The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-13
CURRENT COMMENT.
A oCHRIsTIAN" DAILY NEwsPA-
PER.
(From the Christian Work.

(from the Christian work.
Charles NJ. Sheldon, author of "Ip
His Steps" proposed 'sthe raising of
81, 000, 600 for the immediate establish
ment Of q Christian daily newspaper. %
We have an idea that sum can be better
employed than by sinking IL In establish
ing daily religious newspaper. Such
q paper would be of no use. and would
be failure In advance, that catered only
to Christian readers. There Is. although
Mr.. Sheldon may not think it, q bit of
Christian seliishness In this proposition.
IL Ia much better that our daiiies should
be edited by Christian men, and made
clean and sweet. yet nswsy, bright and
able, ana SO appeal TO the best motives
of all people, than IL should be attempted
to supply paper exclusively and specf-
ilca}ly Christian. We have an idea that
all that Is needed Is the hest utilizing
of the forces we have-the church, the
home, the SUNDAY school. Put the Chris
tian life into thess. as 1t should be put.
md the dailles Will bs all right. Any
way, We would rather see million raised
for putting Christianity into the home
than for starting dstfy Christian PAL er,
with It's inevitable conflicts in the politi-
cal field; no, we don't need that.
A RELIGIOUS JOURNALS OPINION
tFrom the Chicago Advance. Congrega-
tionalist.)
The proposition to organizes an anti
imperial political party may not take n
very serious hold upon the country. But
1t may as we'll BIS admitted that the Phil
ippiEe question is causing trouble of
heart to many Rond people. It Ia clear
that some of the reasons urged for the
subjugation of the Filipinos do not COM
mend themselves to the righteous senti-
ment Of the country. The argument that
the possession of the islands is necessary
to the expansion of our commerce In the
East 10 one of them. A war of conquest
for the sake OF trade Ia not a justihab.a
war, and every body In America knows It.
Killing Filipinos in order to make a
market for our manufacturers or to open
q gate to China Is not a business which
will go down in q land dlied with
churches ana teeming and beaming with
benevolent Institutions and philanthro-
pies.
And no better is the argument that tt Q
war is necessary to Americas new role as
a world power. In legitimate way we
would all like to see America a world
power, but not on the basis of the con-
quests of pagan Rome. We have reached
| too high a moral plane to drop back to
the level Of the world before Christianity
came. We must have some other reasons
for swallowing up the weak than just
to expand the rule. Make much of this
idea that we are TO overrun the world
and we will soon be reaching out for Mex.
leo and South America.
Bad as both of these Arguments are,
they are at the bottom of the majority OF
the speeches and articles in defense of this
Philippine business. The fact that they
do not satisfy the conscience of the ooun.
try Ia the GAUSS Of much of the growing
restlessness and Dissatisfaction regarding
the matter.
That the situation 10 difficult one
must be admitted, but inasmuoh as 1t
is not satisfactory to the country frcm a
moral point of view or to the army from
a military point of view, 1t ought to be
found possible speedily to Improve It.