Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-22
STANDARDS OF MORALS.
DIR. franklin Delivers the Third I'm
His acries Of IerInrca.

His SERIES OF Lectures.
The third OF series OF discourses upor
| tho iniquitcs which are geueral in moderr
! society and the undeveloped and incon
| sigtent standards of monls which prevail
| among intelligent people, was given by DR.
Leo NJ. Franklin In Temple Israel last uight
The theme considered was the composition
of the True Aristocrat" and dealt with the
ur rworthy ambitions and low Ideals so often
adopted In the search for success In life
He advocated the attainment of character
as the badge of true aristocracy and held
that 1t was better than money, fame or
learning.
In Introducing what was perhaps more es-
pecially a subject in political economy DR..
Franklin showed that It had its moral
aspect as we'll. Humanity is a great or
ganism," he said. whereof no part is in
dependent OF the rest, So closely inter-
twined are all interests bearing on human
life that every expression of 1t is but the
reflection of some other. The moralist,
philosopher and statesman therefore often
find their paths lying side by side, and what
may at first seem the subject of an econo-
mist may prove equally that of a moralist.
So under present conditions the True Aris-
tocrat' has become more in the realm of
morals than of politics.
"In the progress of the idea of self
government as opposed to absolutism and
a
of political aristocracy. The rule of the few
over the many. whether they have gained
their ascendency by right of conquest or
priority of settlement. has passed away in
politics. The fires which set America aglow
in 1776 and lighted France in 1889 have
equaliZed political conditions Although the
governmental regime has been democratic
through these years in America there has
sprung up a social aristocraCy which has
become the anxiety of moralsts and econ
omists and this is the aristocracy of wealth.
The complaint against this condition which
Is agtating so many minds may not be,
however, entirely justified. Many of those
in the middle or lower classes, indeed. who
are raising the greatest cry against the
tyranny of wealth are just as harsh to those
in the strata below them. As long as the
world lasts there will be the same unequal
division of property and If the wealth of the
world were rearranged in any ratio it could
not permanently eliminate these distinctions
inherent in the very nature of mankind.
Where wealth means the honest gain of
honest toll, where it stands for the ingather-
ing of seed well sown, it becomes an honor
and not u reproach. But too often it means
the blood of unclaimed slaves and the tears
OF broken spirits. Too often it is boarded
in sweat shops where eyes have been COM
polled to yield their sight and hearts their
hopes to sustain this golden arstocracy.
Children have been exposed to nakedness
womanhUod to furnish sustenance for this
second feudalism. The product of it all
often proves a ticket of admission to the
modern aristocracy. Hollow is the head and
empty the heart that recognizes such an
aristocracy and he who bends his knee to it
is himself untrue, unmanly and insincere.
r'Where, then, shall we seek for the true
aristocracy? 1t is not that of wealth, nor
even learning, for learning may go hand in
hand with trickery, kEavery and every vice
Wo will not find it in intrinsic things and
the present age must attain to truer
worth itself and be willing to search for
the token of an aristocrat in beggar as well
as in prince before it is generally found
For the only aristocracy before which manly
men will bow in reverence will be that of
character. The true aristoCrat will be he
whose heart is right and the only measure
of his value will be character. The truth Of
this will impres1 Itself upon mems con-
sciences as they grow morally and come to
base their judgments upon that which is
Inherent rather than intrinsic For the
outer things pass away and men must come
to point with true pride to honest hearts
willing hands and good characters rather
than to earthly gain"
A meeting of the women's council of the
tabernacle was announced for next Monday
afternoon. The further discussion of social
and moral questions will be continued next
Friday night under the subject of when
May the Church Say, God Save Me from
Nv FriendS2' -