The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-01-14
VIEW ON SOCIALISM
BY A UNJVERSALTST
Rev. c. c. Conner Tells of Attitude Of
His Church Toward Propaganda
First in Series Of Question
Night Sermons.

ti.tr NnN AANf. ~ y. NolhAtis pastor OF the
society, answered the question, eWhat
= the attitude OF the Uniyersalist church
toward the Socialist propaganda ii
being the first Of a series Of Sunday
evening services during which he viii
answer questions that are put To him
by the people There was large at.
tendance last night. among the audience
being the leading Socialists Of the CITY.
The speaker said in part: nThe Uni.
versalist church takes its name from IL
insistence upon the supremacy OF good
and the final harmony Of all souls with
God. It believes IN the universal scope
Iof the religion Of Christ which Is adapt
Cd to promote the well being Of all men.
a future universal good shall not stand
Isolated or unrelated To present aspira
tions and endeayors and processes. but
shall be the achievement Of God and
man as co-workers.
The Uniyersalst church cannot con
sistently lend itself To any PARTY. as a
party, but 1t will once and again cham.
pion the cahse Of man. Toward the
Socialists as men, it has the kindliest
feeling; toward them as d class Of men
eontending for their rights, it carries
us prayers and would extend its hand Of
help; toward them as laborers for the
good Of all the world, it would speak a
Christian approval and would cooperate
with them unto such great ends: toward
them as a class arraying themselves
against another class, it may have TO
offer some considerations and cautions.
There are evils in the industrial and
commercial world which we must recou.
.nize The bulk of them perhaps inheres
n capitalism, but all Of them may not
be there. A system n responsible for
much. II gets q grasp on an order Of
things. and men may be for time ap.
parently powerlcss, But men were not
meant to be slaves Of system. tbey
were meant to be masterful and free.
Reform Is not wrought BY arraying
system against system Or partv against
party We must have the sense Of
right living ana strong in men. and Ii
must advise their voices and direct their
feet and hands. We need more religion
IN politics We want nohler men in
state and nation. We must attain and
practice after the spirit and precepts Of
Christ. He makes men righteous by
His love and truth. and men then make
the better nation
Nome may be lust right In dividing
humanity into classes. III may "a ap.
pear on the surface; but there are not
the fundamental distinctions which We
may imagine. We cannot say with whole
truth that part on The world are work
ers and tlIe others are not. There may
be for time some idle men. but the
rule IS that all men shall he workers.
Fortunes are built np about wise man
ageinent ana unrelentin9 labor. and rich
men have confessed with Stephen CSirard
that their happiness was i'll their work
and not in their riches. Fortunes have
staved rarely in the line of generations.
Rich men have had, AZ a rule. prohigate
or generous sons and daughters. These
did not keep what their fathers accum.
ulated. The wealth Of men has come
back to the earth for redistribution
and has been scattered again br the four
winds, We don't see tile end Of the pres-
ent mammoth fortunes, the like Of which
never rolled 10 in former age. But
the end shall come to each Men do
not get, maybe, IN their TODAY every.
thing they deserve. but no man can Keep
what be daes not deserve. That is 4
source Of lasting good to lls. or Of real
joy to us, which Is the counterpart Of
which bears vital relation
TO our own life ami work.
There are certain handicaps upon
some. These a Christian civilization II
to remove, that in the language of the
Socialist platform all opportunities
shall be open and equal to all men,
But everyone should first beware OF the
handicaps which may be self-imposed.
in habits Of life which arc expensive and
bad, unthrifty and unwise No social
system shall De able to put and keep
about q man that Of which he Is not per-
sonally worthy.
Great differences in fortune, or in the
comforts Of life, intrude and persist IN
the absence of the spirit Of Christ among
men, or in the failure OF men to enter.
tain it or live by t. That spirit is 90
ing abroad in the earth as never before.
The <'hrist Is knocking at many doors,
and be Is finding welcome. Rich men
are going TO do more which shall conse-
crate their possessions 70 the general
good, EMPLOYERS are going 60 10 more
for the employed. IN many factories
already the profit sharing system Is in
And men shall he brought
to their own as they are qualified to
come to il. We are 70 make ready for
The kingdom in our midst. We are to
live the life Of it,
Al the close the speaker assured the |
working men Of the cooperation of many
forces in their behalf, and asked them |
% count thc church as chief among their
friends, and 10 turn to il for its mes
sage and It's spirit and its help