The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-03-21
CREEDFORCO[O.
The Greatest Deficit in
Our Modern CON-
merCialiSm.
RABBI PH|LO'S TALK

NIL IodothdoNci, ldulSS anu BehtiS-
men: Permit me to preface my re-
marks this evening with short but
needy apology / am a minister;--l
do not mean to apologize for that But
sermonize; and not infrequently 1T
happens that | say things those wear
ing tight shoes would rather have me
leave unsaid. In the course of my re-
marks this evening / may forget that
am not in q church preaching a
sermon, but, in the assembly of men
and women, who, having gathered
within these aesthetically classical
walls-to feast and be merry, to eat
and talk the time away in pleasant
and harmonious strains. II / should
be guilty of so gross q breach Of af-
ter-dinner eitquiette-well, just re-
member that l am only a minister,
and let it go at that.
But If interpret Alright the import
of the moment, your presence here this
evening is attuned to the strains of
more serious melody than the clink-
ing of glasses and listening to the
music of light-hearted gaiety. The
program of toasts you have arranged
for tonight-after the palate has
been tickled with the juice of choice
viands and. the stomach satisfied with
sweets and sours-predicates unmis-
takably that you realize that man
does not live by head only; that In
the true economy of life higher things
and thoughts must engage his mind If
life is to be made worth living--worth
living well. AS captains of commerce
let me articulate in clarion accents
what regard as the major deficit in
our modern commercialsm.
In the mint Of American life has
there been recently fashioned new
piece Of legal tender, that Lears the
newest seal of the American people,
and which more than any other coin
Of our minting represents the largest
circulating denomination of our mod
ern currency. The coin is of gold; one
side of which represents Uncle Sam on
the verge of collapse, with the latin
words f. Pluribus Unum zone out of
many engraved over his figure, and
the word Neurotic inscribed under
meath. On the diverse side is the
American Eagle, the bird of prey, with
outstretchel wings and penetrating
eye holding in his bill a streamer on
which is written the word "Strenu-
ous."
This is the new coin we have fash
ioned in the mint of American life. 1t
represents the largest circulating cur
rency of the American people. This
currency is made up of the blood and
marrow of the American people, and
when essayed is found wanting In pure
gold, because base metals also have
been compounded in the production
of this coin of our national charac-
ter.
One of the greatest moral deficlen-
cies In our American civilization is
the energy-exhausting the mind
depressing the soul--stunting and the
nerve racking pursuits of its people
which we have misnamed the siren
uous life. Strenuousness in the sense
OF an honest and earnest zeal for the
right is eminently desirable; but
strenuousness in its present day sense
of working under strain and con-
slant pressure is a vice and crime.
This brand of American strenuous
ness is breaking the moral and ply
sical backbone of the American peo-
pie.
Think for moment of the demands
made upon the average merchant. He
leaves his home-generally without
being able or even willing to spend a
few minutes with his family before
the two-minute breakfast. He comes
home so tagged and wearied at night
that he cannot properly fulfil his OBJ
legations as father. The music of
his children's voices sound upon his
ears like "sweet bells all tangled and
out of tune" and either he rushes to
the theatre to see some sensuous per-
formance in order to forget himself
and thus try to conserve his tagging
energy, or he must go to rest like the
brute beast, without mental or spir-
tual refreshment--so that he may be
ready to toll again on the morrow.
Week In and week out, month after
month this continues until perhaps,
indigestion forces him to take a short
rest at some "city by the sea-" where
the restrictions Of society and the
conyentionalities of "the people" are
enough to nauseate any well man to
say nothing of sensitive dyspeptic.
Every normal instinct of our ma
lures has been perverted by harness
ing the mental and moral energies TO
the vehicle "strenuousness." We are
no longer satisfied with the pursuit of
the normal; we hunger and thirst af-
ter the abnormal Our goal is no long
or thousands, but millions, yea, tens