The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-12-01
Sees PERIL FOR THE nation
Declares That High Moral Character
Must be Developed and Illiteracy
Stamped Out if Nation is to Endure
in Peace and Prosperity


keynote for a greater and more Christ
ian patriotism on Thursday morning
when he delivered the annual Thanks
giving day sermon at the union ser
vice held at the First Congregational
church. He told something of the his
tory of the ration and the first Thanks
giving day and urged the people of the
nation to get back to the grand prin--
ciples which had animated the builders
Of the nation.
The service was one of the best ever
held in Kenosha and notwithstanding
the rainy weather large crowd was
present. The choir Of the church rem
dered very beautiful musical pro
gram and solo was furnished by Harry
Il Morgan. Irving Tower presided at
the organ. The offertory which was
taken at the service will be turned
over to the treasury of the new Ken
osha Proyident Society as a start for
the fund for the work of the society.
In his sermon the well known Metho-
dist pastor spoke vigorously of the
need Of Christian manhood in the ma
tion today declaring that America had
withstood the hardships of her found
ling days but he declared that great
danger menaced the country today.
'ETo preserve the grandeurs of the
country" said the speaker "we must
plead for a wider range of popular
education. One of the greatest prob
lens this country has to deal with is
its illiteracy. In some portions of our
magnificent domain every other person
over ten years of age can not write
The choice of our chief executive is in
the grasp of illiteracy. Leaving out
of consideration any patriotic respon-
sibility it will pay us in dollars and
cents to educate our people. Whether
it was wise or unwise to legislate for
universal suffrage, whether or not this
fact is to be deplored it is to be faced.
1he illiterate man is citizen and aids
i'm making the laws Of this country and
in the election of those who are to ex-
ecuto those laws. The only way to
solve the problem is to educate.
"Wisconsin is doing well in this di-
Tection. 1T has ordained that "religion,
morality and knowledge being neees-
sary to good government and the hap
piness of mankind, schools and the
means of education shall forever be
encouraged. "
"To preserve the government we
must preserve correct and energetic
tone of morals. When the public mind
becomes vitiated and depraved every
attempt to preserve it is in vain. Laws
are then a nullity and the Constitu-
ton waste paper, The objective point
must be a higher order Of character.
If the nation should lead off in the
things which bring out and build up
grand character, then the people must
be inspired with holy zeal for all
that is good and patriotic--all that
tends to enlarge mankind If we would
surpass in this we must surpass in
thought, and brain and heart.
If we are inferior in these things,
we shall miserabIy fail. Our govern
ment shall go down to oblivion and our
bright luster fail if we over look these
best things in Christian citizenship. y
With all our possibilities, wealth
and grandeur, it is not enough to glory
in the fact, but we must stand up
boldly on the side of God and do our
best work. There are always men
wicked enough to go any length in
the pursuit of power if they can find
other men wicked enough to support
them. This is the explanation of all
social evils. Let the public frown
upon the social evil and it will 90
down. There is no man strong enough
to oppose public sentiment if that SEN
timent is built upon intelligence and
morality. Ambitious wicked men must
be restrained by public morality. When
they rise up to do evil they must find
themselves standing alone.
Outbreaking iniquity must be stayed
in its course. IF lawlessness is to be
suppressed the law must be rigidIy en-.
forced. This must be true of every
form Of Iawlessness. Anarchists and
communists must be made to feel the
power of law. If the laws, and pos
sibilities and customs of this free land
will not teach this class obedience and
patriotism, they should be taught at
the mouth of the gatling gun.
''We should not forget that moral
ity rests upon religion and that relig-
ion rests upon the church. If we des-
troy the foundation the superstructure
must fall. We may oppose the church
IL we win, but we cannot afford to do
it. This is a great Christian nation
and if America as nation is to avoid
the stumbling blocks Of the nations
which have ialIen int decay we must
continue as we began. with firm