Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-11-08

A voice is raised in Wall Street calling
for a revival of the old time religion"
Under the caption of What America
Needs" the WALL STREET JOURNAL
speaks thus:
What America needs more than rail-
way extension, and western irrigation,
and bigger wheat crop, ard merchant
marine, and a new navy, is revival or
piety, the kind father aud mother used
to have-piety that counted l. good bust
ness to stop for daily family prayer he
fcIe breakfast. right in the middle of
harvest; that quit 'ield wor < half hour
earlier Thursday night, so as to Ses the
chores done and go 70 prayer meeting.
That's what we need nov TO clean the
country of filth, of graft, and of greed,
petty and big, of worship of fine houses
and big lands, and high offlcs ana grand
social functions"
This is surely an unexpected source
from which a call to a revival issues;
but perhaps on account of that fact II
will be more effective than If 1T came
from some ecclesiastical authority. Com
ing from Wall Street it can not be sus-
pected of fanaticism or excessive ortho-
doxy. 1t might be considered as cry OF
commercial distress. 1t is surely the
voice Of commerce calling for help from
religion. AS such it deserves more than
passing consideration.
This cali emphasizes the fact that re-
ligion can net languish without trade
and commerce suffering with it. The
moral element is Indispensable to the
welfare of the mercantile world. When
faith decays, honor withers and honesty
fades away Collection laws AMI crlml-
raI statutes can not supply the vital
element of tIIuse virtues without which
the commercial world becomes predatory
and piraticaI in its spirit and methods.
A house of merchandise quickly turns TO
a zen of thieves when it is no longer
filled with highminded integrity which
does not need laws to make it just and
fair i'm it's dealings Hence commerce
becomes fetid when faith becomes Zee
BILE. In christendom at least the COM
merciaI world can not get on without
vigorous and pervasive christian life in
the community; and beyond the limits OF
christendom trade is of diminished vol
ume and uncertain condition
On the Sea of Galilee Jesus once
Gained q storm, ana thus saved the
little boat in which He and the twelve
apostles were sailing. One of the evan
gelists who records the miracle ADDS
most significantly to his account or the
event the words, "And there were with
them other little ships" In like man.
ner the vessels of commerce md safety
TODAY because they sail over the Same
seas with the ship of Zion. It is little
wonder, therefore, that the Wall street
Journal calls for more christian life ana
activity in the country.
The editor is right. The supreme need
of our country is not greater material
resources. We are richer than any ma
lion ever known to history. our gov
eminent statistics show that for num-
her of wears we have been swearing to
the tax assessors of the country that we
have far above one hundred Dllllohs u
taxable property. and If we nave con-
fessed to those gentlemen that we arc
thus wealthy, no one need SUSPECT lhaI
the figures are too large we never
cverestlmate our possessions IN the pres
ence Of taxing authorities.
Unfortunately our moral resources
bava NOT grown with our material re-
sources. We have acquired more power
nv obtaining more wealth; but we nave
not acquired more conscientiousness TOT
the direction of our Increased power
On the contrary, many have relaxed their
moral convictions as they have lncreas
ed their worldly possessions. haiseu
obo1e the temptations of want, they
have fallen into the greater snares or
luxury Having money enough 10 secure
a certain sort of consideration despite
their loss of character, they have not
felt constrained by public opinion 10 re-
frain from vices which in former DAYS
tbev would have feared TO indulge. Hence
thew have felt that a heavy purse ex-
ennpted them from a very hearty plety'
I,owered standards of conduct nave TAX
on the place of their former high levers
az living and shrunken ideals have taken
the Mace of the nobler aspirations or
their earlier days. They have come 10
doubt the feasibility of the highest type
of religion in the modish circles In
which thew move. They look upon such
rietv as a somewhat rustic or obsolete
thing. quite unsuitable to persons OF
their quality. Alas! for the deceitfulness
of riches!
1t will be observed that the editor OF
the WALL STREET JOURNAL is call
ing for a revival of this same old fash
toned. unworldly pety which so many
despise He is calling for family pray
ers and the mid-week prayer-meeting. He
saws nothing of having more eloquent
sermons. more classical music, more i'm
nosing ceremonies, or more advanced
thought.'' The city in which the WALL
STREET JOURNAL is published has all
those things in abundance. But it is evil
dent that all that lot of ecclesiastical
TOYS and millinery has fallen short of the
needs of the situation. The attempt TO