The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-01

These are the forces with which ar
intelligent citizen has to deal; and as
l am a citizen first and a minister
afterward, I have felt free to look
about me carefully; to analyze the Sit
uation as well as 1 might; and then
to utter my convictions. 1t has moi
been necessary to do any Summing;
and l have rot seen the inside of a
saloon or questionable resort in the
city. The priceless gems of knowledge
that l have flashed into the face of the
public l have picked up from the city
press, the courteous city officials, and
from the ample report of one or two
| sklllful detectives employed by COM
mittee appointed by the Ministers as
! ISOLATION. If l have overstepped tbs
limits of good citizenship in learning
what was to be learned, and in helping
to uncloak iniquities that ought to bring
! the blush of shame to the cheek of any
decent person, 1 plead guilty and am
ready to accept the consequences.
The fact is the majority of Christian
people are densely ignorant with re-
| Spect to the rights and duties of citi-
zenShip. In almost every city the re-
! spectacle moral and religious element
is in the majority; and if this element
were alert, united, and well-informed,
a marked change could speedily be
brought about in municipal conditions.
1t is a reflection alike upon our patriot
I ism, our industry, and our intelligence
that thugs and ward-heelers know
more about the duties and privileges
of citizenship than Christian people
and college graduates. Every citizen
ought TO make ii a matter of con-
science to be posted upon all matters
pertaining TO civic life. 1t is encour-
aging to know that the capable and
moral young men of the city, with
out reference to sect or political creed,
are taking steps TO organize a league
for the purpose of encouraging ana
fostering more intelligent action upon
the part of good citizens.
CHRISTIAN CITIZEN MUST SINK
SELF.
Young friends, history informs us
that in the hour of our nations peril,
when secession raised its head and
struck its poisonous fangs into the
heart of the republic, when the federal
government rocked upon its founda-
tions, when our national flag was in
suited by those whom it had protected
from infancy, and when unWiSe and
misguided men sought to sever the
cords of fraternal love and confidence
that had for nearly a century bound
together into one glorious union the
various members of the body polite
history recounts that in this hour OF
dire need our fathers, laying aside
every thought of fame or fortune, tear
ing themselves from the passionate
embrace of wife and lover, and daShing
the tears from their eyes as they left
a farewell kiss upon the lips of some
of lis then cooling in our cradles, Shout
dered the musket and marched forth
upon weary trampS through snow and
sleet; to bivouac at night upon the icy
ground with only a few smouldering
fagots to give them light and warmth;
TO burn with fever in rude hospitals
far from the touch of loving hands;
to rot in southern prison pens; to bare
their breasts to shot and shell on
CORY fields of conflict; and some, alas,
to find a lonely unknown grave where
southern pines sang their only re-
QUEEN. A third of a century has elapsed
and the nation for which they gladly
sacrificed the dearest passions of their
life has been committed TO our trust.
How shall we deal with this priceless
heritage? Shall we permit the fires of
patriotism to burn low upon the altar
of our country? Shall we with slug
gish ease and criminal neglect SINK
back TO enjoy the rich comforts that
God may have showered upon some
of us as individuals, while lawleSSneSS
holds high carnival in the halls of JUS
tice and While the poor, the Ignorant,
and the unfortunate stretch lame hands
If so we are the unworthy sons of noble
sires; if not it behooves us to apply
ourselves with heart and hand and
brain to the task before US.
The problem which we have to face
is different from that which confronted
our fathers or our fathers fathers.
Once for all, probably, peace has
spread her white wings over our ma
ton. It is not likely that ever again
the screaming fife and rafting drum
will call to national conflict. Thus far,
thank God, the spirit of Christ pre-
walls. But duties no less arduouS de-
volve upon us-duties, too, that insure
that demand sacrifice, and
that sometimes even imperil life. The
great burden that descends upon the
shoulders of this generation is the re-
demption of our great cities from vice, /
crime and ignorance. Here the |
vicious, the erring, the ignorant and |
the Respondent congregate until they |
become great fostering masses of dis |
ease and corruption that threaten at |
last to prove fatal to the very exist |
ence of our government. We dare not |
give free rein to the lawless elements |
in our cities; we dare not disregard !
the cry Of our perishing brother who |
writhes at the bottom of our social |
fabric.
I have said enough to indicate what |
loyalty and unselfshness is demanded |
Of the good citizen in order to avert |
the dangers that threaten US; but it !
may be we'll to point out more explicit
" the difficulties that meet citizen
who is actuated solely by motives of
righteousness and patriotism. He will
ind that his refined, aesthetic and
moral nature Will shrink from close
contact with the vicious, the criminal
and the unfortunate. Gladly would he
stand aloof from all of this wretched-
hess, filth and dishonesty and fling his
gold TO the distressed or have it
ilched from him by the trickery of
he men he permits to be in office.
lie loathes the very name politics."
or he knows what dishonesty and cor
upton characterize it. Again, the
Christian citizen is at a tremendous
disadvantage because whatever time
n effort he gives to civic affairs is Civ
n at the sacrifice of his personal
business interests; whereas the pro-
eSsional politician is attending strictly
o business when he is lobbying or at
ending caucuses. primaries and mass
Meetings. Finally, the man who enters
politics from disinterested motives i'm
'erilS his business to a certain extent.
hough not so much as he imagines:
avs himself open to criticism from
he press and frequently suffers cal
mny and misrepresentation from
riend and foe alike. Thus it is evil
ent that only a true patriot cares to
Undertake the task of purifying nil
les, elevating civic ideals, and reach
ng down his hand to uplift his sinking
rother. {
HE CHRISTIAN CITIZEN MUST