The Republican journal., 1901-08-22


city, nor can the finest architecture ennoble
| it without them. Perhaps there is no bet
ter or surer way of serving our city or our
country than by private virtues, industries
and honesty. If your life, in its common,
everyday relationships, is true life; a
your best to make your city or your country
| wiser and better. The man or woman who is
living this kind of life is often doing more
for the upbuilding of city or nation in no
blllty and righteousnsss than the orator or
mere office-holder. The question then is a
or nation ennobling or degrading? Am 1,
by my work, word and character making
our city healthier, happier, holier, nObler
place? That is the test not only of our
citizenship, but OF our religion, our Chris
tianity as we'll. Yes, the question is even
more direct than this. Do / believe in the
home, the school, the library, the church in
all things that make for purity and noble
ness of living? Do believe in these things
enough to work for them and to make sac
rifices for them? Antagonism to righteous
ness is of two kinds, that which is down.
right opposition, positive antagonism, and
that which is summed up in the word indif-
ference. The man or woman who is indif-
ferent to righteousness and the forces and
influences that make for it in this or any
city, the home, the school, the church is one
of its worst enemies. Righteousness says
to you and me, as Christ said centuries
ago: He who is not with me is against NE,
and he who gathereth not with me scatter
eth There are comparatively few open,
direct positive antagonists of these three
forces in this city that make for righteous
ness, the home, the school, the church but
the worst enemy, the most powerful oppo-
nents, are those men and women who are in
different to them; those who care nothing
for the home, (ridcule it perhaps) those
who take no interest in the school and care
nothing for reputable looking or well venti-
lated schOOl-buildings; those who never at
tend church, but are the self-constituted
critics and censOrs of it. These are the bad
citizens, who are apt to say things in criti-
cism OF the city; the men and women whose
influence While not positively vicious, is at
least degrading and damaging. The worst
foe and the worst .antagonism is that Of
Indifference. We hear much from time
to time, about the evil of RIGHTEOUSNESS
or intemperance in our city and other
cities, but the terrible thing about them
is, that they displace and destroy so
much of goodness. The awful thing about
sensual indulgence is not that men and wo-
men find low and degraded pleasure in it,
but the pitiful and terrible part of it is
found in the fact that all such indulgence
means impaired health, squandered property,
blasted homes and wounded hearts, loveless
marriages, and unwelcome and despised
children, deadened and dulled appreciations
and sensibilities Indulgence inevitably
sooner or later means these things. A
home that at marriage commenced well,
with great happiness and purity and prom
Use, is polluted and corrupted by it: a
young wife's love is embittered, child's
life blighted by it, Bad as the indulgence
is. the worse things about it are these
things already mentioned.
Like Paul then we ought to be proud of
our city, the city of our residence or nativi-
ty; but that pride should not make us blind
to it's faults, but reveal them to us the more
surely and make us labor for the uprooting
of them, and the surest way of uprooting
them is by living a life whose influence shall
make for righteousness. A citizen of almost
any Maine city has right to say,as did Paul,
-! am citizen OF no mean city," On the
whole these cities are communities of right
thinking and feeling and living people Now
this is not to say that there are no short
comlngs and iniquities practiced, but that
the majority of the citizens are living lives
whose influence is good. In our own city
there are many outward and visible signs of
inward and spiritual grace. Men and women
take pride in their homes, make them places
of cleanliness, simplicity and beauty the
churches, library, public buildings and
most of the school buildings are a credit
and honor to the town. Such organizations
as the Village Improvement Society are
bringing about commendable results. The
thriftiness, and indeed in some meas
seen, in the well-painted houses, the we'll
kept lawns,th trim trees and gardens; hap
plneSS and prosperity are seen in the well
ordered and happy family life that is dis
tlnctive feature OF the life of our city The
Home lis the centre and seat and source of
a citys happiness and heaithiness. There
is no better ideal Of home than that of
Keble:-
''Sweet is the smile of home: the mutual
look,
When hearts are of each other sure:
Sweet all the joys that crowd the household
nook,
The haunt of all affections pure.''
There are hundreds of these homes in
our city and in every city; they are the
strong helpers of those other influences and
forces that make for righteousness, the
school and the church They are the three
great cooperative forces for righteousness
in our city and nation. Daniel Webster once
said: "Whatever makes man a good
christian makes him a good citizen"
Every true citizen wants his city to be
founded in righteousness, wants peace and
Dr0therhood to De the reigning powers.
From time to time modern men, like John
OF old in the Apocalypse, have some visions
of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, des-
cendlng out OF heaven from God. Men still
have dreams and visions of human commun-
tiles living in righteousness, justice and
pcdCc ClGlcS WucIGlu GuoT6 are no narrow
class distinctions, no heartless customs and
ceremonies, no commercial frauds and dis
hOnestleS, no sensual impurities or corrupt
ing indulgences, no avenue of luxury, and
wealth and fashion in one part of the city.
and alleys of foul tenement houses OF places
Of infamy in the other. Men dream-and
always will dream of city of living
brotherhood, glad and prosperous and fruit
full in the idea of Fatherhood of God
A city's prosperity and welfare depend
upon the individuals, the citizens who COM
pose it. 1t will be moral city if there are
moral men and women resident in it; it will
be progressive city if progressive citizers
compose it. Our community will have the
virtues, graces and nobilities which are in
the citizens, it will also have the vices,
disgraces, and ignobilities that are practiced
by the residents. Remember the three
strong forces that build up character in men
and righteousness in the community, are the
forces represented by the words, the Home,
the School, and the Church. These influences
lie at the foundation of all strong, pure,
noble life. Most men conceive that the idea
OF citizen is simply and solely to vote with
this party or that; the majority of citizens
country better by their influence and ex-
ample, by their word and work. The in
telligent and fearless Christian citizen takes
his part in the struggle against all frauds
and dlshoneStles, whether municipal orna-
tlonal. Only by the work and influence of
right-thinking and feeling men is the world
going to be regenerated and redeemed; only
by their labors is this city or any city to be