. Caesar boosted of his native
Rome. Virgil of Mantua, Lycurgus Of
Sparta, Demosthenes of Athens, Arch
imedes of Syracuse, and Paul of Tar
sus. should have suspicion of base
heartedness in a man who had no es-
or residence-no exhiiaration at the
evidence of it's prosperity or it's artistic
embellishments, or its intellectual ad-
vancement.
have noticed that man never likes
a city where he has not behaved WELL
People who have had free ride in the
prison van never like the city that fur
nishes the vehicle. When l find Argos
and Rhodes, and Smyrna trying to
prove themselves the birthplace of Ho-
mer, l conclude that Homer behaved
well. He liked them and they liked
city pride, or with the idea of building
ourselves up at any time, try to pull
others down. Boston must continue 10
point to it's Fanueil Hall and to its
Common, and to its superior educa-
tional advantages. Philadelphia must
Hall, and its mint, and its Girard Col
lege. Washington must continue 20
point to it's wondrous Capitoline build
ings. If should find a man coming
from any city, having no pride in that
city, that city having been the place
of his residence, l would feel like ask
ing: What mean thing have you done
there? What outrageous thing have
you been guilty of that you do not like
the placer"
/ know there are sorrows, and there
are sins, and there are sufferings all
around about us; but as in some bitter,
cold winter day, when we are threshing
our arms around us to keep our thumbs
from freezing, we think of the warm
spring day that will after awhile come
or In the dark winter night we look Up
and see the northern lights, the win
dows of heaven Illuminated by some
great victory-just SO We look up from
the night of suffering and sorrow and
wretchedness in our cities, and we see
a light streaming through from tho
other side, and we know we ere on the
way to morning-more than that, on
the way to "a morning without Clouds
/ want you to- understand, all you
who are toiling for Christ, that the
castles of sin are all going to be cap
tured. The victory for Christ in these
great towns is going to be so complete
that not man on earth, or an angel in
heaven, or a devil in hell will dispute
it, How do l know? i know Just as
certainly as God lives and that this ia
holy truth. The old Bible is full of it,.
If nation is to be saved, of course all
the cities are to be saved. It makes
a great difference with you and with
me whether We are toiling on toward
q defeat, or toiling on toward a victory.
Now, in this municipal elevation of
which l speak, l have to remark there
will be greater financial prosperity
than our cities have ever seen. Some
people seem to have morbid idea Of
the millennium, and they think when
the better time comes to our cities and
the world people will give their time
up to psalm-singing and the relating
of their religious experience, and, as
Pill social life will be purified there will
be no hilarity, and, as all business will
be purified there will be no enterprise.
There is no ground for such an absurd
anticipation. In the time of which l
lpeak, where now one fortune is made.
there will be hundred fortunes made.
We all know business prosperity de-
ponds upon confidence between man
ind man. Now when that time comes
Of which / speak, and when all double
dealing, all dishonesty, and all fraud
are gone out Of commercial circles,
thorough confidence will be established,
and there will be better business
done, and larger fortunes gathered,
and mightier successes achieved
The great business disasters of this
country have come from the work of
goddess spectators and infamous stock
gamblers. The great foe to business
l. rhine. When the right shall have
Nback the wrong, and shall have
- the commercial code, and shall
wandered down fraudulent es
vents, and shall have put into
ID of honest men the keys Of
n, blessed time for the bargain
Gers. / am not talking an abstrac-
..on / am not making a guess. | am
telling you Gods eternal truth.
In that day of which / speak, taxes
will be a mere nothing. Now. our bust