The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-01-01


Great Falis.--a city Of Montana,
with the biggest water power and the
smallest postmaster in the world,'
POPULISM AND CHRISTIA NIFTY.
We have received the following let
ter:
CASTLE Rock. MIMI, Dec II. 1894.
Editor Representative:
IN a recent issue Of "Amerika." Of
Chicago, the editor takes occasion to
criticise an article in a Wisconsin pa
rer, written by P. T. Iverslie, one Of
"our Forums" trenchant writer's.
The editor says in part:
Mr. lvers!ie praises the reform pa
per. 1t wculd re interesting to
know if he really thinks that paper
is good reform medium for the rea
son that it reyiies jim Hill, and
scorns the Christian religion.
Tne above is a sarcastic and
'sneaky'' way Of putting it, but then
it is a deplorable fact that some OF
the Populist papers, notably several
OF those printed 10 the Scandinavian
language, sheer at the Christian relig-
ion.
This is wrong. They may be justi-
fed in criticising many so-called min
listers OF the Gospel. but it would be
we'll to leave their creed alone a
man may be good Populist and at
the "me time profess any "relIgiOn"
from MetnodlSm to Buddhism.
I:le editor says further, in CRITICS
ing Mr.. Iyerslle's article, (Which by
The WY, was not reproduced, preSum-
ably because 1t might have converted
half Of "Amerika's' readers to Popu
lism,-) ut is charged that we have
sneered at the Populists' chronic dis
Sa tisfactiOn with existing conditions.
But we have only sought to make it
known that We do not believe the
government is responsible for all
evils. We cannot believe that the
millennium would Immediately trans
pire, on "Bob'' Schilling, Dorm lily
and Coxey assuming control OF the
government
tor Of The REPRESENTATIVE, COM
ment on the last quotation. A. T.
Now we desire it understood that
we have never, in THE REPRESENTA-
TIVE or else where, uttered one dis
respectful word of Christianity. We
belong to no church and never have;
but our conception Of Christ rises
above all the distinctions of creed or
dogma.
1t is probable there are some Popu-
list editors who are sceptical on the
question Of religion. But the Peo-
pies Party should not be held answer
able for their opinions. 1t is almost
impossible to pick up a daily paper,
Republican or Democratic in the West
ern country, that does not contain a
sheer at Christianity. The writer's
are latter-day Pagans. We cannot re-
call single daily paper that is an
avowed believer in the old faith. The
whole American people are permeated
with nbelief:-witness the vast
crowds that pay their dollar each and
swarm to applaud Robert G. Inger-
soil. No lecturer on the platform
draws vaster audiences than he. The
churches are largely kept alive by the
faith and labors of the women. The
very preachers, as witness the Mime
apolis sermons. are ready to concede
away scores of opinions which were re-
garded as sacred twenty-five years
ago.
We take no issue with any man as
to what he believes or refuses to be-
lieve. That is his own business. The
fundamental principle of this coun-
try is that there must be complete
freedom of thought and speech on all
subjects. The only alternative is the
''dat0 de fe." Our free schools-the
foundation stones of the Republic
since the Republic, and indeed the
world. nowadays rests on the intel
ligence Of the voters-were esta ish
ed to ena BILE men to think for Themselves
The gates SO opened can never be
closed again on this earth, unless
some cosmical catas trophe over
whelms the race and reduces it to
primitive barbarism. The poet says,
speaking Of Liberty.
Like the young lion that has once Tapped
blood.
The heart can ne'er be coaxed back to
aught else.
And yet, it is to our mind, one Of
the calamities of our age, that the
pendulum is swinging too far.
Francis Bacon said:-"A little learn
ing inclineth men to atheism. but
greater depth of learning bringeth
men back to religion Our age is
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in sentiment,
shallow in knowledge, shallow in poll
tics, shallow in science, shallow in its
credulity and in it's incredulity. 1t is
''the Business Mans iAge"-And it's
highest thought is selling for profit.
1t is an age of dry-goods, hard ware,
crackers and beans. Many man when
he proceeds far enough to deny that
Jonah was three days in the whales
belly, makes prodigious leap and
denies God and the whole spiritual
kingdom. He does not realize that
all the religions Of the. globe might
be scoffed. cut Of existence and yet
God and Immortality remain, facts as
patent and as eternal as the uni
verse. The man who will 'soberly be-
licve that all this frame of things.
with its vast and endless adjustments
and adaptations. reaching from the
Milky Way to the organism of a
microbe, came about by chance, and
has been maintained. through mil
lions Of years. by accident, could OBJ
tain verdict for heavy damages,
against his Creator, before any jury in
Christendom, for sending him into the