The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-15

least once a Sunday. don't trouble
anyone else, and l don't want anyone
to trouble me. Every man for himself,
say Thank the Lord I'm sure of heav-
en-. Pity the poor people who are out
side the fold
Surely this is an exaggeration. you
say. But 1 ask you with all blood ear
nestness, if 1T is an exaggeration to say
that there are hundreds of respectable
men and women in as good a city as
ours who wash their hands of all re-
spOnsibility for the welfare of the city,
who are the first to criticiSe any good
movement, who, if not hinderers, are at
least drones, when it comes to doing
anything to save the other man in the
wreck.
THE great law of common humanity
is the law of mutual interests. The BIZ
Bile says: No man liveth unto himself
In most solemn and astonishing sense
every life on the globe is affected in one
way or another by every other life
There is not a good thing in this city
that does not in some way touch you
to make life somewhere a better thing
for you. And there is not vile thing
or bad thing here that does not in some
way make its addition to the sum total
of your burden bearing. AS a citizen, we
share the privileges and responsibilities
of the city. We have a share in max
ing it either better or worse. We are
either workers, or drones or hinderers.
Every man in this town is one or the
other. And it makes all the difference
in the world whether this town is full
right kind of a Sunday or not; whether
souls are being saved or not.
Let us take as an illustration Tennessee
town. choose this because it is a fair
illustration of the principle we are discus
sing applied to any town or community.
Here is a section of the city containing
between seven hundred and eight hun
dred souls. They are crowded into little
houses for the most part, living in n con-
dition OF great need, both physical and
moral
that the colored people furnish large part
of the lawless, disturbing element of the
city. l am met every hand by long
stories of dishonesty, incapacity and gem
eral worthleSSneSS of the negro men ana
women as laborer whether as help in the
hOuSeWork or in the yard.
L have been repeatedly met with the
statement that every coIored person is
dishonest; L do not believe it, of course:
that not one of them can be trusted, and
the statement is followed up by personal
experiences on the part of the housekeep
ers and business men. The courts know
very well how often the negro boys and
young men appear there on some charge
of disturbing the peace or breaking soma
law. Every citizen of Topeka is aware
ents large factor in the city that needs
to be saved in the fullest sense of that
word; saved. body and soul and mind.
And yet strangely enough, great many
of the christian people who are the first
are not willing to do anything to help
save him. 1t is as if they argued this
way: THE negro is dishonest, shiftless,
unreliable, incapable, inclined to vicious
habits and often a menace to the peace
and safety or the city; therefore let US
BILE. Let leave him alone to continue
to grow up in the same habits, and con-
ance and danger to US ALL
What shall we say of this kind of ar
gument? Is it not the same as saying:
Il am not my brothers keeper? 1t is
none of my business whether these peo-
pie are saved or not? 1t is the same cur
ious position a man might take about his
neighbours poisoned we'll: Let him drink
out of it if he wants to; it is none of my
business"
But on the other hand suppose we take
pie that God took of us when he sent his
son into the world to save sinners. The
world is full of Just such people as those
We complain about so much. They were
disagreeable, dishonest. incapable. lawless
and dangerous. All sorts of colors and
plenty of vileness of a. kind and variety
such as We know nothing about in our
age
How would Christ deal with Tennessee
town? We know one thing very well as
try to save it. He would try to make the
people better. He would seek after ways
to make them better. He would look upon
every SOUL the worst, the most hopeless.
the most careless, the most Indifferent, as
great need. physical and moral, would be
the moving impulse with him to try to
supply that need.
What could Topeka do with Tennessee
| town? There is money enough and intel
| ligence enough and christianity enough
in this city to save Tennesseetown or any
| other similar spot in the city. If the
| christian people of Topeka, the business
| men, the citizens who have power and
| ing in the spirit of adventure which mark
| ed the coming of Jesus into a sinful world
| TenneSSeetown could be redeemed.
| How about Smoky Row? Who is re-
| sponsibe for Smoky Row? Taking it as
| type of any slum disreputable quar-
| ter of any city. is it your business mine
to try to do anything in such caSe2 Are
| the owners of the property the principal
| offenders? 1 believe they are. But if they
| continue to rent the property for evil
| uses, are we justified if go way
and say nothing or do nothing? Am
| my brothers keeper Is it any of my
| business that such places continue? Is
it necessary to our life a city that we
| should endure such a source of vice and
{ crime? Is it one of the things that will
j continue somehow. no matter what the
| citizens may do? Is it to be accepted as
| diSagrceable things? L wish we citizens
! might think over this matter thought
fully. With it put the question: How
! about the Joints? Who is responsible
The governor? The police Commissioners
| The owners of the property where the
| joints are? The newspapers because they
can't do more? The ministers because
| they don't want to do anything? The
| churches because they are too busy with
| their financial and missionary affairs tC
| give it any attention? The business mer
| Who is responsible? Suppose the persons
| who according to law are responsible re
fuse to act, then what shall We do? Go oUl
way and say nothing and do nothing he.
cause it is so disa greeable to have any.
| thing to do with this liquor and ganabiirlz
business? But is 1t not a case of IAN
| ourselves of all responsibility because
other people fail to do as they have sworr
before God to do?
w. H. Leib at Library Hall, Wednes
daV evening. March II 1897