Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-05
EVILS Due TO SELFISHNESS
Corruption in Modern Life Father 0'OonnOr
Traces to Inordinate Greed,
LOVE FOR EAst AND POSITION PARAMOUNT
Entire social. Business and Political
Fabric Permeated by Thread
Of immortality and Self
Acknowledgement.

Rev. Michael j. O'Counor vice president
of creighton university In a sermon at St
Johns Catholic church Sunday morning
declared that modern evils and corruption
in social. business and political life exist
because Of "a general tendency to seek ease
end material peace and happiness, all pur-
chasabie with MONEY. aud TO evade hard
and difficult experience demanded by the
inevitable struggle between the supernat-
ursl and natural elements in mankind.
Il beiug the first Sunday IN Lent Father
O'Connor took his text from the gospel
read for the day, relating to Christs fast
and His temptation. In the story he found
a lesson fer common application. the neces-
sItv Of preparation TO survive temptation
by strengthening the will and Notifying
the flesh.
Continuing ne said
MEN in high places look out upon the
world and tell us that it Is dominated by
spirit Of worldliness never approached be-
fore It is the tendency toward material
advancement and gain and for the COM
forts. pleasures and ease of the world that
lies AT the bottom Of this condition. We
lind this attitude of evasion in the schools
and the training of children Modern pro-
fessors tell us we must not make things
hard for the child, but must make every
thing agreeable. That we must leave the
child TO it's own development, like flower.
unconsciously and without effort from
them. No hard work is required, no ardu-
Gus study no bitterness Of tasks assigned,
all work made easy. This fashion exists
because it is the worlds way to seek the
attainablc by easy methods
same in social Life.
.'.rhe same spirit exists in social life. In
the old days It was the fashion to keep the
children In the homes until they had been
trained 10 cope with society Now little
ones of 4 and 10 are dressed in dazzling
fnery aud taken to parties and balls made
ready for them Parents then never thought
of permitting girls and boys of IL and Il to
wander after nightfall the ways of the city,
to go God knows where and 10 meet God
knows whom Today fathers and mothers
are so forgetful of their plain duty and the
better needs of this life that they allow all
sorts of liberties to the little ones whose
habits and character have not been formed.
I'VE see the same easy-going regard i'm
our business and political life. In tho old
days the question asked was: Is it right and
Just and fair IN Gods law and between man
and mar"''s this the story today?
Corr~p.ioa IN Politics.
h'"u 'H' n'-,ulS ~ Wv '"'' w
tloh III ctst''" ti'i'H' 90 ei''' ~ Va,
papers No" 'h' t''i''' I'm.
the etas!ane ana u'shones'S u, 'he NV"
our pollticiahs TO-DAY We see 'ne'l III pom,
tics simply to take what they can find
there SO that honorable men today shrink
from political life and are afraid to have
their names mentioned In it's connection. z
The Master mas declared that we
would be HIS diseiples we mus, take up our
cross and follow iilnl' ana that we must
deny ourselves II IS pam WORD ana
easily understood II ~ lhroush WORK ana
trials ard Srlt-a""iN th'' character Is pro-
ducod. ana 't' '.'A '.I'S' "uuin nave
yen a..
~ v ~ W Law
fcN. - ii"NtS for Civic
-.s"-
.I,u, III, ~,r....,.,.,, ,u1 public AIorals''
u,,s IN, s,btcc, of th, sernnon bv Roy
n II Fellman al tho Groce Rantist church
Yesterday morning. Vie said IN mart:
..Esnecialv I'm the large cities have we
seen within tho last tventv-f,vc or thirty
years a grovvins disregard of law NOT only
OF the law of God. but of the law of the
state After wears which have seemed ages
IA those who love their country there is
now growing nm a sentiment for tho on
forcement of law Iavlosspcss has threat
ened our civilization ms It did earlier ciyili-
cations It attacks the home For every
four weddings tho record shows We have
one divorce There has been growth
of thieverv and crime untl thoughtfu, men
are trembling for the safety Of the com.
mrinity. Along with il we have the nrev.
aIence of graft thai has tended n brine
onr cities into disranute