The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1911-03-04
EDITORIAL
THE COMMISSIONERS
BY j. s. FELTER
Who Contends Springfield
Beautiful Must First Be
Springfield Clean"

Editor OF State Register:
Dear Sir Justice is the child
of moral sense, and lives in the
golden beams of truth mellowed
by pity, and breathes the philan-
thropic atmosphere of righteous
ness in the fruitful garden OF the
ness IN The fruitful garden of the
gods, where gentle showers of
love, of benevolent wings, de-
scend on the soul, attuned to its
infinite Creator.
A man without a moral sense is
"A bat, winged with greed and
tyranny, and chatters j n the
small garnet of an impoverished
soul.
There never was freedom with
out Justice, or justice where there
was no freedom. They follow as
the day follows the night.
By moral sense" we do not
mean ''the knowledge of right
and wrong" for, as matter of
fact, the dog knows when he is
wronged; but we do mean more
than the mere knowing-we mean
standing in defense of right. To
know the truth is one thing, and
to speak the truth is often an
other thing. Morality is the soul
before the bar of God and sense
is its atmosphere of freedom. The
best brain pulsating with truth,
in all ages past, exhorted man to
stand fast in the knowledge of
the truth wherewith he had been
made free. All great men, all
along the flight of ages, held in
common that moral sense was
freedom, and that lie was slav-
cry. When you talk about
moral sense" you are talking
about an active and not a passive
sense. An active sense is bold,
and a passive sense is cowardice.
A moral coward is the most con-
temptible creature known; being
slave to his interiors, he turns
his face about.
The country is not suffering for
the want of knowledge of right
and wrong, but for the want OF
leaders of moral sense to stand
for the right.
There is a psychological ele.
ment in human nature known and
called moral sense" that lifts
man above all other animals, anC
an education that does not de
velop this element is an ignomini
GUS failure on the one hand and I
monumental curse on the othe
hand.
All great reforms were led b.
men cast in the mould of mora
sense" men who had commune,
and caught and held fas
thoughts, lofty thoughts tina
moved to action the thought lif
of the sluggish, passive world
men who dared to stand on tn
mountain top of "moral sense,
where humanity is glorified an
thoughts born Of justice neye
die. 1t was from this Lofty emir
ence our forefathers issued thei
proclamation that ran around tn
world.
IL was moral sense that pro
claimed freedom, and it is NOR;
sense that must perpetuate it.
Courts cannot command onl
their beneficiaries, and their d.
cisions determine the character {
their friends. Even the cur thu
wags his tail on the approach {
his master has a mouth full {
teeth.
A city can rise no higher tina
the civilization that controls j
Civilization is the lettering on Il
dial OF moral sense. The city {
seven hills dropped into the va
ley, and naught remains but Il
frowning hills and murmuril
Tiber to cite the traveller to Il
history of her rise and fall al
civilization dead.
II is the volume of trade tn
determines the commercial vail
of every franchise, every busine
site. and it is this law that Civ