The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-19

reviewing his five years ministry In
Ogden, Rev. Noble Strong Elderkin
said.
To be branded ''reformer" is akin
to being ostracised. To be styled "agi'
tator" Is the card TO outer darkness.
Whether anything needs reform or
agitation never enters the public
mind In tossing off It's opinions.
The pause OF unprogressive men
is always upon the last movement
I'VE have gotten thus far" they say.
I'VE don't think It is wise 10 go
farther No man who really under
stands the world, and knows the dead
line OF hope will advocate advance
Isn't the argument inspiring!
II you could see the sitting pow
CT OF bopelessness as / have seen 1t
In Ogden for five years, you would
not blame me for preaching hope.
When you find people saying,
These things have always been and
must always be-" you may be sure
you have corpse on hand. Where
there is not vision the people per-
ish
Ogden has felt that 1t was doom
ed TO impotence In the presence OF
protected wrong-doing. that 1t could
never be rid OF its curse. And 30
IL has settled down into hopeless
ness,
have tried to say that there was
no evil which could not be over
thrown; no wrong which could not
be crushed l have attempted to stir
up the great oruani1ations-call
churches-which boast love of right
eousncss, to show a minute portion
of that love
have tried to make the great
church an institution which every low
form OF life would dread and fear-a
force with which the moral world
must reckon.
have tried TO tell the goodish peo-
pie who say. There is no use" that
they are no use.
have tried to foster the courage
which would constantly protest
against every mockery OF justice,
With faultfiDding and whining l have
no patience. | believe in condemna.
tlon-open, defiant, uneouivocal. /
have attempted to stir up the peo-
pie to the stupendousness of the
problems which confront democracy
government by the people, for the
people. l have. with as much zeal
as could muster. contended that the
control Of the city by It's worst ele-
ment. It's lawless and indecent ele~
ment, was at best little short of
curse
have not censured that element for
Its low and vulgar ideals. | have SIM
ply maintained that In a Twentieth
century American city that element
had absolutely no right to peaceful
existence-let alone to the privilege
of control and rule.
] believe in trying to convert that
element after they have been de-
prived OF their power to deflle and
destroy. Until they are shorn OF that
power, they can blast too much good
HE
OF what use to convert the scarlet
scoundrel down yon9er, when the
very next morning another of that
nauseating type would rustic into
town and begin to tweak the noses
of court and police? Rather have I
sought to have 1t proclaimed from
the housetops that the type was OBJ
noxlous and would be bounded out
of the city-until ogden was known
everywhere as unsafe territory for
the whole brood Instead, the
splendid spectacle of police system
trembling in every joint lest their
actlons fall OF the approval OF law
breakers' Instead. a court waiting to
be told what II may do and what 1t
may not do Instead. prosecuting
department that would rather be shot
than prosecute the city's favoritesi
Well. II this constitutes an lmag
airy foe To civic welfare. I am plead
ing a residence in Missouri.
Perhaps I have carried sword In
stead OF handful of palms-but only
because as Society develops from
the simple to the complex. more and
more of tho woe and misery Is charge
able on some one else than the suf-
ferer OF II" Perhaps | have advo-
Gated harsh and unlovely measures
but only because the element with
which was dealing had TO he beat on
the head before ANYTHING would dawn
upon IT, should enjoy employing
gentler measures II experience showed
that they yielded results.
believe most emphatically that
brewers. whislsey distributors, bar
keepers, bbrotheltenders. gamblers,
prize-hght promoters. race horse touts
no matter how respectable they may
be-cannot be depended upon to hand
over 10 the next generation a higher
and finer type Of civilization. Their
very business precludes the possi-
billty. To grant these men the priv
ilege of fashioniug the coming civil
ization, lis crime against progress
and advance
To make tho educated. the hopeful.
the cultured the honest, the idealist,
the thoughtful realize their RESPONSE
billty and obligation TO tho new civil
ization has been part Of the task I
have assumed as Christian minis
ter.
! have tried to exalt higher ideal
OF brotherhood for | knew that the
Ideal of brotherhood which taught the
justice of despoilinG a brother man OF
his manhood was not builded upon
very sure foundations. have preach
ed the coming brotherhood wherein
no man would harm another or place
in the way OF another that which
would make more difficult the strug-
gle for selfrespcctinG manhood. 7
have persistently taught that trim
ming was damnablc
have insisted that the smallest
part of religion was the repeating of
prayers and the singing OF hymns.
and the burning of incense. The God