Evening star., 1904-03-21
GRAFT AND MORMONISM
DIR. McKIM TALKS OF UGLY FEA-
TUREs OF NATIONAL LIFE.
"Plague Spot Of Body Politic-Love
Of Money, Frivolity and
Selhshness.

During the course of his sermon on
Some of the Ugly Features of Our Nation
| al Life" Rev. DR.. Randolph n. McKim, at
| the Church of the Epiphany last evening.
deprecated in forcible terms the practice
| of Mormonism, the prevalence of graft
| in public offices and the love of money
among citizens of the American common
wealth. He referred to Mormonism as
"the plague spot in our body politic;" the
practice of graft he declared, Is un-
blushingly prevalent from top to bottom
| of our society, and the love Of money is
working disastrous effects upon our ma
| tional life.
There was a large congregation present
at the evening services in Epiphany, and
the impressive words of the clergyman
were listened to with marked attention.
Dr. Mckim took his text from Joel, 2:15,
BLOW the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a
fast, call a solemn assembly" The Jew
ish prophet he said, brought to his peo-
pie message framed to fit the needs of
the hour and he gave warning that the
national sins would provoke national
judgments The ministers of Jesus Christ
of today, he said are the successors of
the prophets rather than of the priests
of the Jewish dispensation; 1t Is their
duty to echo the voice of God in rebuke of
son, he declared, why the messengers of
God should, at this time, blow the trum-
pet of Zion in solemn warning to the peo-
ple Continuing, he said in part:
Ugly Features of National Life.
Il ask you this evening to look with
me at some of the ugly features of our ma
tional life at the present hour. I will not
undertake to enumerate all, but among
them 1 single out these-frivolity of
spirit, luxuriousness of living, the love
of money, materialistic ideals of life, the
degradation of marriage, the decay of the
home, self1shness and lack of public spirit,
dishonesty and the betrayal of public
trust
Side by side with that strenuous energy
which is characteristic of American life
we find the spirit of friyolity widely prev
alent in society. There is an impa tience
of serious thought, of any hitch in our
ease. our luxuries or our indulgences We
are afflicted with sort of 'tarantula of
restlessness A movement has been set
on foot under conspicuous auspices in
England to arrest the decay of the higher
drama. The distinguished gentlemen at
the head of this movement appeal to the
public to assist them to prevent the stage
from being submerged in frivolity'
This same frivolity permeates Ameri-
can society in various directions We see
1t in the dress and manners of the people
anu III tHe literature OF our time. 'FriVO-
lous is the word that best describes most
OF the books and magazines and newspa-
pers that are displayed upon our news
stands"
Akin to frivolity, said DR.. McKim, is
the luxurious living which characterizes
large sections of American society," The
growth of luxury in a single generation
IN this country, he declared is amazing
ana portentous The accumulation of
enormous fortunes by a great number of
Americans has stimulated the growth of
an almost constituencies extrayagance
and this passion for display and extrava-
gance has spread downward among the
people.
THE habits of the millionaire class" said
the preacher, ARE aped by the hundred
thousand dollar men, and theirs again by
the men of smaller means. The disastrous
effects of this condition no words can des-
cribe.
Logical Result.
"The logical result of these features is
that we find a tendency in all our communi-
ties to measure everything by the money
standard. Of any newcomer, men ask
What is he wOrth| That is what is he
worth In dollars and cents not in charac-
ter, culture or intellectual or moral achieve
ment. The love of money is responsible
for the sordid aims which so largely rule
among men, for their unworthy ambitions
This eagernesS to get money by hook OF.
crook, weakens the bonds of moral obliga-
tions corrupts the moral sense, lowers the
standards in commercial and political life
and which even degrades the ideas of the
holy estate of matrimony.
In speaking of the prevalence of ma
terialistic ideals of life Dr. McKim said
that materialism as a philosophy has been
shorn of much of its power but that the
wave of practical materalism which was
born of philosophic materialism has by no
means spent its force and today he said
as we study the life of the people as re-
fiected in the books they read in the plavs
they patronize, in the amusements that are
most popular, there are three enormous
forces which are still supreme, 1.-THE lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride
of life'
This lowering of the standard of life.
said DR.. Mck1m, must necessarily touch the
relation that binds a man and woman to-
gether in wedlock. When extravagant hab-
its prevail, when men and women are
ashamed of the plain living which alone
their means would justify. when social am
bition claims consideratio in a contem-
plated marriage, even before congeniaIity
of taste and temperament, II is inevita BILE
that the ideal of marriage should be low
cred. This holy state. he declared too
often falls under the blight of the COM
mercial spirit, and our American life has
suffered more serious damage in the low
ering of the ideal of marriage in the last
two generations than from any other cause
I'VE shudder,' he continued when we
contemplate the plague spot of Mormonism
which exists in our body polite and which
through its accredited representatives. ha $
been unblushingly proclaiming it's sensual
and bestia1 creed here in the capital of the
nation before a congressional committee
But 1t is humiliating to reflect that there
has been frightful relaxation in the bonds
of matrimony among the American people
at large; that all over the land our courts
are grinding out divorces day by day for
all manner of causes, many of them friyo-
lous to the last degree"
In speaking of the betrayal of public
trust by officials DR.. McKim said
This enumeration of the evil tendencies
in our national life would be seriously in
complete without mention of the relaxation
of the bonds of honor and honesty which is
so painfully conspicuous at present We
see public officers betrayng their trust.
conspiring with private individuals to sell
the patronage of the government for their
own personal gain. We see the practice of
graft as 1t is called unblushingly preva-
lent from top to bottom of society, munici-
pal governments of large and prosperous
cities are permeated with bribery and cor
ruption.
"We even see the dark and portentous
shadow of the betrayal of public trust w.
ing across the legislative halls of the ma
tion. God grant it may presently pass and
leave no permanent stain on the fair name
of any of our legislators!"
In concluding Dr. McKim said:
Not the Only Features.
I