The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-10-22

Idea OF hell. Al the vine OtIcct
Congregational church, the pastor,
Herbert s. Rigelnw, speaking on the
above topic, announced for his text,
jeremiah ", 30-31.
IAN astonishing and horrible thing
is committed in the land; the prophets
prophesy falsely and the priests are
grasping; and my people love to have
it so; and what will We do in the end
thereof"
Mr.. Bigelow said in part: A Chi
cago lawyer said to me, Il believe the
great mass of the people are honest.
Only the few are corrupt. But when,
in any community, the people become
.corrupt-that is hell.
This mans graphic statement re-
called Jeremiah's phrasing of the same
thought
There is condition of society, said
jeremiah, which fills one with aston
ishment and horror What is it? 1t
is not that the prophets prophesy
falsely. Not that alone. Nor that the
priests are mercenary.- Corruption
among the leaders is not the worst
that can happen. But when the lead
ers are corrupt and the people know
it and love to have it so; when the
people themselves have been de-
bauched; what hope is there for the
community; what will We do in the
end thereof?
We are not discouraged by the in
difference of people. They can be
shaken out of that. Ignorance can be
overcome. Prejudices can be broken.
But what can be done when the moral
fibre of-the community has decayed?
When courage is gone and a city IS
cowed by its political bosses. When
self-respect is done and the people
seem scarcely to realize their shame.
When greed has well nigh claimed all
hearts so that the scoundrel Is not
despised for his evil deeds, but hon.
ored for his success and envied for
his spoils. When the universal guilt
puts on cynical laugh and truth is
answered by silent shrug Of the
shoulders; that is hell.
1t would be sad indeed to believe
that anywhere in this country such
condition has actually been reached.
Such belief would paralyze every eff
fort for human betterment. Pessim-
ism is the doctrine of despair. We
need preachers of hope. But optim-
ism does not mean blindness. There
are enough signs of moral decay in
certain of our communities to suggest
a terrible warning to those who love
our free institutions; signs which
should impel them to their utmost Ell
fort to stem the tide of evil which
threatens to sweep away the founda-
lions Of the republic.
This decay of public morals is most
In evidence in our cities.
Our magazines have been flooded
with articles portraying what Jere-
miah would have called an astonish-
ing and horrible thing. Our cities
have fallen into the hands of poll
ticians who have made an alliance
with our public service corporations
for purposes of public piunder
The methods of these thieves are
an open secret.
Those who keep unlawful resorts are
made to pay tribute to the bosses. The
law which was intended for the dis
couragement of vice is used for pur-
poses of blackmail. These laws are
not enforced save as a penalty for
those who wish to break the laws, but
refuse to pay the bosses for the PRIV
ilege.
Contractors doing public work are
compelled to include in their bids the
commission which is demanded by the
political machine. The arbitrary
power which inspectors have of ac-
cepting or rejecting materials is suf-
ficient to ruin any contractor who is
foolhardy enough to undertake public
work without becoming party to
this conspiracy.
The public pay roll is padded and
wages are paid in the name of men
who are dead, or of those who never
lived. for work which is never done,
but for which taxes are collected.
The great daily papers are bribed
by contracts for public printing which
the bosses give out at extravagant
prices. For instance, the public
printing in Cincinnati is divided be-
tween two republican papers, each re-
ceiving $4,000 year. Recently law
was passed requiring public printing
to be given to democratic papers also
and the Cincinnati Enquirer, claiming
- 4.