Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-08-05
Madison. July 80.


OPP Ireland lecture on Conscience, the
Foundation of Good Citizenship, Peo-
pie of nearly every church in the city
and all stations and occupations We're
attracted as they always are when this
great orator and apostle OF patriotism
chooses to appear i'll public. 1t is small
wonder that the famous prelate can So
charm all hearers. His almost Titanic
form, his vigor of expression and his
voice of wonderful depth carry convic
ton rs from an oracle. He made a
lofty plea for patriotism. Americas
greatness is her democracy which is
also her peril. Education of the intel
lect is not panacea for OR threaten
ing ills; high, moral public con-
science is necessary. The liberties of
the world read their triumph OF their
doom in those Of ATreIica In closing
he said in part
What will foster conscience in the
citizen of America? | answer, relig-
iCn-the sense of supreme legisla-
tor, ruling the whole universe. from
the tiniest flower to the mightiest sun,
ruling men and aggregations of men,
rewarding and furnishing. A supreme
living legislator gives meaning and
authority to conscience. Conscience
informed by religion echoes the voice
of God, who all for their very life
on earth and beyond the earth must
love and fear Left to itself, it is still
the voice of reason, but how stronger
when il is the voice of God! The
highest and the most efficient social
philosophy ever spoken is the dictum
of Isaiah: The nation and kingdom
that will not serve Thee (Jehovah),
will perish Patriotism is never 80
potent as when it is identified with
religion. The hattle-cry of the
ancients was 'Proaris ct focis,-For
our ATLAS and our "Reminiscences
and these words nerved them to COM
hat as no other worlds could.
The crisis for democracy will come
when comes the crisis for religion,
because morals are most closely con-
nected with religion. Evil days for
America are those when agnosticism
and materialism are preached through
the land; when man is told that he
is but piece of mechanism, which
no free will controls: that he is but
a grain of dust, tossed up for while
into the air, soon to be driven back in
to the common heap, having no re-
sponsibility, no hope, save what clay
and stones around him have. Fortu-
nately for America. deep in the heart
of Americans lies the instinct Of re-
ligion; Americans will never believe
that an infinite intelligence does not
rule the universe, that the soul of
man is not spiritual or immortal
they will never permit that the Sab
bath day be taken from the service of
conscience to be put to the service
of matter or that it's church bells
cease their heavenly music. The
enemies of religion are the enemies
of country and of democracy.
I'VE must multiply agencies of moral
education for our youth. Very little
has been done for youth when they
are made to read write and cypher.
More necessary far than the knowledge
CT literature and of science, are the
knowledge and practice of the moral
virtues Day by day youth must be
taught to be honest and honorable, to
be pure-hearted and charitable, to be
capable of self control and of sacrifice.
Let us not close our eyes to facts too
evident; tens of thousands of boys and
girls are growing up in the land with
little or no moral training. What
peril there will be for the country
when such boys and girls will be the
men and women of the republic!
"A mighty educational power is the
public press. An Englishman has
lately said that the press is the mod
ern established church. The newspa-
per is read, in city and village, by poor
and rich, by young and old A fearful
responsibility rests upon the press. oh!
for a moral press that will record vir-
tues, to admire them, and vices, only
to condemn them; that will never pan
DER to depraved taste, either in the
kind of news which is published, or
the manner in which the news is
written. Sensational journalism is
menace to public morals, and should be
sternly reproved by Americans.
Every citizen is teacher of NOR
ais by his silent example. The higher
the citizen by office, wealth, or social
position, the greater his responsibility
to fellow-men and TO country. One
glaring deed of profiigacy or dishon-
esty in high place weakens the morals
of tens of thousands The salvation OF
the country is a high moral public
opinion, a supreme court of morals,
quick to reward with praise, and to
punish with opprobrium The tens Of
thousands will be preserved from evil
by public opinion, when II this is de-
rraved, they will rush wildly into sin.
Let Us work faithfully to form and
maintain a high moral public con-
science
Americans. we love America: we fain
would make her great, Our hearts