The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-04-19
The Return to Nature.

Halufally ueSlreS to spread that thought wherever he can command attention. That, l presume, is the reason why our
 worthy brother, Christian Columbia
 has lately availed himself of the hospi-
 tality of the columns of two of our city newspapers. He has voiced an eternal
 truth which is written in sky and hill
 and dale, this happy spring-time, and
 bursts forth afresh in the song of the
 little birds, the roar of the rushing riv-
 CTS and In natures music everywhere.
 Work, for the love of the work for the
 love of developing all that is in you that
 God may be glorified, who set the
 streams of life running everywhere and
 attuned all things to natures law"
 Christian Columbia is hopeful and
 certain that there will be evolved from
 organization some system that will
 make possible the practice of the golden
 rule. Would that there were many
 more such as he! He says, in your is
 sue of to-day, April 17th, Tn order to
 hasten this happy day let us pay earnest
 attention to the development of charac-
 ter in individuals for it is this which
 determines the mechanism of civilized life! How many men and women fail to realize their individual responsibilities in social maladjustments, while com
 blaming bitterly of their effects!
 There are in our great republic to-day some few thousand men and women
 who stand between it and destruction. These are the ones who realize their in- dividual responsibilities, and know that
 governments are never better than the people who make them. These are then busying themselves not with trying to patch up system that is wholly wrong.
 but in educating the people so that they
 shall think clearly, and see what justice
 and right are in truth, knowing that
 when the people have grasped these
 ideas they will embody them in their
 individual acts, and incorporate them
 in their laws, so that eventually there
 will be resurrection of justice from the tomb where she now lies, this bind ing, grinding binding system of com petition and all that underlies it.
 Effects are produced by causes: these are the results of still anterior causes. Behind all being lies the great first cause, love. In all nature there is har- mony and beauty, which can be traced back to this great first cause. Man himself is the epitome of universal har mony, yet from his deeds have sprung the outrageous discords which aff1ict our life to-day. Whence comes the error?
 Is God at fault, who created us? Is man imperfect? Or has nature failed to provide for her children, that there is SO much misery in the world and each man fears some other, or many others. as if his interests were opposed to theirs? No. Nature has provided abundantly, and God has given us souls, self-conscious of their inherent divinity capable of expressing it in a myriad ways. Man himself must shoulder the responsibility of the dscord, for he has misused his inheritance, or left it un- used.
 o mighty sovereign people of Ameri- ca, you are nightly troubled in these days. about trusts, and competition, and corporations, and labor organizations, and political corruption, and multi | tude of other grievances Your bowling is piteous to hear. Why do not you, who have made these abominations, un- make them, and that quickly. Or if | yourselves are abjectly enslaved to pre- sent conditions, and have not strength | enough left in you to rise up and over | throw them. spend your latest breath in teaching your children to use the power they have, and make this world worth | living in. Let them not suffer, as ye | have done, because of the weakness of | ignorance, which is easily overthrown, easily subdued.
 It is not for lack of love, or virtue that men have brought things to their pres ent pass It is through ignorance. How many people of to-day, with all our boasted civilization and education, have in mind any clear idea of what jus tice, true government, social ethics, or the natural rights of man are? These, wherever you find them, are members of that same company whose Independent thought and speech, and action, stand between this nation and destruction. For so long as there exists not in the mind of the people an understanding of he social structure which should be, hey will continue to patch at the one TOW in vogue, becoming more and more ts slaves.
 The growth of community, which | ion necessary, is exactly like the growth of plant. and if we would judy natures lesson instead of the nusty old political companies which each other and themselves at very turn we should soon evolve from ur present mode of living to higher md nobler one. To the life principle of he plant. that hidden power which or- ,anizes the previously inorganic matter nto a structure of beauty and use, eve- y part of the plant pays tribute. Each ] cot and stem and leaf, once formed, at once to fulfil it's function, nd draws from the soil, the air, the ( unlight, sustenance for itself, and for ! he whole plant. There is no question : S to which part of the plant shall do | his or that, or so much. There is sim ( le, natural unfoldment and co-opera- | ion. What nourishment this little leaf raws from the air is partly used for it's wn growth and development, and part / sent in to the central power of the lant as natural payment for occupying :, part of the plant. and being a part of :, $ organization. What the leaf sends A. :, the plant is it's taxes and you will ' bserve that it is exactly equivalent to < le benefit it receives from the plant.
 The perfect organization of the plant, of the human body, of any organic ', ling in nature is the tyne of hlman A