The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-16


cred in the body polite, the rich,
though fools and knaves, get tt e
chief offices. The candidate able
to buy the most votes is the one sure
of success.
Quarter of century ago the mill
ionaires of our whole country could
be counted on the fingers of one hand
but now they are more plentiful than
the peaks of our mountains. Could
the illgotten gains spring from their
Golfers, they would tell of knavery,
bribery, chicanery, swindling and all
sorts of lying, to become Croesus
able to buy throne. Sometimes the
fortune is made at one fell swoop in
lucky marriage. With brazen false
hood and perjury the VOW is given
and the soul is stamped, corrupt to
the core.
Cupid Mammon is to be feared
above all other gods. It is not the
quantity but the quality to be locke d
at in nuptial chances. Marrying is a
hazardous game to play, only on the
ground of true love. But too many
in this matter are ready to let the flesh
do as it will. Through policy
and slippery expediency the soul
finds no sure footing on the glare ice
of this world, and sooner or later will
become worse off than the Devon
shire man who, passing to a swampy
lane, said to rustic near by, II say,
is there good bottom here?" 20, yes,
sir" was the reply. He rode on, and
to his surprise soon found his horse
up to his girths in the mire. "Eolloa,
you rascal, did you not say there is a
good firm bottom here?" $50 there
is, when you shall get to it, but you
are not half down yet" Thus it is,
men are driven upon shoals by the
drift of events, when soul foresight
and insight are wanting.
1t would seem that our country is
fortunately situated, being the last Of
the great lands to become occupied
AS civilization has tended westward
we have been favored with mental and
moral light waited from oriental
lands. Their models have naturally
come to us with the opportunity of
improving upon them. Their Watts
Cortes, and Bessemer have been null
tiplied here. Their Miltoa, Pitt, and
CARLYLE have found great following in
our country. But with the good be-
quests have come the bad. The col
ony that settled Virginia was quite
unlike the one that landed on Ply
mouth Rock. The former was ready
to deal in soul-traffic; the latter
against it, and finally unto death.
The conceit of Greece, the pride of
Rome, and the self-suficiency of
feudal Europe have found their way
to us and are dealing out unsound
currency. Accordingly, monster
has fallen upon us to devour and lay
waste. He is effecting most destruc
ton through small means. By being
dishonest in little things, he is play
ing most mischief, causing neighbor
to distrust neighbor, and rendering
the average mans word of little avail
unless on paper. If ones name is
enrolled on the church-records, that
is not necessarily guaranty of hon
esty. Playing sharp is not nova
days confined to euchre, billiards or
pooling. Tremendous sacrifices of
character are too common.
The remedy for all this is to cease
selling the soul and fully realize that
there is no equivalent to its real value.
1t should always be at par, yea, at it's
best. God requires this of every one;
falling short of it, is selling selfhood
for less than its intrinsic worth, caus-
ing bankruptcy which cannot be
made good in an eternity. For this
reason in politics, society, literature,
the home, the school, the church, and
the world, the soul should be kept
intact and to its highest tension.
MARLBORO. N. H.