The evening Republican., 1902-06-20

Now since we have 80 much in
common, we must have a common
origin. Since we all own one anoth-
er, some one must own us all. We
are not a human mob, we are hui
man family-and every family has
it's head. This leads us naturally to
consider "A Question Of Ownership
and Service"
l. And first "A Question of OWn-
ership. This involves thresfold
other question "a question of origin
of belief, of at titude. 70 whom do
l belong? Whence came !? How
am l here? are questions which the
thoughtful man must ask himself
as he considers the stupendous fact
Of his own existence.
10 be sure there is a good deal
Of foolishness 10 the attempt to
fathom the ancestral depths of
humanity, and the effort iu this
direction is usually made in the
hope Of securing longer descend.
ant line of lords and dukes aud
earls than ones nelghbor. aud yet
if the purpose be the soberer one Of
asce:tain,ug the weaknesses and
wicke ednesses Of one's anceotors
that life's temptations. the heredi.
tary inquiry is commendable in the
highest degree. Some laugh at
any investig CATION 10 this direction
and declare with the Mohammedau
poet:
"My soul 10 my father. my title,
my worth;
A Persian or Arab there's little
between.
Give NE comrade whatever his
birth,
Who shows what he is-not what
others have been.'
But l submit to you. brethren,
that it Is the duty of every man to
know the fouut from which he flow.
ed, the soil from which he spraug,
that he may know forces-m oral.
spiritual. physical have contrlbut-
ed TO his being. in order that he
may successfully cope with them.
Much is said to-day about environ
ment-ihe advantage Of favorabl
environment. Culture, culture. 10
the word of those who believe that
the cure Of the worlds curse con-
sis,s in educating the masses.
But my friends, I am firmly con-
vinced, that an unfavorable environ
ment is less to be dreaded than un-
fortunate birth, that sends me out
to face life's realities with life's
lusts and vices already resident and
regnant in his breast-the Inherit
aace of a depraved ancestry. A
rose is still arose, though you trans
| plant it from the rich mans garden
to the poor mans back yard, and no
amount of favorable environment
will transform a jimson weed into a
! gelanium. If it is true as DR..
Holmes has put it, that we ara ON
nibusesin which our urforefathersride, :"
then we owe 1T to ourselves to be-
come acquainted with the character
and habits of the passengers whom
| we uallN carry.
Thirtieth Annual Report of the
Prison Association of New York
give an account of the Juke family.
1t descended from five sisters born
between 1920 and 174O, and number
among its members 14O criminals,
80 habitual thieves, and so fallen
| women. Seven murders have been
committed by this family, and an
appalling number Of years has
been spent by it inside the p 'ison.
| Do you not think descendant of
the Juke family would be better
able to cope with his temptations if
first of all he could becomeacquaint-
ed with himself through consider
alton of a question of ownership,
and find himself by finding his an
cestOrs!
Yes, the question Of ownership is
a question OF origin, and it is one of
great Importance. Will the study OF
evolution help ua lat this point! l
think not Evolution might account
| lor much Of the beast and devil that
are IN man, but it falters and fails In
the attempt to account for the angei'
and God tlIat are in HIM, and an
evolution that doesn't account for
every thing isn't throughgoing.
Flowers upspringng from the
blackened soil may acknowledge in
dcbtedness to earth for plant life,
but it is God, who so clothes the
flowers Of the field with beauty, that
rivals Solomon in his glory. The
birds song is from above, or it
would never be SO sweet. Out of the
commonest material, which daily we
trample under foot, God fashioned
the body Of man. Uut when lie came
to the making of the inner mystery
the real man, God got closer to his
handiwork. and breathed into his
nostrils; the breath Of life, and man
became Il living soul.
| With thankfuness we acknowledge
our divine origin. God Is our maker,
creator, father. Let any Of you
grow great in mech anics, IN art.
in literature, 10 politics, and immet~
ately the world asks "WhoSe son Is
the''? And the world has u right tc
know, for men become great, ut the
worlds expense--and indulgence.
Sometimes the world acts quickly,
often cruelty, sometimes blindly il
shaping mans reputation and rosi.
tion before his fellows. Heroes are
made and unmade In a day. =
The peoples idols are set up and
set down at the peoples will. Dewey
may win national victories at Ma
nilla and receive the acclamatory
praises of an appreciatiYe people,