The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-02-19
THE MASTER CHRISTIAN
"A CRITICISM OF
Like "Quo Vadis," 1t is Writ
tento Make Money out Of
the Public.

Who reads "The Master Christian
wastes his time. II is not worth while.
There lie not touch Of nature in It, and
hardly stroke OF art Why, then, il
may be asked does IL sell by the hun
dred thousand2 Easy enough. Because
Of its leading motive, which is an attack
on the church. Because Of it's characters,
which are all distinguished and all in
dulge in oratory of the Btyanesque sort.
Because Of its incidents, which are nu
merous and exciting and some Of them
tragic. Because Of it's style, which is
theatric and explosive. Great Plunkitt !
how these points dol prickle in !
its pages And-how-the--sent
ces es-are--slashed-< --slitted--with-
Tdashes-of-various-lengths--. / give
these samples TO show how effective
rather ordinary writing may be made
with q little topographic aid,) Because
the author sprinkles her narratives with
phrases and her dialogues with osths
from foreign tongues, which not one rea-
der in hundred knows the meaning
Of. But then every reader is duly inn
pressed with proper appreciation Of
her enormous learning. Why are such
books written2 Another easy thing. Why
are brass watches made, and pinchbeck
iewelry, and diamonds by the bushel
turned out Of the glass factories2
Marie Corelli is not the first to cha, ge
the church with the desire to possess
the elements OF aggrandizement and
power, The charge is true, and what is
more IL is not denied. Worldly wisdom
is virtue, and it does not cease to be
virtue when it is practiced by the
churches or by religious men. The
church is bene6cent institution. How
can il confer benefits il II have not the
means Of comforting them? As the most
efficient organization in the world for
the diffusion Of charities, gshould IL not
have the most abundant means for
diffusion? Every year II saves the State
an enormous amount in it's help OF the
poor, its care of the sick, its shelter and
succor of the disabled. Why then, l
repeat, should any one complain that
this organization is eager to control
ample means for carrying out lie
benevolent designs, especially as they
are voluntarily contributed? But ii is
said that the church abuses ito trust
and expends its money for other than
charitable- and missionary Epurposes.
This ia probable in many cases, is pos
sible in any case, but 80 long Rs they
who give do not complain, why should
we find fault who give nothing2
Nevertheless to criticize ia a human
trait as we'll as human privilege. No
body Of men bestows it's bounty exactly
to please us. No neighbor lays out his
money exactly to suit US. There In not
one who reads these lincs but could,
or thinks he could, distribute :more
wisely the millions that the living mil.
lionsire gives, and the millions that the
dead millionaire bequeathes. Naturally
then we are quick TO see how the
various religious bodies misapply the
money raisedby them or intrusted to
them. The worst of it is, there seems
TO be no way OF righting this wrong, il
wrong ii be. Indeed should not be
surprised to hear that on account OF the
general prevalent prosperity the con.
tributions 10 all the churches were much
increased, In spite OF the reverberations
OF the late Robert Ingersol's thun lers,
and in spite Of the Mysteries Of tn later
Marie Corelli. Leaving out Of view the
Christian scheme Of redemption, and
regarding the church purely nc bensv.
olent institution, IL would be little short
Of calamity II money support to
religious associations were wholly
Withdrawn, and IL il we're materially
the burdens OF society
would without doubt be correspond,
ingy augmented