The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-28

spirit of materialism, commerciaiism ano
communism has cast its dark shaoow
over our country. Corruption Is found
in the highest places. Public franchises
In our cities are sought for loot; selfish
interest reians in public councils. Re
| spectacle men have in many places peen
4 driven out OF positions of authority. some
of our cities have been turned over &c
saloon and dive keepers. In one hagrant
instance. in a large city, even the drugs
and foods of the poor and sick have been
| stolen out of their mouths by members
of the City Council.
1.-The gambling mania which always
arouses the tiger spirit, has found en-
trance into the highest places OF our
cities. The brazen audacity OF a New
port is copied by the smart set in vari-
GUS sections of the country.
Wien this nest of unclean birds
| alighted at Saratoga last summer, tho
most distinguished leaders of high life
on Fifth Avenue, took their pleasures
with Jockeys, tipsters, bookmakers and
] biack-Iegs of the gambling houses for
| companions. In many cases the saloon
| has not only dominated politics, but has
| degraded the civic consciences until even
| disnified cburchmen have come to it's de-
| fepse as a poor mans club. The churh
| itself has not escaped the contagion. In
| some congregations worldliness prevails
| unrebuked, and gold has been the pass
| port to positions Of authority and politi-
| cal power.
THE effect of all this has been the de-
yelopment of a spirit OF pessimism voiced
] in the cry that the former days were
| better than these A conservative writer
| has recently said that the average Amer
| lean has his counting house for his tenn
| pie, his desk for his altar, his ledger fof
1 g., I.ssu lad
II cannot perhaps illustrate this pes
| simism better than by quoting the fol-
| lowing apothesis of the spirit of man.
| monism:
Sound the loud trumpet, beat the big
drum,
jehovah is conquered. a greater has
The wealth of the world and the spoil
| of the sea,
| These alone can redeem us, these alone
| The puipits proclaim it, men sound it
abroad
Our God condones all things. expressions
and fraud,
| The greed of the market, the pride or
| II success sits enthroned.
| We still speak of justice. equality. love.
| As blinds for the stupid we rule from
Our own eyes are opened the glitter Of
is alone worth the worship we gave God
| OF old.
The shame of religion. but veil our de-
| signs.
| When our DEEDS are most olr'y our char-
NY snlnes, .h. ,-.acbsrs xvs
lhe p,s s,, We e'ip'''' -"
60 none can defy us or stand in our
| way"
81 wish over against this spirit OF pes
oiu,isru that finds fine golden age of the
worlds history In the poet. to speak this
morning of the true Gospel optimism.
| "Ecelesia stes vii,1O Saw not thou what
is the cause that the former DAYS are
| ho+.n- .har +hasa9 For tbo,, dost not
.iso,,, ;ro,,iro co,carnipo this,n
'',,
"E. Ahuersoh pfoceeueu " sho" th@'
10 cherish sach spirit Oh pessiiiism
Is to show ingrattude to God. His bless
iEgs have been a multitude upon us If
we would but stop to count them and
that with all this terrible arraignment of
present day conditions in America. God 8
blessings upon us as people are the
wonder of the world.
Second-That such spirit Is based up
on an incomplete induction and is con-
| trary to the facts.
He then showed that this seeming dom
nance of evil was in part due to the
notoriety given to crime and scanda
while the story of the uneventful, quiei
Christian life Is seldom spoken of oil
inds its way into print.
There has been a great uplft in oui
political life" said Mr.. Anderson.
This was Illustrated by the exposure
of the conditions in st. Louis by tn,
+ new CONSTITUTION of Alabama; by tn,
placing OF the saloon upon the defensive
in its war against the dispensarv and tn.
repeated defeats of the pool bill in TIL,
Alabama Legislature. The people of Ala
bama. lie said, are still more interested
In raising men than in raising horses.
Passing from these causes for Thanks
giving in civic ard political life the speak
ar dwelt upon the splendid missionary
activities of the church at home ant
abroad. An age in which more than 6
laillion Young men are enlisted IN the
christian associations. more than three
million Young people in the young peo