Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1904-02-25
The Greatest Evil.

Prof. Drummond says love Is the
greatest thing 10 the world. II that
De SO, its opposite-or the lack Of |,
would be the greatest evil. Paul
says the love of money.is the root Of
all evil which some coveted after,
have erred from the faith, and
pierced themselves with many sor-
rows.
The opposite of Prof DIS love is
selishness, leading the individual
to pursue those evils and aim
that will secure his own personal
qualification at the expense of right
eous principles and else beside.u=-
AS great nation-our greatest
danger lies in this inDrdinate love OF
~ealth-so rapidly now being at
tanned, to the establishment OF the
other nations around US. Especial.
" too are we in danger, that out
eyes are blinded largely to the fac',
pro- uced by all history, that with
great wealth to.the nation, aud ia.
dividusl as well, comes corruption,
enervation aud death. So died
Rome.
. Money--great sums OF money
he one thing above all others to be
desired. In the mad rush for il ali
righteous methods are forgotten.
Men run 10 The United States 3OO,.
U00 saloons at an expense Ut bill
ion aud q half dollars to the public,
regardless of the welfare OF OUT
great citizenship--its churches, lie
schools or its great body Of civilians
IN their b, mes, not one of which II
benefited by the traffic 10 any wa,
ave that the dealer makes money
ny bis calling.
Utter seltishness must rule tn,
ma, engaged in this business, out oil
which springs the direst evils of tn,
land, the enumeration of which Ia
detail no tongue or pen can make.
Drunkenness, gambling, adultery,
prostitution, divorce, beggary ano
ruin. They run. the saloon for mon
y and get it. The state and nation
get in turn bankruptcy, forgery
courts Of criminslity, jails. aims
houses, penitentiaries and thous
ands upon thousands OF imbeciles,
that had better never been born
and worse than even that, IL any
thing can be worse-many thous
ands yearly of noble men morally
ruined by drink and sent to inebri'
ate's graves, but for that awful bust
ness might have lived sober lives
all this for the love of money.
Would all this be allowed II oul
great citizenship we're cognizant o.
the mad revels 10 Chicago's 1000
saloons-New York's $1,000, anC
other great cities of similar clarac
ter? II the public could have thu
curtain lifted disclosing this hell o
all that's infamous, damnable snt
utterly corrupt. for which no al
tempt is made to justify or condon'
and not one word can be said 10 it,
favor-evil and only evil-and tina
continually. What can be done Il
meet this crying evil? The churches
have need to plant themselves 10 TIT
midst OF the evil instead OF in th'
rich and fashionable 'districts-anc
become much more than they ar
now, the light of the world. 1t Il
not money the churches so much
need as the love of the fallen-mor'
the spirit OF Christ prompting thcu
To 10 out after the lost--going afte,
them when they are In these depths
OF sin and woe. While they are try
ing 10 save these lost ones, the,
should see that their rulers they cleo
are men who have some sense o
right. Make no man governor
president or representative Who vii
wink at crime and the nonenforce
ment OF law. The condition OF thing
limited at above are chargeabl
largely TO people, church people ant
lall who do the voting-in electin,
men TO places of honor and trus
who are unworthy the confidence
placed 10 them.
Let the churches first as the,
ought, be In this fight against siI
by attacking the s,rongh I'D OF 1t
the saloon, and when it goes dowI
into the pit-the balance OF TIT
fight will be easy.
/