Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-05

Iatnall Warner, Mrs. Charles c. Rum
ford, Mrs. William Poole, Mrs. Lindley
G. Kent, Mrs. J. Allen Colby, Mrs. Will
liam y. Hawkins, who viii be aided by
Miss Isabel B. Wales, Miss Jeanette
Weldin, Miss Lucy Bancroft, Mrs Edwin
B. Sadtler, the Misses Grace and Helen
Beadenkopf, Miss Edith S. Danforth,
Miss Marion James, Miss Nancy Patter-
son, Mrs Montieth Jackson, Miss Mary
Poole, Miss Elizabeth Bringhurst, Miss
Alice Bell, Miss Edna n. Taylor, Mrs. L.
p. Moody, Miss Mary f. Kent, Mrs. Hor-
ace Belts. Miss Elizabeth II. Talley.
On Tuesday morning the Current
Events Glass resumed its meetings after
the holiday vacation. Miss Lore kindly
filled a gap in the program with a report
on current art, which, as usual, she IL
Illustrated by prints of most of the pic
lures described and included among them
some of the December magazines with
their wealth of colored Christmas illus
trations and che reproduction of French's
"Ihe Continents groups of statuary de-
signed for the new custom house. Some
excellent music was furnished by Mrs A.
G. II. Smith, who first played Chopin's
Etude in G minor. after giving some ex-
PLANTATION of the composers manner and
motive, and she concluded with the
"Halleluiah" chorus from Handels "Mes-
siah." At the conclusion Mrs. Bush re-
marked that if we are to have such good
music we ought have better piano in
the parlors for the performers and she
hoped that all members would not only
send exhibits to the Arts and Crafts Elk
hibition on January IL, so as TO make
worthy show, but would remember the
pantry department with cakes, candy
and other edibles. as these are TO be sold
for the benefit Of the piano fund. u
The report on home politics was
brought up to date and the action Of
Congress in view Of the irresistible difs
fculties in the building of the Panama
Canal considered. Extracts were read
from an admirable sermon by the Rev.
Charles d. Williams of Trinity Cathe-
dral, Cleveland printed in McClure's
Magazine for December, on "The Final
Test Of Christianity" He says; "The
chief moral demand of the age upon the
Christian Church and believer is for the
indignation Of the common conscience.
We are like boy who has outgrown his
clothes. The religion of the past spoke
its message of righteousness chiefly to
the individual and especially in terms of
ecclesiastical proprieties and the minor
moralities Of personal behavior. But there
has come to the modern world a sudden
and vast expansion of commercial and
| political development. And the old Chris
tianity Is confronted with conditions for
which she has no definite treatment; her
moral standards and her ethical systems
are not big enough for the new life of TO-
day. We have as many moral
standards as there are varieties of pur-
suits and professions among men. The
voice Of conscience is often keen, clear,
and imperative in certain regions of our
lives and conduct. and muiiied and con-
fused OF silent in other realms. For in
stance we are often long on theological
orthodoxy and ecclesiastical propriety
and excessively short on commercial in
tegrity and political morality. We have
had appalling exposures of commercial
and political inequality and civic I'M
righteousness. There are stories of some
Of our gigantic business enterprises which
have climbed to dizzy heights of finau-
cial power by deliberate policies of com
mercial assassination, by ruthlessly
crowdine TO the walls by fair means or
oftener by foul, all honest competitors.
And none is so Insignificant as to escape
their notice. The keeper of the little cor
ner grocery and even the street peddler
are as quickly crushed out of existence
as the great rival concerns. There is
solemn perjury committed before courts
Of justice and investigating committees.
Stocks are manipulated with diabolical
ingenuity TO the fleeing fthe innocent
and the ruin of the honest investor. And
yet who are they who do these things 2
They are often gentlemen who are scriip-
ulously correct in their personal behav-
Tor; as to the minor morals, thew are
temperate, sober, chaste; good husbands.
kind fathers Their home is above re-
proach, they are often kind and consid-
crate neighbors; they pay their debts
and fulfill personal obligations to their
friends. They scorn a lie where no bust
ness interest is at stake; are interested
in civic Improvements, give munifcentlv
TO movements for human hetterment that
do not interfere with their commercial
schemes, found hospitals, schools. social
settlements, build libraries and UNIVERSE
ties. They are even orthodox, pious and
devoted In their religious life. 20 10
church regularly, teach in Sunday school.
lead in prayer meeting, support the pas
tor $50 long as he breaches smooth
thingsl and give generously TO missions.
what is the result of this strange
ethical inconsistency, this moral contra
dictionl Il seems to lie in a divided and
disintegated conscience. In commercial
relations they have no standards what
soever, are morally color blind. "The ac-
cepted rules of the game" are a sufficient
code Of ethics And how does such con-
duct strike the public conscienceg In a
large degree, it does not strike it at all.
and until it is ihtegroted nothing eifec-
tive can be done against our gigantic
commercial iniquities. Bureaus NAV in
vestigate, Congress and Legislatures pass
laws, courts interpret and apply them,
and executives enforce them. but unless
public sentiment backs them up, il will
all 90 for naught. And even 90 TO the
church aud say, $50 and So is not grand