Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-09-07

tucu Suc poopio VI N0tuOuN COuuuy
have right to wage war against q
p, otestant nation for = religious pur-
pose. Who will defend such = barbara.
GUS doctrine? If the United States can
justify the subjugation Of a Catholic
country for a religious purpose, then is
there not danger that people who apply
that doctrine to our nations dealings
with other nations. may apply the same
doctrine in the United States, and at.
tempt to justify the forcing Of one form
o! religion upon those Of another denomi-
nation or religion?
Christ's gospel vas gospel OF peace.
While its introduction creates contest
between the Christian ideals and the
ideals OF Mammon, it does not justify
the use of force in the propagation OF
that gospel. If there is not something
in the heart to which the religion Of
Christ can successfully appeal there is
certainly no way in which it can be in
troduced into man Ivy a surgical opera.
ton.
A line must be drawn, and it is 3 dis.
tinct line between the utilization Of an
existing condition ami the creation Of
that condition. No one would attempt
to justify the burning OF a town, and yet
after the town is burned people, accept
ing the situation, may take advantage Of
the burning 10 improve the town in q
way that they might not have been able
20 do before tie fire. Instances have
been known where a disastrous season
has turned attention to new crops that
have proved greatly beneficial to the
people of that section, and yet no one
should justify the sending of a drouth or
a food in the hope that good might come
out of it. So with wars. 1t is proper to
make the most OF the condition which
follows a war, and yet no one could at.
ford to assume responsibility for war
in the hope of producing the condition.
1t is proper for the representatives OF all
branches OF the Christian church to pre-
sent their ideas and to give expression to
their beliefs, but no one can justify a
colonial policy on the ground that it may
be utilized to advance any form Of re-.
ligion.
Those who attempt to interpret Provi.
dence often make the mistake OF consid.
ering the good that comes out OF the evil.
without considering the good that might
have been done without the evil. In
order to make a fair comparison one
must understand what can be done
peacefully as we'll as what is done vio-
lently. 1t is impossible to see both
what has been done and what might
have been done, and, therefore, COM
garrison is difficult. The only sound
method OF argument is to reason from
the individual to the collection of in
dividuals. We can understand a thing
when we see it emphasized in an individ-
ual better than when we attempt to look
at it as exemplified in a nation. If an
individual went about with club beat
ing people and bruising them and COM
inspiring not love, but terror, we would
describe him as bully and as brag.
CART. Il he acted thus merely because
he found pleasure in it, we would con.
denim his disposition, but if he made
money out of his brutality We would call
him d robber. No pretense that he was
benevolently inclined or that he was only
exacting reasonable compensate for
the good that he was doing. would pail
ate his CT mes. If he did this in the
name OF Christianity we would accuse
him OF adding hypocrisy to his other
sins. But when nation acts upon the
principle Of bully or a highwayman it
is sometimes appaude1 as world
power by those who desire to exercise
the power. Sometimes the action is ap-
plauded as Providential iii grain of good
can be found in bushel OF evil.
We have no difficulty in contrasting
the example Of an upright man with the
example of an evil doer. We recognize
the virtues Of the man, we recognize the
good influence which he exerts upon his
community, and we know that the bene.
fits flowing from such life 60 on in.
creasing with each new generation for
ever. Can we doubt that nation which
applies its measure of individual worth
to it's national greatness does more good
than nation which risks the corrup.
ton Of it's individual ideals by brutalz-
ing its national purpose?
Imperialism strikes at the principles
Of our religion as we'll as at the principles
Of our government. Love, not force, is
the foundation OF our religion-love that
sacrifices and peisuades, not the robust
selfshness which boasts Of it's brute force
or hides its mailed hand in the glove Of
/ benevolent assimilation. Our missionary
societies should study the gospel OF the
Prince OF Peace.