The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-11-30
TEE REV. DR.. PHILLIPS
POWERFUL SERMON ON MORAL
IDEAS AND LTHICAL
PRINCIPLES.


Prediction Made by Him in the Same
Pulpit Sixteen Years AgO-Evidence
Says DIR. Phillips of a Changing Point
of View on the Part of Rich Men and
Women Regarding the Rights and
Responsibilities of Great Wealth.
Rev. DR.. Newman Smyth Publicly
Thanks DR.. Phillips for His Sermon.
The union Thanksgiving service held
at Center church yesterday morning
was largely attended. The services
were presided over by the Rev. DR.
Newman Smyth, D. D., pastor of the
church, and the sermon was delivered
by the Rev. Watson Phillips, D. D., of
the Church of the Redeemer. The
preacher called attention at the outset
to the great change for betterment
that has taken place in the moral and
civic life of the American people and
he predicted even greater victories in
the future. His sermon was a pow
erful one and it was intently listened
to by the large congregation. Before
announcing the closing hymn Rev. DIR.
Smyth said he wished publicly to thank
Rev. DR.. Phillips for his well prepared
and mastery address. Dr. Phillips
sermon in full is as follows;
st. John 1872, And the truth shall
make you free"
On this anniversary, sixteen years
ago, a stranger in New Haven, / spoke
from this pulpit on the place and de-
velopment of the moral idea in Ameri-
can history I claimed that, from the
beginning, the moral idea had been a
vital force in our creeds, our institu-
tions and our life, and predicted that it
was to win still greater victories, and
that, through the continuous pressure
and consistent application of ethical
principles, we should yet have in fact
as in name government of the peo-
pie, by the people and for the people
On the faces of some of my hearers
there We're patronizing and cynical
smiles; but since that time many pro-
phetlc movements and impressive
events have been written into the his
tory of the republic.
Let us recall some of these events
and movements.
The Spanish war has been fought on
what seem to some of us high moral
grounds and the world has had the
spectacle of great nation resisting the
temptation to the immoral use of pow
er and devoting itself to Che patient
culture Of incompetent peoples into fit
ness for self government.
There has been a slow but steady adj
vance in the popular conception of fed
eral service and in the method of APP
pointments thereto. Not only has the
federal service been reformed, but some
states have legislated wisely and made
honest efforts to enforce the laws en-
acted, and in many cities reform prin-
ciples have been applied to the schools
and to the police and fire departments
with noticeable improvement both in
the character of the appointees and the
quality of the service. The old ideas
and methods are not easily uprooted-
they have too many years of false
teaching and public Indifference behind
them-but under the faithful propagan-
da of the National League and the To-
cal commissions the work will 90 on,
and, some day, by consent, that ethi-
cally fantastic doctrine, to "the victors
belong the spoils," will be pigeonholed
with the many other curious old creeds
that have wrought mischief in the
world and been gathered in by the Gu
rators of outgrown vagaries. "A sure
of this is seen in the con-
trasts suggested by the great meeting
in New York last week assembled to
honor the memory of Carl Schurz. the
first apostle of many of those ideas
which are now a common gospel among.
us, A few decades ago Carl Schurz
was counted a visionary if not dan
gerous political hereto, but to-day an
expresident Of the United States
standing on the same platform with
many Of our most prominent men, and
with their most hearty approval, saws
Of his life, cit Is the lesson of moral |
of intelligent and conseien-
tious patriotism Of Independent politi- |
cal thought, of unselfsh political affil- |
iation and of constant political vigil |
lance" And one of our clear-eyed po-
cts sings of him,
''Not once, in all his length of days
That falchion flashed for paltry ends;
So wise, so pure, his words and ways.
Even those he conquered rose his !
friends"
There is, evidence of a changing point
Of view, on the part of rich men and |
women, regarding the rights and re- |
sponsibilities of great wealth. Gifts
eft for a kings ransom" are being !
made Ito education, to missions, to al
most every form of practical ihilan- |
thropy with such frequency that they
hardly excite comment, and every will |
that contains no such provisions is at
once brought to judgment. A multi !
has announced his belief
that no man has a right to die enor-
mously rich, and is diligently proving
his faith by his works.
Corrupt Practices Acts have made
unsafe the venal use of money in cleo
lions, rendered difficult the debauching
Of voters and legislatures, clipped the
wings of bosses and opened the way
for poor men to serve the state and for |
the free expression of the peoples will. |
Encouraged by these gains, some, who |
are to be counted neither foolish nor
visionary, are advocating the direct |