Arizona daily citizen., 1901-11-11

is that America has deliberately pre-
ferred to risk falling into a condition
Of social disorder rather than give ny
the infinite values for which II
strives II has refused to sell out It's
liberty for the sake OF the order and
peace OF arbitrary law, But although
we have wilfully taken the risk OF so
cial disorder, il by no means follows
that we mean to consent to social dis
order or to rest satisfied in 1t. We
mean beyond all doubt to strive for or
der on a hitherto unprecedented plan
an order wrought out in liberty, And
this social order of the American ideal
and OF the new world-cannot consist
with the meaningless and bewildering
scrabble of sect and party. Such
breakup OF the social ideal Is as alb
surd under the regime of liberty as 1t
was under that of despotism.
OF course the appeal lies now simply
and solely to the faith, the intelligence
and the common sense OF the people.
No one has been heard OF yet SO fool
hardy as to propose that we turn back
upon all our history and attempt to
abolish sects and parties by act OF
Congress, by presidential proclama-
ton or martial law Nothing is sug-
gested but the most benevolent as
similation of unreasonable and Opin-
donated people by the reasonable and
sane.
There is no rashness in Venturing
the assertion that every great epoch Of
history-every epoch distinguished by
a progress that has proved other than
illusory-has been an epoch OF vital
ntegration. a moment in which, by
one means or another, the moral, in
tellectual and physical interests Of
men have been made to coalesce. This
is the secret OF the great men and the
great movements of the past. OF all
world-historic characters it may be
said either that they gave intellectual
and practical expression to religion,
that they breathed n living faith and
a utilitarian spirit into the distractions
of intellect or that they raised eco
nomics and politics to the plane Of
moral and intellectual ideal. OF all
alike 1t may be said that they lOathed
those vital schisms whereby men act
on one plane philosophize on another
and pray on another still. and that
they managed somehow to effect at
least temporary junction of the sey-
eral parts and faculties of life
1t is on the whole probable that
never before In the whole course on
human history did the institutions of
religion, of intellect and OF politics
got SO far apart as they are in tho
United States at this present hour.
This would imply that the American
people are the poorest and weakest of
all people and the least capable of
greatness-if it were to be admitted
that these institutions as they stand
are truly representative of the relig
iOus, intellectual and economic ideal of
the American people. But this Is not
to be admitted for 1t Is not the fact.
The fact is that there Is forming out
in the open forum OF the common ma
tional life n moral. intellectual and
practical ideal OF unparalleled grandeur
and beauty-an ideal which is destined
by its expansive and compelling force
to break through all the paddock
pens of sect, school and party and to
integrate the life Of the individual ana
of the nation for the work of his
toric epoch of signal and eliminating
significance.
The impulse which shall precipitate
this movement must, in the nature of
things. come by an evolutionary and
regenerating process, from a church
that is capable of intellectual and
practical enterprise, from a university
that can break the existing academic
censorship against religion and eco
Monies or from a political party NOV
ing in an inspiration OF faith and
science
There are good reasons for believing
that the initiative will come from the
Church. And there are also good rea-
sons for believing that the particular
branch of the Church which is most
capable Of sloughing it's skin OF sec
tarianism is the church which already
conceives its mission to be the most
protestant of all-and the most
catholic and all-containing. But
enough for this time
CHARLES FERGUSON.