New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-15
DIR. ADLERS LECTURE.
AMERICANA. he SAYS, NEED HoLIER coNcEp-
TON OF THE STATE

AMERICANA he SAYS. NEED Ho1IER coNcEp
TON OF THE STATE
DR.. Felix Adler tho leader OF the Society for Ethi
~, c,,,ur. Yesterday iectured in Carnegie Hall
Ina subject. What Has Religion Done for Civil!za-
tion?''
Religion has achieved It's greatest results" he
said 'in the realm OF the ideal, and II IL because
tha. idea! has such powerful influence in EhapinH
human events that religion has been such factor
in determining civilization. The deast spirit, has
governed the course OF human events"
II, said religion Played It's part In the establish
rent Of the hrgt empire. and that In his opinion Z
resulted from the belief In one Supreme God OF
al god. He called attention to the fact that kings
ruled by divine right, In tho eyes o. tho common
n.ool, they govern Some OF the mcst upright and
Intelligent he said. had supported the theory that
kings rule By divine right. because tho KING Is sup
posed to be sacred, because tho idea OF State Is
,unposed 10 b. sacred and tho king the State
representing an incarnate spirit, so 10 speak
The State is sacred, Eo declared. because l:
stands. above all, FOR the welfare Of tho common
wealth and no. for the welfare Of one Individual
or class The STATE will continue 10 exist after the
millions Of people In It have passed away going on
as the holy guardian OF the millions yet unborn,
Dr.. Adler said.
Then. referring to the recent election, the
sneaker said that il had come to such pass that
reverence for State had been lost The result OF
tho election he said. had been a singing bow TO
many. 1t had been said that the result Of the
election was brought about by the ignorant peo-
ple and that the blame should be attached to
them This mistake. he added. He main
tained that II WIS not the ignorant classes who
brought about Tamn.anys Victory and said that II
was the greatest folly for the educated classes 10
tax about beginning campaign Of education
among the illiterate when then own ideas Of
State are not great enough, as they cannot com
mand the following OF the masses.
COrruption found rarer he asserted, among
the Ignorant class ;han among the mentally intel
.lgent who not morally intelligent. lie de-
nounced the practice Of vote buying and the selfish
interests Of mel who sought their own ends be-
fore tho interests Of the State. He said there
should be holier feeling about the State-that 1t
exists for the commonwcai.
A small band OF earnest men. h. said could ac-
complish great deal and there was nothing men
needed 80 much in America as a earnest
realization OF thai holy thing they called the com
monwealth hmericans disease. he held. was their
lack Of reverence for State. II cast my eyes over
tho world to-day" he added earnestly "and find
the same condition Of affairs existing in every de-
mocracy."
He said the peop'e were steering to the brink of
Niagara. that threatened TO enguf them unless
the course changed. Rejuvenating thoughts
Of ideal influence should be Injected into the lives
OF the people that they coud DO carried past The
peris Of the present into tho safe harbor OF n
brighter future.