The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-03-28

to catch the boys and ruin them, to
place temptation before men, to throw
heavy burdens upon society in caring
for the criminals and paupers and de-.
fectives, and to be the chief source
of social Decentralization and human
misery, till all the men engaged in
the manufacture and sale OF intoxi-
cants have accepted Jesus Christ as
Saviour and have learned to apply
his principles to all the details OF
their lives? Will you not agree with
me that the wise and Christian thing
to do under the circumstances is to
enact such laws as shall make it i'm
possible for men to manufacture and
sell that which tends to demoralize
men and to cast heavy burdens upon
society? Must we not say that the
best way to prove the power of our
faith and the reality of our religion
is to prohibit the saloon and to take
up this stumbling block out of the way
of the people?
The church as an institution is here
! to serve mankind in the realm Of the
inner and spiritual life; it is here to
| inform the mind, to purify the in
sight, to train the conscience, to
arouse the will; it is here to win
| mems hearts, to save their souls, to
seek the lost and love them into the
! Kingdom of God. The state as an in
stitution is here to serve mankind
in the outer and social realm of life;
it is here to be the institute of rights,
| to conserve human conditions, to
maintain justice between man and
| man, to regulate mems conduct in
| solar as it affects the well being of
society; it is here to protect the
weak against the strong, to direct the
| strong and restrain the vicious, to
promote the common welfare AMI
safeguard the common peace. In
the Christian conception of things, the
church and the state are both divine
institutions each with divine and
human mission, each fulfilling an es-
sential function in the life of man
and the progress, and. yet both CO.
operating in the one end and both
seeking the well being of man. in
this modern world the Christian finds
himself member of both the church
and the state; under these circun-
stances what must he do? One
course of action only is logical and
Christian: he is to work in and
through these institutions in the in
terests of man and the promotion of
the kingdom. He is to work in and
through the church upon the inner
; spiritual life of man, dealing with such
! with human consciences and Wills
lHe is to work in and through toe
state upon the outer social life of
man, dealing with such things as hui
man actions and conduct, with social
conditions and institutions. In and
through the church, I, as an numbfe
: followed of the Master, will do what
can to inform the mind, to show
men the duty of temperance, to per-
suade them to forego all use Of in
toxicants, and to build them up in
faith and love. In and through the
state, l, as a Christian citizen, will
do what l can to remove all tempta-
, ton from men, to provide helpful and
not hurtful conditions, to take up all
stumbling blocks and to make straight
paths for mems feet. And in my
judgment one line of action is just
as Christian as the other. Too long
We as Christians have limited our in
te1ests and have confined ourselves
, too exclusively to mans spiritual and
heavenly life. Now the time has
!, come for US to serve the whole life
!, lei man and to ensure such conf
, tions as shall make it possible for.
! every life to grow up straight and
e tall and pure.
Il We cannot say that Christianity
v has failed because it has not. yet won
all men and taught them how to live
e as citizens of the kingdom. We must
s rather say that Christianity has not
o Iyet been tried in its fulness and
: power. We cannot say that Christian
$ ity is failing because it uses the
e divine agency known as government
i t. promote human well being and to
4 secure better conditions for the pee
d pie. We must rather say that these
t are ways in which the power of
/ Christianity is proving itself as the
e power of God unto social salvation
and human progress.
4 Assuring you of my deep and abid-
: ing interest in the cause of union
labor, and affirming my conviction
that every child of the race should
: have fair chance for life and for It's