The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-10-06

maxwell was Silent, ana che preSl-
dent went IN:
"Your sermon today made clear to
what l have long been feeling I
ought to do. What would Jesus do in
my placer l have asked the question
repeatedly since 1 made my promise. I
have tried to satisfy myself that he
would simply go on, as 1 have done, at
tending to the duties of my college,
teaching the classes in ethics and phi
losophy. But l have not been able to
avoid the feeling that he would do
something more. That something is
what l do not want to do. 1t will cause
me genuine suffering to do it. dread
it with all my soul. You may be able
to guess what it is"
eyes; l think I know" Henry Max
well replied. cit is my cross too.
would almost rather do anything else"
Donald Marsh looked surprised, then
relieved. Then he spoke sadly, but
with great conviction:
maxwell, you and / belong to a
class Of professional men who have al
ways avoided the duties of citizenship.
We have lived in a little world of schol-
arly seclusion, doing work we have en-
joyed and shrinking from the disagree
able duties that belong to the life Of
the citizen. l confess with shame that
l have purposely avoided the response
bility that | w to this city personally.
| understand that our city officials are
a corrupt, unprincipled set of men,
controlled in large part by the whisky
element. and thoroughly selfish, so far
as the affairs of city government are.
concerned. Yet all these years |, with
nearly every teacher in the college, have
been satisfied to let other men run the
municipality and have lived in a little
world of my own, out of touch and
sympathy with the real world Of the
people. what would Jesus do2' I have
tried even to avoid an honest answer.
l can no longer do so. My plain duty is
to take a personal part in this coming
election, go to the primaries, throw the
weight Of my influence, whatever it is,
toward the nomination and election Of
good men and plunge into the very
depths of this entire horrible whirlpool
of deceit, bribery, political trickery and
saloonism as it exists in Raymond to-
day. l would sooner walk up to the
mouth of a cannon any time than do
this. Idread it because l hate the touch
of the whole matter.
81 would give almost anything to be
able to say, 4 do not believe Jesus
would do anything Of the sort, but I
am more ana more persuaded that he
would. This is where the suffering
comes to me. 1t would not hurt me
half SO much to lose my position or my
home. I loathe the contact with this
municipal problem. l would much pre-
fer to remain quietly in my scholastic
life with my classes in ethics and phi
losophy, but the call has come SO plain.
ly that l cannot escape: Donald Marsh,
follow me. Do your duty as a citizen of
Raymond at the point where your citi-
zenship will cost you something. Help
to cleanse this great municipal stable.
W. if you do have to soil your aris-
t%ocratic feelings a little. Maxwell, this
issmy cross. I must take it up or deny
my Lord"
"You have spoken for me Also" re-
piled Maxwell, with a sad smile. "Why
should l, simply because 1 am a clergy
man, shelter myself behind my refined.
sensitive feelings and, like a coward,
refuse to touch. except in a sermon pos
sibly, the duty of citizenship? l am I'M
used to the ways Of the political life of
the city. l have never taken an active
part in any nomination Of good men.
There are hundreds of ministers like
me AS a class we do not practice in
the municipal life the duties and privi-
leges we preach from the pulpit. What
would Jesus do2 l am now at a point
where, like you. l am driven to answer
the question n way. My duty is plain.
I must suffer. All my parish work, all
my little trials OF self sacrifices, are as
nothing to me compared with the break
ing into my scholarly, intellectual. self
contained habits of this open. coarse,
public fight for a clean city life. 1
could go and live at the Rectangle the
rest of my days and work in the slums
for a bare living, and l could enjoy it
more than the thought of plunging into
a fight for the reform of this whisky
ridden city. 1t would cost me less. But,
like you, l have been unable to shake
off my responsibility. The answer to
the question. What would Jesus dor.
in this case leaves me no peace, except
when say, Jesus would have me act
the part of a Christian citizen Marsh,
as you say, we professional men, min
listers. professors, artists, literary men,
scholars, have almost invariably been
political towards. We have avoided the
sacred duties of citizenship either ig-
norantly or selfishly. Certainly Jesus
in our age would not do that. We can
do no less than take up this cross and
follow him."
These two men walked on in silence
for awhile. Finally President Marsh
said:
1--WE do not need to act alone in this
matter. With all the men who have
made the promise, we certainly can
have companionship and strength even
of numbers. Let us organize the Chris
fian forcas IF Rov,nopd por +l,o L,%41o