The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-20
: San Francisco's Wickedness ,

r Such, q catastrophe as has happened
to San Francisco could not occur with
ont arousing a, variety Of emotions.
Happily the prevailing sentiment is
one Of sympathy and heIpfulness. Tho
American people have rushed to the
aid Of the stricken city with one accord.
4. But there are not lacking Earring
notes. For one thing we hear it said
with solemn shakings OF the head that
San Francisco was a very wicked city.a
The people thereof lived "a fast life.
The lid was not on. The Sabbath was
not respected. Travellers were shown
sights of deep sinfulness. which, of
course, they must have been willing TO
see or they would not have been ,ex-:
hibited. ~ s#%
Nobody has just the courage to say
that this was a punishment from God
sent to modern Sodom, but some
would feel indorsed if thist@inference
were voluntarily drawn. ! J"
Perhaps San Francisco was wicked
city and possibly there-were people
there, as there are in every city, whose
| way Of life deserved punishme nt. But
the most approved conclusions of mod
ern theology, are that wicked lives
bring their own punishment. The
thought that God suspends the laws Of
his universe to visit wrath upon the
atoms of mankind who have displeased
him belongs to a more primitive age.
The present age believes that the laws
| nj afr oirlxy CT in 1r
operation. Man does not yet under
stand them all and often runs counter
to them and when he does suffers Sc
verely. And in these instances the
good suffer with the wicked because the
laws of nature do not discriminate be-
tween mon as to moral qualities. The
gambler and the preacher who stand
in the path of cyclone will both be
taken. The rake and the saint who
seek place of safety will together
be spared
Yet it may be said with truth that
San Francisco is suffering today from
the effects of a folly. which probably
might have been avoided, in some meas
ure at least. 1t should be understood
that this is not the first earthquake
shock the city has experienced. Tt is
the most severe, but it is only the cul-
mination Of series. The people Of the
city have had warning Of the peril in
which they stood. They might have
built so as to minimize the risks, but,
ON the contrary, they adopted the same
styles Of construction as prevail where
earthquakes have never been known.
They built skyscrapers. They erected
great buildings on made land which 1t
required no revelation from on high
to tell anyone was insecure. The best
Judgment of man is thus being con
stantlv warped by his desires. He
wants what he sees others enjoying. He
initiates everything he sees and strives
constantly to improve upon his model
This quality in mankind has been one
cause of much Of his advance in civ,
ilization. But it does not always bring
gratifying results. It does not bring
those results when it contravenes the
j.. differences of science. va
The calamity at San Francisco seems
of titanic scope to us, but how small
an incident it is in the operations of
nature. The earth was adjusting itself
about as horse ..shrugs his shoulder
to rid himself Of a fly, and 10, the
whole world of man is involved in q
, horror. San Francisco might have beer
built SO as to accommodate itself tc
the Struggling process, and doubtless
when it is rebuilt this will be done.
But in the meantime San Francisco is
gone. It's people are in terror ant
want. They need both sympathy ant
help. They should have~beth H. before
), conclusions are drawn as to why the
:, earthquake came. When the final iudg
ment is made up we do not believe fht
doctrine that San Francisco was pun
| ished for her wickedness will be &C
cepted, nor will the people of, the city
be entirely acquitted ofz5having striet
/ to defy the laws Of nature Of which
they had warning. 3 reg
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