The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-24
THE BAER RELIGION.

President Baer. Of the Philadelphia &
Reading Railroad Company, has been the
most positive OF the combination OF anthra-
cite mine owners in declaring that there is
nothing to arbltrate. 1t was not, however.
until he brought his peculiar quality of
piety before the public that he became the
object OF special criticism. Mr.. Baer evil
IDENTIFY regards himself as a Christian.
Doubtless he holds 10 certain creeds with
the utmost positivencss. 1t can be safely
assumed that he would not have demanded
the revision Of the Presbyterian Confession
Of Faith. His is the religion which pays
homage TO the sovereignty Of God because
he is impressed with the conviction that
God has chosen him from the foundation
of the world for eternal bliss and particu-
larry 10 walk upon streets of gold. Hear
him: THE rights and interests OF the la
boring man will be protected by the Chris
tian men whom God, in His infinite wisdom,
has given the control Of the property inter-
ests of the country" IL the ordinary man
should have made such a statement, in
view of the history Of the transactions by
which the railroad of which Mr.. Baer is
president is under it's present control. with
the coal fields it controls, he would be re-
garded as sacrilegious. Not so with men
Of the Baer type. With them the command.
Thou shalt not steal" applies to men who
pick pockets and those who break locks to
obtain few dollars. The men who wreck
railroads. water stock. put up the price of
coal during the season when the very poor,
who are tens of thousands. must purchase
In small quantities, who encourage strikes
to get rid of surplus stocks and who show
no mercy to the people they employ. are, in
the Baer opinion, these Christian men
whom God, in His infinite wisdom, selects
to perform these injustices that they may
control the property interests of the coun-
try to the end that those in their employ
may be compelled to accept scanty wages.
His religion is of that narrow variety which
assumes that only the few are the favored
of God and that the rest of mankind exists
for the pleasure and the profit of the saints.
1t is the religion of those who have read
the Scripture no further than the text:
1.-The righteous shall inherit the land" to
which they add, 1--WE are the righteous"
and proceed to force their Inheritance. Iney
have not read the Sermon on the Mount.
Their motive in protesting religion. even if
they do not realize it, is the same which
leads them to patronize fire insurance COM
panies. Such men give money, but in a
manner to secure praise. They endow
schools and at the same time manipulate
the prices of the common necessaries of
life. They have no ethics, and between
their religion and their business there is a
wall so high and thick that there is no pos
sible danger of their minglng.
1t is fortunate that the Baer variety of
religion is not spreading, but is declining
and even becoming odious under the broad
er intelligence which grasps. the fuller
meaning of Christianity. The Civic Fedora
ton, the object of which is to bring capital
and labor into such relation that strikes
will not occur, Is inspired by that practical
Christianity concerning which men of the
Baer mental organization can never have
a knowledge until they shall be born again.