The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-02
PUBLICITY IS
NATION HOPE.
iDr. Gardiner Declares the Public Public
Conscience is Sound
'S833 and Active.
.1AE MOST POPULAR Of |. # MAN y! N
President Roosevelt Has Won
Americas Heart by His IN !,
tegrity-Other Sermons.

,Fsts t{t&teCT1ty--OlIlC .oSl i1loiio'
II nav. DR.. Gardner, pastor OF the Grace
/ Street Baptist Church, discussed !estel-
" day morning In a most interesting A'',
'8 1er the Advantages of Pupllclls' iAe
81 said in part: 800
S,rha neoplo OF our country arc now
\ IN An Investigating mood. IheS are
Ssnrobinr into tho politics aud methods otst
M nolitical rings and FINANCIAL corporations.
Il THEY are dragging TO light many us.s
d things. Some very fair regulations are
Il 1;jther.nE in The light Of publicity ana
fgthe heat OF popular indignation. lhc
disclosures clearly indicate that under
SBthe cover of secrecy IN the manaeen'ei it
n pf public and scm-publc affairs, 1nllui
aics have been practiced which are shock
Elnr 10 the conscience Of the whole re-
IL s,,iblic.s and, in some instances, practiceu
V nc men who occupied exalted stations III
n sccicty and were supposed to be hisn
q examples of personal A,nor. Is lnls
N fpct which has caused q thrill OF ni E
coraging suspicion TO run through wy
III hearts OF the people. Whom can we
the people are saying. ii ,o
"A far does this moral aXncss extend
Under the highly complex and central
4 B.ed Organization Of society IN these
~ I,nys groups OF men here and there are
KS enrnred In transactions which affect inc
III ,,linl-3, interests of vast multitudcs of
II mem These transactions are not open
III tc.l,hs public view. They take place pc
S&alind closed doors. The political inter,
y c.ts 81 whole communities. the tinahcia'
ii 1,Yt crcsts OF tens Of thousands Of people.
Il arc thus committed into the hands or
II me n who arc subjected TO temptations
q which are quite proportionate to the
Il ma rn,tudc Of the trusts they administer.
III And when, BY some accidental turn u,
N Affairs. tits discovered that high ethical
n standards do not necessarily prevail be-
%llind those closed doors, because those
N Etntlemen bear fair reputation amonS
,Stthc,r5 fellow-men. the people are dis
5$1,eartcned and alarmed. and a poisonous
u e ,nospherc Of distrust settles about
a .sncr's hearts.
Public Conscious is Sound.
isas But the fact OF exposure and public
condemnation is {, guarantee that inc
II Aubli cconscicncc is sound. and our re,
8 ctnt8history tends to encouragement and
hope, rather than to pcssiTsn,. We
4 miss the true lesson Of recent events II
y NC. suffer them to shake our faith IN
+ men and fill our minds with the gloomy
md facilitating belief that the world Is
eoing from bad to worse.
s& ri is true that IN the complex and
n colossal Acknowledgements Of politics and.
IN "a :, ,nerce the consciences Of men are
Il .,,h,ccted to extraordinary strains. But
T. tits EfnyEunhesitating conviction that the
4 apcr-rn human conscience was never
y r-s.o alert and aggressive. In fact, we
- ~ Icing in IN intensely ethical nge.s
n r.d ,hnrc never was less iutishcation for
N fl.;.t5-:1.ai T., tho great nEe-lonE STRUGGLE
" 81. 7~cc., right and wrong. believe IT IS
VI rc.,cr-.llv conceded that Theodore Roose-
r1, 4, 81, I'M
5l,.',,n5;r the United States Why? Be
cn,,se the people generally OF all classes
s5r-,d rorties have been persuaded that
.Ehc3 ls{ q brave man, who cherishes an IN
s. ytrciblc purpose to do right. The mo-
II mont that conviction SIS dlspelled Mr..
Roosevelt has no other quality or COM
2&bination OF qualities that can retain
q his present hold upon the public heart.
There was never a time when men eS-
altcd the simple quality Of integrity
Il moro than now do not say that this
z quality is more prominent than ever In
\ thc average human character; but TO-
b day5 men prize 1t and praise it--naH, al
y most worship it-as has rarely been the
case in the history OF the world. II Is
& the leading feature Of the ethical ideal
III 81 our age And It Is inspiring to re-
characters Of men are strained BY
formations OF extraordinary subtlcty
4 and power. u
Publicity a Safeguard.
,rhe most important lesson. however,
of the recent events to which ! have
q alluded is the value Of publicity as 4
4 safeguard of morals. What we need, and
& need with ain increasing urgency, is not
# an occasional exposure of the wrong
IA doing that goes on behind closed doors;
e but 10 open the doors. Let us cease to
M stumble along the way OF progress UNI
Il der the impulse OF an occasional and
81 spasmodc cxpoEurc which Is prccipitated
" by an accident and which exhausts Itself
t8in storm OF public Indignation voiced
Il nv the pulpit and the press. Let us
inaugurate n system of publicity. under
which the men who manage institutions
\ OF public or semi-public character
must work in the light. It will fortlfy
u them. It will hiring clcanness. sanity
K health. righteousness into all our public
ittilife, and this Will react powerfully upon
private morals
| 1T is In harmony with Gods order OF
y, the world as that order is indicated u
I Tho text: for the universe Is continual,
4 unfolding. The implicit must become
{; explicit. The secert must become open
\ is growing ever harder rs the worlc
rows older TO keep anything hidden
IG ,rhe light must penetrate everywhere
for II is through this bcnencent min'str.
OF light that God Is cleansing HIS crea
4. tion.
&"cHURcH & COMMERCE"
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