Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-04-18
STARTLING PROPHECY.
President Hadley Of Yale Fears
For the Republic.
SEES EMPEROR AT WASHINGTON.

Our Institutions Mcnaccd by the
Growth Of the Spirit of Imperial
ism-Public Sentiment Must BE Gre
ntcd to Fight the rrusts-Busincss
Morals mt a Low Ebb.
eve shall have an emperor in Wash
ington within % years unless we can
create a public sentiment which, re-
Galtllcss of legislation, will regulate the
trusts.''
With that sentiment President Had
ley of Yale university startled con-
gregaton largely made up of the rich
est church society in New England
the Old South of Boston. President
Hadlcy delivered the third in a course
of Lenten addresses in the Old South
by college presidents, and his specific
topic was "The Development of Pub
lie Conscience" He said:
allow do things stand as regards the
need of public conscience in this
country today? The American stand
ard of personal morality is, on the
whole high as compared with other
nations and other ages. We have de-
veloped personal virtues through indi-
vidual conscience very well.
"But our actions in politics and in a
social and business sense proved our
moral standards in these directions
desperately low.
'There is an appalling contrast be-
tween our methods Of dealing with
each other as individuals and the low
standard observed in dealings between
different parts Of the whole organizfs
ton Of society. Competition used to
prevent a man from practicing great
extortion upon his neighbors even if
he wanted to, and in politics we once
had at least rough form of relative
justice.
"But today, with our Industries Or
ganized into trusts and the imperial
istic spirit developing in politics, the
general development Of the principle OF
tr,lsteeship will become appalling un-
less we cultivate a higher standard of
morality than ever before.
"Legislation will never protect us
from the evils of trusts or of deteriO-
rated politics. The essence of trust
is that you must trust the head of it to
exercise his power wisely or to abuse
it, according to the kind of conscience
he possesses.
TRUSTS have got to be regulated by
public sentiment, and that public sen
timent is not merely the opinion of any
particular part of the whole people. but
is readiness to accept in behalf of the
community restrictions independent of
the question of whether you or ! shall
be personally harmed by these restric-
tons.
"You say the community will not be
governed by this principle. We must
expect that the community will, how
ever, for the alternative is an emperor
in Washington within % years. Pub
lie affairs can no longer be played as
game. but must be directed by an in
telllgent and active public conscience.
Individual effort is helpless and hope
less.
"This is the opportunity Of the
church, hungry for something to do.
Its function as n dissemination OF In
formation has been appropriated large
ly by the press.
"The church has the sympathy of the
best men and must proceed to make
Christianity and patriotism synony-
nous and both Synonymous Of the
worlds progress.
'Thc public conscience must be aWak-
cncd as 1900 years ago Christ awaken
ed it, and it can be done if we continue
to preach the gospel which he preach
c,l'