The San Francisco call., 1906-05-27
SOUL OF THE PEOPLE :.
THE THEME OF SERMON

A little book that will be very appro-
pirate for San Franciscans to read just
now in these trying times Of the rebuild
ing of the city is one called 1.-THE Soul of
the People," which has recently been is
sued by the Century Company. 1t is writ
ten by William M. Ivin and was intend
ed as a New Years sermon. The sermon
mists by nature find ringing shibboleth
in the words of the late Arthur Hugh
Clough, that: Better than is today has
never peen." The tone of the booklet is
strong and hopeful throughout In seek
ing to find and to explain what is 1.-The
soul of the people'-that is what is the
characteristic of the American nation
which distinguishes it from other nations
just as individuality and marked personal
traits mark one strong man as distinct
from another, the author summarizes both
our national virtues and our faults. He
hopes thereby to direct US to right ac-
ton.
The admission is made that our dis
tinguishing national character-"the soul
of the people''--is hard to define, and il is
also explained that whatever this charac-
ter is, it is constantly changing just as the
character of developing youth. Among
the characteristics mentioned as prop
erly attributable to us are: A closer
community of interests extending over
a vaster stretch of territory than exists
anywhere else in the world. A long de-
veloped opposition to militarism, which
makes of US a peculiarly peaceful peo-
ple A willingness to acknowledge the
claims of youth, and to grant to young
men share in the direction of affairs.
MI ~
youth the instructor of the nation, and to
this trait is given the credit for our
American elasticity OF mind
Another trait is that we have no such
superstitious reverence for the past as
to permit it to dwarf the present. We are
said to be not altogether irreligious be-
cause in the sense of hunger for knowl-
edge of the infinite" we can rightly be
called a religious people Perhaps the
characteristic of love of work. Ivin says
that If we do not hunger and thirst
for spiritual perfection, we do for perfec-
ton in our work, which is the next best
thing, and the one is bound to follow the
other-from technical satisfactions we
shall emerge into ideal ones"
AS for our national traits that are in
some measure censurable, we are told
that the charge of commercialism made
this charge Ivin proclaims that, never
theless, we love liberty more than we
love money. Another fault is our lack
of thoroughness and our liberation of ye-
neer So much Is this the case that the
spiritual center of gravity is said to
be in Europe and will so be for a long
time to come. However, it is pointed out
that through our national love of work
there is prospect of growth toward spirit
ual ideals and the direction of CONNER
cialism to nobIest uses. Our motto is re-
ported to be THE tools to him who can
use theIn..'
The sermon speaks in high terms OF the
press, and thus defines the part 1t PLAYS in
the nations growth of character: s1rhe
press is our most suggestive institution.
the one that best typifies and illustrates
our national ideals. 1t partakes of all our
frailties, but 1t also partakes of the
strongest and best that is in US. The chief
function of the press is to equal the
strain of change, and to prepare mems
minds for 1T, so that 1T comes with order
and not with disorder. as a natural deyel-
opment and not violent breach Of con.