Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-21
BY Lyman
Abbott, ID. ID.

labor of "A great university. went forth to
take up your work and my work. and 20 do
good service for you and for mC-not to be
praised for what he did, but to be scolded,
not to say slandcred for what he was not
able to do in so short time.
The great enemy we have to fight Is
greed, the spirit that desires to get some
thing for nothing, that puts acquisition
above everything else: the spirit which
counts honesty as something between man
and man, but nothing between man and
mon; the spirit which considers IT wrong to
pick the pocket of man, but right to put
the arm up to the shoulder in the public
treasury. And this spirit OF greed is worse
when II is seen i'm the highest quarters
1t is not at its worst in the man
who sells his vote for dollar bill
or "A job in the street cleaning department
1t is worse in the men who swear on the
taxes they ought to pay; worse In the men
that bribe legislators to give public fran
chscs for which they ought To be willing
to pay the public fair compensation;
worse in the men that corrupt in order that
they may gain 10y the corruption, worse in
the most respectable sinners, not in those
that are most dsgraced and dishonored
worse In the most intelligent, not in the
most ignorant. 1t Ia "A sin, n black. shame
ful. damnable sin, wherever ii appears in
any man, whatever his learning. his rank.
his wealth. his position. who counts the
public necessity as something out of which
he may take for personal profit an advan-
taEe. without giving TO the public fair.
roas enable. just equivalent.
What are we going to do? 1t is clear that
this is battle not to be won merely by
voting nor even chiefly by voting. 1t is to
be won by lessons taught and learned in
the home. Ii is to be won by mothers
teaching their children patriotism and pur-
ity and truth and honor. II is taught by
the influences that are more potent than
political lower. 1t is to be won by ideals
which we hold ourselves and foster and
inspire in others. 1t Is to be won by the
work of the minister. Not by his preach
ing on trusts and strikes when they are
being discussed by the newspapers not by
doing the work that belongs to the press;
not that. But by recognizing the fact that
religion is to do Justly. to love mercy to
walk humby with God; by recognizing the
fact that our prayer is not an idle one,
Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven" BY 80 preach
ing and so ministerinE as TO ft men and
women to live noble lives in New York
City. If the ministers can do this. we
can leave problems concerning the celestial
city for a little while. We shall he ready
for 1t when the time comes. We will be
building celestial city earth.
For the battle is not TO be won by politics
which is mere methCd of life but by life
itself 1t is To be won by the recognition
by of the truth that we are in this
world not for pleasure, not for wealth, not
for any subsidiary thing; that we are here
Master was here, to love and to
serve: that we are here to fight the battle
so long as God shall give us life; that we
are here so to live that when at last the
end shall come we can look back upon our
city life and say, not | was a millionaire,
not, | had a good time not. / was in
society, but. l fought a good fight and
kept the faith.
New York City.