The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-02-19
GOOD CITIZENSHIP.
The Young Peoples
Christian Union
Hear Address on This Subject at
Church Of Messiah.
Prof. Perry's Views on
This Matter.
Aid. Moulton Describes Law
without Public Sentiment.

The Cumberland Association OF the
Young Peoples Christian Union held
good citizens meeting at the Churcn OF
the Messiah last evening. The attendance
owing to the storm was very smell. Prot'
Perry and Alderman Augustus +. Moul-
ton were the speakers of the evening.
Among other things Prof. Perry CON
sidsred the question Of what Christ
would do were be an American citizen.
He said that be felt certain that Christ
would be an advocate Of prohibition,
women's suffrage. civil service reform
and wolld advocate the rights oil the
Jaboring man. He would be as ready to
Int his voice In support OF every reform,
to protsct the weak and down trodden.
He would make no exception whether the
man was rich or poor, white. black,
yellow. red or brown. He would be
earnest and energetic in every REFORM
He would not be one who would deplore
evils and wish that SO nething might be
done and still do nothing. He would be
q leader OF reforms, the commanderin-
chief Of the forces / know the attitude
which 1 think Christ would assume In
Cuba, In the philippines. l can't con-
eeive Of Jesus holding office. can't
conceive Of Jesus being an Office seeker
nut II the office had small ralary and
sought him and the work was hard
believe Jesus would take 1t.
don't believe Jesus would accept an
Office in the Custom House where tho
salary is large and there is nothing to do
but sit. about. II Jesus took an office
1 don't believe he would run 1t in favor
OF his family or Of his party but would
administer Its affairs for the good Of all
II Jesus were hsrs i believe that He would
see that unless some things are ended the
days of the republic are nearing the end
and | believe He would do something
The speaker then went on to say that
many people might feel shocked because
he had thus attempted to tell what he
believed Jesus would do II he were an
American Citizen but that he was regard
ing Jesus as the man, not as the son OF
God. He thought 1t were better for HUI
mauity to regard Jesus as a man and OF
the earth, earthly, than as the spirit In
Heaven sitting at the right hand OF God
and the only difference between BIN and
God being that Code throne was little
bit higher aud above that occupied by
Jesus.
The next speaker was Augustus Il.
Moulton whoss address on what corsti-
tuted good citizenship was scholarly and
eloquent. The substance Of his address
was that In order to reform the state 1t
Is necessary to reform the individual. II
the morality OF the individuals compos-
ing the state is at "a low ebb the morality
of the state Is low also. He illustrated
this by pointing out the fate of the French
republic inter the revolution where the
ideal OF the state was high but the people
were so immoral, corrupt and ignorant
that the republic came TO an end and
the state fell into q worse state than 1t
was before.
.'You can't reform nations by law"
said MIR. Moulton. ''Whsn you have
enacted statuts you lave not grated
that prinoipls In the minds OF men
Nothing can be accomplished unless the
public sentiment Is bshind the law.
Nothing 10 the world is SO helpless as is
law Wnlcn mas uob puDiio soneihene
behind it," Mr.. Moulton compared such
a law to an engine Of the most powerful
aad finest construction stalled In the
snow with the fires extinguished. with q
sword without the arm to WELD 1t. He
argued that the best cltizensftp WAS to
give up to high standards personally aua
to aid In the education OF others to Just
as high standard.