The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-07-01

pl6U6 WlUQ NdludUlcS UuOuShoo' 1AS
propounded the question how public
enemies are to be treated, the bible
having taught us to love our personal
enemies, although this is not always
as practicable as it is theoretical.
Theoretically, a heroic person must
be ready to attack all evil, and there
must be no peace until all the enemies
of right and justice are dead. There
are few Of these persons 1t is humil-
iating to live in the midst of evils
which we make no effort to subdue,
but even the hottest of wars ought not
to be entered into without discretion.
If the tares are so mixed with the
wheat that one cannot be destroyed
without the destruction of the other
wisdom says to wait awhile. What
we want is the wheat. If the wheat
can grow to good harvest in spite Of
the tares, it is the part Of wisdom to
let them grow. As with farms, so
with governments.
We may not do even right act or
one that under other circumstances
would be positive duty. if the out
come is injurious to the general well
fare. am not required to hit every
knave that see, if in consequence l
and other honest people are TO have
our heads broken. There is nothing
worse than a we'll meaning man run
ming amuck morally. We must en-
dure much evil, because we cannot
do away with it without bringing on
others much trouble, which it would
be contrary to the general welfare to
do.
In the world one cannot but observe
the strong blending Of good and evil.
In this mixed condition Of human af-
fairs, none of us is qualified to pass
final judgment on our fellows, nor is
he required to do so. The right of
revolution is not unqualified. There
must be reasonable prospect of sue
cess. No nation should be plunged
into it without due consideration.
Conflicts are to be entered into lightly
only when great evils are to be re-
moved without entailing still greater
evils.
So with individuals, society and the
church. The entire history Of perse-
cution in the churches is q series of
attempts to root I'D supposed tares.
No half way measures, says the IA
natic. This is all nonsense and is IN
christianlike. There are many people
who like to see scoundrels attacked,
but few who are willing to join in the
attack, and for this reason most re-
forms fail. Bribery and corruption
are manifestly dangerous to the re-
public. The legislator who takes
brides betrays his constituents. Such
things go on in almost all Of the
states Of the union, and are wrong,
disreputable and destructive of the
best interests Of the country. but
what are you going to do about it?
The trouble with most reformers in
politics is that they are more intent
on pulling up the tares than on rails
ing wheat.
What lis the machine in politics?
Almost every state and city of any
size has one. 1t is composed of men
who make politics a business and
work together with energy and har-
mony, and sometimes does no harm.
1t wins where others fail, because
outsiders have no organization and
can therefore do little. The regular
army always beats the mob. Wed
nesday night at Minneapolis, more
than II 900 men went to the caucuses,
which shows what can be done when
both sides have an organization. A
machine is all right if properly used
and for proper purposes. The way to
beat bad machine is to fight it with
good one. If your idea of caucuses
is to go without previous fore
thought, it is mistake, for the
machine has thought of it and made
provision.
Be earnestly active for something
good and not merely against some
thing bad. 1t is albright to remove
temptation from the young by clos
ing the saloons and gambling dens, if
you can, but it is better to make it
possible to have young men who can
not be tempted. 1t is a poor harvest
if after the tares are pulled up there
is no wheat. The tares can only be de-
stroyed in the flame of awakened pub
lie conscience.
The time came not long ago for
Christian Europe to act, when the
Turks were massacreing the Armeni-
ans, but the concert of Europe, cold,
silent, jealous, stood by and allowed
| the Turks to cut the Threats of
Christian Greece. Then was the
time to strike blow to avenge the
wrongs of century, to uproot the
tares. But the concert of Europe re-
served it's strength for the easier task
of dismembering China.
1t has been reserved for Ameri-