The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-25

overcharges in order to create dividends.
1--WE are too poor" concluded the speak
er, 'in this city to build suitable building
for library. We set aside niggardly
amount for the purchase of books; we can
not erect public hall for public meetings;
there are a score of things needed by the
city which we cannot have because we have
not the money. And yet we can go on year
after year giving away valuable franchises.
farming out the peoples rights in the shape
of public utilities and putting the revenues
which ought to go, and might CO. into pub
| lie improvements and reduced taxation into
the pockets Of private monopolies. Per-
| haps some day we shall learn wisdom and
see that the principles of common business
sense apply equally to public and private
enterprises
Rev C. w. Wendte preached his faro
we'll sermon at the Church Of the Unity
yesterday morning,
| DR.. Wendte's choosing for his topic
r..-su Loyalty" He said:
| This virtue has a
two-fold aspect; first and most COM
mon is loyalty to persons; second.
and still more admirable, loyalty
to principles. Fidelity to the basis. fam
lily relation makes possible the develop.
ment of ali other forms of human associa-
ton. The more perfect adjustments of
the future will make infdelity as grave
transgression in man as it is now re-
| garded in a woman. Friendship is a beau
tiful form of loyalty. The enthusiasm OF
our people for its great captains and lead
ers, Washington. Lincoln. Grant. Dewey.
| Schley and Shafter, Is an ennoblinS form OF
/ loyalty. Loyalty to persons. however, has
its dangers. Too often our heroes and
saints begin by leading and end by en-
shaving us. Emerson assures us that the
English poets for 300 years past have done
little else than initiate Shakespeare. Wag-
ners admirers declare that he has spoken
the last word in music. So in religions
history much evil has been wrought by an
excessive and discriminating worship of
| persons Jesus foresaw this danger, and
provided against 1t. In the Fourth gos-
| pei he says: at is expedient that go
away, for else the Comforter. that is, the
Spirit of Truth, cannot come to you"
Jesus sought to raise his followers vision
from mere blind attachment to his person
to the worship of those divine principles
to promulgate which he came into tho
world. Men, even the best of men, will
sometimes disappoint US. Principles never.
! This is the higher loyalty which Jesus
displayed and his disciples should EMU
late"
more loyalty to the Unitarian faith and
fellowship.
The sermon of Mr. Bliss yesterday after
noon on the Descent Into He'll was a
vigorous prot t
Union Reform against the doctrine
| League Meets OF eternal punish
ment He declared
that he would sooner be an Atheist or Ag-
nostic than believe so heinous al doctrine.
He quoted Canon Farrar and Heber New
ton as showing that 1t was no necessary
part of Episcopalian belief or doctrine. sHe
| contended that true religion was the evo-
luton from hell into heaven.
At the league meeting j. r. Van Rensse-
laer read an able and scholarly paper on
What is Socialism," w. H. Knight
read the report of the executive committee,
| recommending to the league the following
measures for adoption in the proposed new
city charter. a. Direct legislation. e.
Adoption Of civil service rules in municipal
affairs, excepting heads of departments.
| e. A provision In the charter looking to
gradual public ownership of municipal
utilities. a. Payment of salaries to men,
bers of the board of education. Action Oh
the same deferred until next meeting.
Mr.. Bliss read an original compilation of
facts regarding public ownership, both in
| bnx mt
versal success attending public ownership,
both in decreased cost of service, improve
ment In the pay of employees, and freedom
| from corruption through removing public
franchises from private operation.
| David Walk, in the Church Of Christ,
gave as his subject Contrasts and Contra
| dictions in the Life
"A Ureat of Great Man." Be-
Mans Life tween the Elijah Of
Carmel and the Eli
jah OF the desert there is a strik-
ing and most dramatic contest; be-
tween the heroic soul, Drawing the hate
| of mad king, demoniacal queen and the
four hundred prophets Of Baal, and the
weary, detected, worn-out man, lying un-
der shrub in the lonely desert praying for
death, there is the width Of celestial
diameter. Like many another great soul,
he thought his life and mission a failure.
whereas 1t was replete with victory. He
thought his work was done, whereas he
had still one of the greatest missions of
his career to fulfill He thought he
wrought in solitude and loneliness, where
as God and seven thousand steadfast souls
xvara with hin, In his conflicts 1.-THE i0lr-