Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-16

like / bow before ii. I have in my body
sensations. All knowledge whatsoever
comes to me through senSations ! am
of material made therefore all things
must come to me in the form of material
everything. everything, l say. even my
emotions Certain of my sensations seem
to initiate in my own body can tieui
appetites. desires. If God wished to talk
to me. He would talk through them. Yes,
that would be logical, just.
Also I have observation and memory
faculties and functions OF my materia'
brain-and ! observe that certain sensa-
| tons are pleasant and certain others
painful. If God were a personal being
who had revealed himself orally. pain
would be a curse. but to me pain is the
great teacher: pain is ever watchfui. pain
is lust | observe that some acts Yield
pleasant sensations. but the reaction is
painful. l consider this. | store 1t away,
| call il experience, it becomes my mon
itor When l heed my monitor, ! am
healthy. ! am content. am happy.
Otherwise. not. Now. the highest de-
velopment in man is the social instinct
the social experience, the social con-
science No man can himself safeguard.
but all men working in unison could re-
move sickness and poverty and pain. All
the books of all the religions have read.
they are confusion. Nature is the same
always Her l listen to and she deceives
me not. If God is, nature is His revela-
ton.
cdH see Noti poSIlioh, 'eA'N A'eA''''o
ten land il is not so irreverent as II
seemed at first. but your very arguments
prove the existence of God
Not so. 1t merely proves that if there
be a God. He is infinite and Just: caring
nothing whatever for any individual at
all. The innocent child is permitted to
starve to death. or to be ground UP in the
mills and factories. and God does not a
hand to save him reach. 1t Is merely
written down the social experience
that if man wishes his species to con-
tinue he must cooperate, he must learn
to protect his own young through sociai
supervision. God has merely tossed out
a world and said. Fight for it.. and we
have fought for it; fought with the pre-
historic monsters. with the tiny germs
ard with one another We have loved
the fight but We have not loved the COO
who tossed us the world to fight over
Some day, when we have conquered our
selves even as we have already con-
quered distance, time and the secrets OF
| production. we shall begin to look up;
and if there is God. We shall find Him
through loving our felloW-man; but now
we must continue to fight. and one thing
at time is plenty. Matter changes Its
form but it is not destructible. Life
changes it's form, but neither is it de-
structible. II life continues the same in
dividual life through its changes, then
some day |, my very self. may say ! have
found God. Until then I shall remain IS
| am. growing like tree
Twilight had begun to fling her long
shadows across the landscape, and the
restful peace of weary day stole in with
it's soothing silence. The two men sat
thinking. and their thoughts reached far
and wide in many directions. They did
not hear the door open and Ivan enter.
Ivan walked up to the old man and,
without reference to any foregoing sub
ject. said with sad firmness: Il cannot
approve
You can't approve of what?" demand
whether Ivan objected to the outcome of
his theological discussion with Emil or II
he objected to all religious discussions
from principle.
Il cannot approve Of your nephew's go
ing into your plant" answered Ivan,
earnestly I'VE are all subject to our en-
vironment and he is still uniformed. ne
would be shaken by his new duties, he
would soon get into your way Of think
| ing he would find himself in the midst of
and he would lose his high ideals. his pur-
pose. his real Iifework I cannot ap-
prove"
| You don't have to approve" rejoined
s; Ba nnington. glad to find himself on solid
! rock again. IN take all the RESPONSE
] bilities. ] only wanted to give you OPP
| portunity to display your brand of iudg-
i ment. ] don't think much of it. 1t is
! imprac tical''
! No murmured Emil. lit is Of expert
ence. Socialists have been taken into the
| cabinets of Europe. They soon began to
| think like ministers. We want all So
cialists to think like workingmen.
| When did YOU work LAST" flashed
Richard Bennington. turning upon him.
| Emil chuckled. This Is the way that
| personal controversies always start. They
| amount to nothing. except to pass the
| time away. Science deals with general
| iZatons. unscience confines itself to
! freaks, the hero the genius. the honest
] lawyer. the scrupulous captain of indus
! try" He closed his eyes, drew a deep
| breath and when he resumed there was
/ a vibrant undertone I'm his voice which
! entirely removed its usual academic i'm
| personality. Twelve years ago l stocked
a tramp steamer for ten months against
my will and without receiving pay. You
say such thing would be impossible. To
| me it happened, and still in my nostrils
| are the sickening SMELLS and still do
| gag at the rotten food | swallowed Since
| then with my hands l have not worked.
Now. when l work 1t is with the head.
My memory is good l can do many
things: but all ! work for is a modest liv-
! Ing. No man shall ever again make of
my labor much profit. ] am on q strike"
! Well. hanged IL wouldn't like to know
what the tests for insanity are nova
days cried Bennington. You two loaf
from one years end to another, and yet
you devote yourselves to bewailing the
hardships of the laboring man. / wish I
| had the power TO put You at hard labor
for the rest of your days. 1 would-but
remember, that as long as you are Dick 8
| guests, YOU perfectly welcome at
Bennington Park. ard what / say is said
| freely and impartially. and just the same
as if we had happened to meet at a way
| station
| THAT is all right said Emil smiling
/ You have been a good host. l have felt
| at liberty TO say all had to say Now
| II Is time to wash for dinner. so I'll say
All revoir for a few moments"
Ivan followed his friend from the room
/ and Bennington sat gazing after them
He shook his head while several conflict