The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-02


vigor held sway without, he toyed with
his watch hesitatingly for some moments.
then said, II am enjoying this visit
greatly. 1t is not often have the priv
ilege. guess I'll skip this once" and he
resigned himself in his happiest manner
to the enjoyment of the hour. We felt
that it was arare opportunity, and while
entering heartilysinto the spirit of the
visit, we watched narrowly the manner
and weighed critically the matter of his
speech. We were particularly struck
with the ease spd winsomenees of his
ways. with the vitality of his thought,
with his keen determinations with his
readiness of memory, with the felicity of
his phrases, and with the lively interest
he showed in every vital question.
One of the subjects that particular
ly engrossed DIR. Miners interest was the
simplification of the process and the re-
duction of the cost o. availing ones self of
the protection or the redress afforded
by the laws. He showed by detailed in
stances that the benefits intended to be
given by various enactments cannot be
secured by poor persons, and especially
by poor women, on account of the "in-
tricacy Of the plot" and of the cost He
had initiated several reforms which had
become law. and he was actively in pur-
suit of others. In the remarks he made
on this general subject that afternoon
DIR. Miner revealed the egenuineness and
the practical character of his philan-
thropy. He presented the unusual and
stimulating spectacle of man, long af-
ter the period when most men relinquish
their efforts for the general welfare, still
in public custom the principles of love
and righteousness which he had always
preached.
An instructive side-light is thrown
on the causes of popular discomfort by
the Rev. L. G. Powers. Commissioners of
Labor for the State of Minnesota, who
writes in the Independent on Popular
Distrust of the Money Power" The rap
i'd and unprecedented concentration of
wealth in the hands of few in the
period between 1860 and 1874; the fact
that great corporate wealth in the newer
sections of the country does not pay its
share of the public taxes; and the facts
that the courts use laws enacted for the
protection of the people. like the Inter
State Commerce Act and the Anti Trust
Law, to restrict the acts of labor organi-
cations but not 10 curtaif the oppressive
measures of corporations. are according
to Mr.. Powers. chief sources of popular
dissatisfaction and unrest. He has made
studies of the subject under exceptional
opportunities for arriving at just conclu-
sions; and as he is conservative think
er and careful writer. his judgments
on such matters have unusual weight.
The Christian Register would
amend Ian Maclaren's creed in the
clause. II believe in the words of Jesus"
by substituting spirit" for words"
what he MEANS" Why not believe in
the words of Jesus? If we had not his
words we could not know that we have
his spirit, for the words "are spirit and
life." Much is said about the spirit of
Jesus by all classes of his followers, be.
cause, we suppose, the reality is felt to
be something higher and deeper than
anything that can be adequately ex.
pressed. But the spirit of any his
toric character is discussed and felt
through what he did and said. or,
more remotely. through what others
said of him. 1t seems self f-evident,
therefore. that if we could not "believe
in the words of Jesus" we should lack
the grounds Of belief in his spirit. Nor
is there any need of distinguishing be-
tween his words and his spirit. The
spirit is in the words; the words disclose
the spirit.
Our congratulations to two of our
generals. General John G. Graves. of
Buffalo, read at Syracuse paper on the
management of municipalities, which
had the note of personal knowledge. and
took high and sound and Christian
ground, as we believe. in regard to sew
eral current sociological. educational and
municipal problems. We traced in that
paper the influence of heredity. Judge
Graves, of Herkimer, being dead, yet
spake again in the accents Of his son.
General Olney Arnold, of Pawtucket,
read paper recently before the Univer-
salist Club. of Boston. on the money
question. For concise. lucid and trust
worthy primer on a subject simple in
itself but complicated and befogged in
the minds of many, we can cordially rec
ommend the exposition of the veteran
Rhode Island banker.
CANTON THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL.