The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-28
Remedies for Badness.

Muscatine Journal: Bishop Quayle
OF the Methodist Episcopal church is
reported, when asked what allied the
world, 10 have replied that it was
badness. AS the most effective rem
edy he recommended q Methodist
mourner's bench.
Tt is badness. said the bishop,
that is troubling the world and not
politics and policies and tariffs and
schedules. Sin, sin is responsible for
IS per cent OF the trouble. Ii / could
bring the world TO a Methodist mourn
ers bench would solve the problem
You hear much talk Of socialism and
the Utopian conditions that are ex-
pected To come with regime OF that
sort, but tell you you cannot reno
yate the world in job lots, anc social
ism will aot do; the world is individ-
ualistic. it is not communicate; but
Methodist mourners' bench would do
the business"
There is little doubt that the good
bishop is correst in his diagnosis OF
the worlds ailments. They are bad
ness and sin. II is to eradicate
them that all who are working for
the uplif. OF men, are striving. Even
the socialists. whose plan, as the
bishop says, will not do. are but striv-
Enthusiastically most of US believe
to eradicate sin by establishing an
ideal state OF society in which the
temptation TO sin will be greatly less
ened and the great basic causes OF
evil removed. Commenting on the
words OF Bishop Quayle above, the
Keokuk Gate City says, that sin is at
the bottom of every wrong. and that
the way to abolish sin is to reform the
sinner. This" continues The Gate
City, must be done by dealing with
the sinner as an individual. and not by
dealing with sinners in job lots
To this last We must dissent
We believe every effort to reform
sinners, either as individuals or in
| job lots, and every effort against
sin, whether against each and every
sin of the individual, through the
moumers' bench, or against a single
sin Of the aggregate OF men as that
sin may appear in politics, in tariff
schedules or in politics, IS for the
good Of the race. accomplishes much
and that not one, that is sincere ant
earnest, is in vain.
One agency may be mightier thar
another. out in this battle with the
great power of evil-sin-that ais thu
world, every agency and every facto
that may be brought to service in tn
struggle. is worth considering. /
worth while.
We believe that the public maj
who rebukes the sin in corrupt
public policy, is serving as great a
end, though perhaps in not as grea
!, a measure, as the minister of tn
, cloth who rebukes the private ST
Of the individual and brings him t
the mourners' bench.
After all the public conscience
more amenable to the cali of RICH
eousness than the average priyat
conscience.
United, our virtues are stronger. OF
! vices and follies more under our cor
troll
. With Bishop Quayle. we hearth
agree. that Ii every man might /
brought in all sincerity and truth
the state of mind. the old fashione
Methodist mourners' bench typifie
ct would do the business"
But the IF. is large one The
seems little likelihood now of its a
complishment.
In the meatime. every effort, eve
agency that helps 10 bring the aggr
II gate conscience Of mankind lit
nearer to realizating sense OF Il
beauties and the duties of hum;
7 brotherhood are doing their little pa
L -infnitesimal though the part nj
. be-of @the business"