The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-19


Urges the Churches to Act for
Reform In the Matter of Public
Morals and to Promote the Fight
Against Governmental EviIs-AIso
Spoke at Assembly Hall.
DR.. d. w. P. Bliss, Of Chicago, presi-
dent Of the Social Reform union. made
two addresses yesterday in St. Paul. The
presentation at Christ church. in the
morning was an eloquent appeal to
church people to arouse to social action.
1t was well received by the large congre
cation gathered to hear him. He took Dc
his text Matt. xviii, 49,: go We there
fore and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost" He said in brief:
The nineteenth century has been CEN
fury Of Christian missions. but before the
twentieth century new problems arise.
1t is not enough to go into the heart of
Africa and the islands of the sea. We
must get into the heart of Wall street
and into congress and precinct caucus.
Not only the African. but the politician
must obey Christ, and the golden rule
must become the only rule for gold. In
America this is difficult. We have d.
vorced church and state and this is well;
but We have also divorced GOO and poll
tics and this Is not we'll We have drawn
a circle around the ballot box and said
that in that circle God has no place. We
have written over the caucus: "Give up all
riligion, all We that enter here" We have
given politics over to the devil, and poll
tics and politicians have eagerly gone to
ruin. We have in politics renowned God
and in His place elected a Mark Hanna
or Tammany boss. THIS must be
changed. We have no right to be Re-
publicans or Democrats, or Populists, or
aught else unless we can go with Christ
to our caucus and with our conscience to
the ballot Jesus Christ must rule in st.
Paul politics and the republic of the
United States must become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ
There is need enough of this In national
politics. ss,.,f..f-
OF the United States congress, Mr..
Bryce, in his american Common
wealth." though trying to minimize the
gravity OF the situation, has to admit
that all legislation affecting corporations
and manufacturers lis systematically
managed, or at least Influenced by cor
ruption; that about 5 per cent Of both
houses of congress take direct money
brides; that from IT to 20 per cent airs
pretty certainly open to corruption. and
much larger number suspected to be
dishonest. =
Twenty-eight years ago Charles Francis
Adams wrote:
Public corruption is the foundation on
which corporations always depend for
their political power 80 = tits a new
power for which our language contains
no name. We know what aristocracy,
autocracy. democracy are, but we have
no. word for. government by moneyed cor
pcrations The influence of cor
porations and of class interests is stead
lily destroying that belief In singleness CT
purpose which alone enables a repre-
sentative government to exist"
Today that moment has come. Today
we have no longer Lincoln's government
of the people We have government of
money, for money, by money, govern
ment of the railroads. for the railroads.
by the railroads.
In municipal politics it is worse. Says
Andrew D. White:
Without the slightest exaggeration,
we may assert that, with very few excep-
lions. the city governments Of the United
States are the worst In Christendom, the
most expensive, the most inefficient and
the most corrupt. No one who has any
considerable knowledge of Our own coun-
try and Of other countries can deny this
1.-THE city halls of these larger towns
are the acknowledged acenters of the
vilest corruption. They are absolutely
demoralizing, not merely to those who
live under their sway, but to the country
at large. Such cities, like the decaying
spots on ripe-fr tend to corrupt the
whole body polite.
What is the cause of this? 1t Is not
in the private character of our people. If
this be the cause and If our cities are
worse than European cities, then our peo-
pie must be worse than the peoples of
Europe. Now this is simply not the fact
There is probably not much difference be-
tween the general moral tone of Western
Europe and of the United States. We are
largely the same people, with the same
languages, the same, religions, the same
inheritance. 1t cannot be seriously
argued that Englishmen in London are
sanity and in New York sinful, that
Germans in Berlin are honest and in Chi
cago dishonest, that Frenchmen in Paris
are pure and in ST. Louis impure. Yet II
there is little difference In the average
individual morality Of Europe and
America, that cannot be the cause Of the
very great difference in the political tone.
Therefore the cure for our political Ills
cannot solely lie in always crying "bet-
ter men, better men," and In refusing to
look at these structural causes and that
environment which modern science Is
teaching us so largely affect the evou-
ton of character,
The cure lies in exalting and moralizing
government in letting 1t do the great
things, In letting 1t run the railroads.
operate the telegraph, in letting the cities
own and supply gas, water, local transit.
This will attract to it stronger men and
good men can thus be in politics. We
must also, like Lincoln and Jefferson.
trust the plain people. By direct legfsla-
ton let the people decide laws and have
the ultimate veto. Then congressman can
not vote money and city councils can
not sell franchises. We must let the peo-.
pie vote. We must have true brother
hood, the democracy of God. The church
must act. Christians must be In politics.
The times are critical; a crisis Is at hand
Twenty men today" said a great rail-
way magnate, could stop every wheel
Of Industry In the United States" Is this
American? Is 1t democratic? 1t 1t Chris
tian?
AT ASSEMBLY HALL.
Every seat was occupied in the after
noon at Assembly hall when Mr.. Bliss
mounted the platform. His address, on