Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-09-25
Optimism in Religion.

of welcome by the Mayor, President
Carroll d. Wright, made q remarkably
enthusiastic address on the present
condition of church attendance and
religious zeal. He said he could not
assent to the declaration that there
was decadence in Christian spirit,
but, on the contrary, there seemed to
be many evidences of growth of true
faith. He thought the public con-
science was to-day more acute, more
sensitive, than at any other time in
the history of mankind. He declared
that while statistics relating to crime
supported popular belief that it was
on the increase, different idea would
prevail, if people stopped to inquire
and draw a distinction between what
was crime half a century ago and what
is now. The new conscience, he
affirmed, is constantly elevating mis-
demeanors that were offenses against
individual conscience, into offenes
against the public conscience. The
penology relating to crime is more
rational. We do not now believe
that the criminal is to be restrained
from desire to punish him. The old
doctrine OF the fall of Adam has been
eliminated from our methods of eye
for eye and tooth for tooth, and we
deal with the criminal as a human
being morally diseased.
Mr.. Wright declared that he knew
of no better evidence of the growth OF
practical religion than on the re-
finement OF ideas connected with peno-
logy of our day and generation.
He claims to see in the attitude of
capital and labor verifcation of re-
ligious spirit, but this view is pl ainly
not of general reception. He processes
to see some evidence that men are will.
ing to grant other men what they
claim for themselves, and that this is
one OF the highest and noblest evil
dences of Christian spirit. The con-
clusion would be true if the premises
were true. When, few months ago.
the coal barons ignored the solemn
stipulation entered into when a COM
mittee of arbitration of our most emf.
nent men was agreed upon, and then
declared, when occasion arose for it's
use, that there was nothing to arbi-
trate, it seemed to indicate anything
but growth in religious spirit in the
adjustment and settlement of such
troubles, especially IS one of the barons
gave out, as an ultimatum, that the
mine-owners were the instruments in
the hands of Providence to care for the
welfare OF the laborers in the mines.
Mr.. Wright protested to see in our
diplomatic relations with the outer
world evidences Of what he called a
religious PATRIOTISM" but just where
he can point to any evidence OF the
substitution of irrefragible truth for
the artfuluess Of deplomatic maneuver-
ing, he has not made manifest, nor
can We see wherein . Christian spirit
has impelled the President to carry q
chip Oh his shoulder and club in his
hand while recommending Congress
that it be enlarged so as to make it
more perfect pacificator should trouble
arise. This is not the spirit Of true
religion, the religion Of Christ.
He thinks that the charity which
enables people to care for themselves
to be much better than the giving of
aims. The endowment of universities
and the donation of libraries he seems
to think are not embraced in the pro.
scribed gift OF stone when an imme-
date supply of bread is the only mani
festation of charity that may reach
the spot.
He closed with Q tribute to the
Chsistian church for its universal ex-
preston OF profound regret at the
death of Pope Leo XII. 1t is we'll be.
slowed. 1t was grand exhibition OF
the universally OF human benevolence
and righteous incentive, to be able to
say that not an acrimonious word has
been uttered, there being only praise
for that sublime character and devoted
zeal manifested by the late pontiff.
More of this spirit would indeed seem
to show the world akin, and smooth
down the asperities of our imperfect
nature.