The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-06-18
''THE MISSION OF FREEDOM
is NOT TO OPPRESS.'

THE Use and Abuse of Christian Liberty
was the subject of the sermon of he Rev
erend Samuel E. Ewing at Taylor avenue
Baptist Church yesterday morning. The
sermon dealt particularly with the conci-
lions incident to and connected with the
street railway strike, and was listeled to
attentively by a large congregation which
comprised a great many strikers and their
families. 1t was an argument for less self
ishness and greater respect for The rights
of others on both sides Of the great tight
between labor and capital
Mr.. Ewing's text was Galatians v. 13-15.
The apostle gives an exhortation to bis
people to maintain the freedom that las
been brought TO them through Faith in Je-
sus Christ; but, while he exhorts them to
use IL, he also urges them against the abuse
of IL. A Christian Is saved by grace, and
is therefore raised above laws and ordi-
nances. The rites of the church-She COM
munion and other celebrations are not his
masters; they are rather his servlnts. and
it is well to keep this fact In mind. We
not abuse them. The Christian Is lot only
raised above laws and ordinances. but he
should also be raised above base passions
He should hold every desire and every ar
tipathy In control: he should allow mono Of
his feelings to reach an abnormal stage.
Political and religious liberty are good.
Is ours to hold truth In perfect balance
not to use freedom for the satisfaction Of
the base desires of the flesh. Freedom.
as well as propel. 1t will teach Us and lead
US not only to practice freedom for our
selves. but to be willing to accord equal
this kind of freedom Is really free: the
man who allows his freedom to become IL
cense for the practice of evil is a worse
slave than were the Hebrews In Egypt. and
worse thsn were the negroes In the South
prior to the Civil War.
THE chief mission of freedom is not to
no. N e. htrtlI ~ and
one should not only be free himself. Blu he
should want and help others to be free;
he should desire prosperity not only for
neighbor to be as happy as himself:
the same rights and PRIVILEGES that
golden rule of doing unto others as he
would be done by. If yon desire to XIII
yourself. there Is no more certain way than
to kill your neighbor; If you want to in1ure
yourself. there is no more certain way than
by iniuring your neighbor:
For the past SIX weeks this city has
been witnessing the results of carnal free
dom. / d. not wish to misjudge the con-
ditions. i am free to state thai i am not
entirely familiar with all the details. But
] can see the results. and / can form an
opinion. which. In common with all others
I have the right to express The city and
State officials made these cond,tions pos
consolidation of the various street car lines
into what is known as the ST Louis Tran
sit Company. Iney are 10 Dadlhe dSdNu ioT
having allowed lawlessness to obtain q
hold. The result has been murder. the de.
struction of property the prostratlon OF
business, the Inconvenience and actual dis
tress of a great many thousands OF people,
and the importation into 81. Louis or a
large number of persons who are not de-
sirable citizens. The whole city has been
brought into ~disrepute. Who Is 70 blame!
There IS little sympathy. for the transit
company; there are few who are In full &C
cord with the union: there are none VINO
approve the oufrages that have been COM
mitted. The mistake started IN allowing
the consolidation of the lines into. the
transit company. What makes corpora
tons. and also unions. dangerous Is tnat
the sentiments that move them are oase9
on one-sided selfishness. When labor and
capital fight each other. 1t is fighting hre
with fire.
There is wrong on both sides OF the pres
emf controversy. The purpose OF the tran
sit company Is to break the union; the pur-
nose Of the union is to break the transit
Company. and punish all who are associated
Shedding innocent blood. The company has
been obstinate and unyielding, IT has even
ridiculed efforts at arbftraflon- IL has
treated the men who had poured out their
hearts blood in its service as though they
were machines, to be used until they. were
worn out. and then thrown aside as use
less. The union has been totally inconsid-
should run, and II attempted to prevent the
running Of them in a way that resulted in
bloodshed. Much that Is charged to the
union Il the work Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
sible. lavless persons. It Is to the unions
discredit that this element has been found
on its side.