Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-21

NE phase of the great problem OF
human life That life is a strug
tSSSAkN gle has long been taught by
- religion, and has recently been
reaffirmed by science. From the cradle to
the grave we are engaged in it. A strug-
gle in the individual between the higher
and the lower, the animal and the spirit
ual, the sensuous and the super-sensuous.
1.-The good that 1 would do not, the evil
hate to do" is very ancient interpreta-
ton of this struggle with which most of
us are familiar. There are few sinners
80 apparently hOpelessly depraved that
they never enter on this battle. There are
few saints that have won the battle and
have no need for further fight. The city,
the modern city, Is the place where the
forces of good and evil more than
everywhere else lined up for conflict The
city is the heart of this great campaign.
The city is the Gettysburg of the long war.
The city is the Quartz Bras in the Water
loo of the ages To great city come
both the worst forces and the best forces
of the nation Here gather the criminals,
the IshmaeliteS, the men whose hand is
against every man. Here they come to rob
and to plunder, here when they have
robbed and plundered elsewhere they come
to live. This is their camping ground.
lIS ID "uelt luty GdSIeSl Hnu lne DOOly
and the most. Here gather the sensual
forces. Here come the men who want ease
and indulgence Here come the men who
like to dress in fine linen and fare sump-
tuously every day Here are the great
hotels, the restaurants, the theaters; here
the great pleasure givers of every kind,
and here therefore come the men who are
seeking pleasure. Here men come to
gamble. and to drink, and to make merry.
Here come the men who have care for
nothing while life laughs its hours away.
Here too, come men who are eager for
wealth who measure all of life by the dol
lar mark, who think success is measured
by the money man possesses, not by the
character he develops. Here come the
men and the women who are fond of dis
play. This is the place to show ourselves
off. This is the place to ride in the finest
carriages with foOtmen and coachman.
This is the place to wear the fine dresses
the glttering tewe,s. This is the place in
which to go to the opera-not always to
hear the music, but sometimes to have
other people look at us. Here is where
we go to the horse SNOW, and people won
der whether we have gone to see the horses
or for the horses to see us. Here come the
wolves that raven. the swine that fatten,
the bees that hive, the peacOcks that strut.
But here also come the great forces for
intelligence and for virtue. Here the no.
blest clements of humanity are found; here
the strength, the herosm and the intelli-
gencc compacted together. Here are the
great commercial enterprises; not merely
mCney-making but humanity serving
great railroad is something more than
corporation to pay dividends to stockhOld-
ers 1t is a civilizer. Run this railroad
across the western prairie and where this
road goes the village springs up, the school
house and the church are built; and send
ing their children to these school houses
and wOrshiping in these churches are men
and women from across the sea. men and
women who had no hope at home, who