Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-12-08

trary Socialism is the embodiment al
those great ideals, which must always
be regarded as the glory of Judaism.
So with Christianity, which was no
thing more than the continuation and
fuller development of Judaism. Jesus
belonged to the prophetic line to
which Moses and Micah, Isaiah and
Ezekiel, belonged. Have you never
thought that almost all of his teach.
ings of which we have any record
was concerned with man in his social
relations, that he was not at all con-
cerned with deed? Do we not get
from Christ's teaching gospel very
similar to that of the older Hebrew
prophets-a gospel in which there is
denunciation of oppression and
tyranny, protest against injustice, re-
buke for the despoilers of widows and
orphans, scorn for an unfaithful priest
hood become a servitor of power and
privileged? These things, together
with profound and sublime faith in
the coming of universal brotherhood.
made Christianity the vital fofcc it
was in the world. And again l say
CnaL there is nothing in modern So. :
ciarsm that is contrary to these grea:
principles, but they are embodied in
Socialism. The torch which all the
prophets from. Moses to. Jesus bore
afoft is today being borne onward by
Socialist agitators.
In like manner we might go
through all the religions of the world
and find that their most vital forces
were the great social ideals of Justice
and Brotherhood which today find !.
their clearest and most, faithful ex-
preston in the Socialist movement.
Confidently and earnestly, the Social
list can say to the followers of Moses
and Jesus, Buddha and Mahomet,
Zoroaster and CONTIGUOUS, "The sub
lime social ideals which are common
to each of you, and which are the
soul of your religious faith, are inspir.
ing millions of Socialists throughout
the world, and their programmes arc
the means whereby the ideals are TO
be made real"
| ask you, then, for the reasons
have tried to indicate, to think of this
Socialist movement as being some
thing more than an effort to improve
Mans material conditions, as being
that indeed only as a means to the
liberation of his soul. Long ages ago,
in the infancy of the race, men saw
the star of hope rise in the far distant
sky over the hills of pain. A few. men
of infinite courage and faith, followed
the star, only to perish upon the lone
ly desert. Today we can look back
upon the desert and down upon the
plain as we sing our marching songs.
For we belong to any army of many
millions, and have already marched
far up the mountain where the star
still shines over the Holy Temple
which we seek. i,
We shall reach the Holy Temple if 3
we have faith and keep marching on;
our children and our children's chill
dren will worship there and fill it's
aisles with the sweet songs of FREQ
dom and Fellowship. Aye, this million,
voiced giant with the scaret banner
in his grasp, whose tread is shaking
the world with the force of an earth
quake, and whose cry is like the
primeval Munderings' which woke the
first gray dawn, will reach the Holy
Temple at length and SEIZE the star
for a sign of victory and a crown of
glory:
This is the Earth-god of the latter day,
Treading with soelmn Joy the upward =
way;
A lusty god that in some browning j..
hour
VIII hurl Gray Privilege from the
place Of power.
These are the inevitable steps that
make
Unreason tremble and Tradition
shake.
4 ais is the world-Wfil climbing to its
goal,
The climb Of the unconquerable Soul -
Democracy whose sure 'insurgent
stride
Jars kingdoms to their ultimate stone
Of pride.