The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-02

comedies with the opening or
the much heralded Men
lAUA and Religion" campaign in
this country The latter seeks
to arouse the men of the entire nation
to a sense of their religious response
bflity. The enterprise IS about @ lne
biggest project undertaken in the his
tory Of organized church work on TINS
western continent: and 1t embodles
the idea of patriotism and social re-
Iieion along with personal piety IN
manner that probably arrest the at
tention of thoughtful people every
where. The completeness OF the or
ganization, with campaigns" IN nine
" cities as plVltoI cenIeTS, Is d4LoSSlA-
er up to date.
After all has been said. this most
unusual and modern enterprise mas
nothing essential in it that is not eX-
pressed by the history OF ancient
Tudah. These three teams of ex-
perts who are to canvass the coun-
try in the name of the organized re-
ligion of North America, are merely
the present-day substitutes for the olo
prophets, who called judah back TO
Jehovah. The need is the same;
sense that the people are going away
from God, in the blind Following or the
worlds fashions: and that continued
life and true prosperity for America
consist in her remaining loyal to her
unique mission among the nations
Is a ssPecuIiar'' Nation Needed?
This is the day of world Standard
zation. Massachusetts shoes, PhlIadel-
phta hats and Troy linen are being
worn in China and Japan. The clothes
of the women in Moscow and Warsaw
are quite like the latest fashions IN
New York. Superf1cially, nothing is
more noticeable in a tour of the whole
earth than the similarity of styles and
usages that is being rapidly effected
everywhere.
How deep does this principle run?
Are we to have no distinctive and Pc
culiar nations? The Jews of old had a
mission to mankind, which they were
to express by adhering rigidly to their
distinctive traits. When they ceased
to be different from their neighbors,
and followed the prevailing fashions,
they were wiped out as useless Does
that law no longer prevail? Do ma
tions now fulfill their highest destiny
by being as like as possible to other
nations?
Nobody can study closely the world
of today, and especially the older ma
tions, without being convinced that the
place and mission of America-and by
America mean North America, Tor
there is no essential difference IN the
ideals Of Canada and of the United
States-is as absolutely distinctive as
was that of ancient Judah The new
life of the old Orient is being shaped
principally by the history and fdealism
of this new west, which has been
providentially placed in its magnlh-
cent geographical isolation in order to
work out a unique destiny. A verit-
able teacher and prophet among the
nations we are. What may vaguely
be called the American spirit IS the
most powerful leaven at work on the
earth today. No sordid, material in
fuence this; it is high idealism and
spirituality. It spells liberty and
brotherhood and justice and emanc1-
patton. Those great conceptions Wh1ch
created this western world are today
the deepest need and desire of un-
Of nR0nle.
who are heirs of oppression. subordl-
nation, ignorance and fatalism Ju-
dah failed to be true to her mission;
and she not only forfeited her own
existence, but she also failed to serve
the nations to whom she had been
commissioned as a schoolmaster-
Where Politics Becomes Religion.
All this is more than politics or
craftsmanship; it is religion. For the
deepest concerns of the life of an in
dividual or a nation are always re-
ligious; and politics is really shaped
in the depths of a peoples character.
Party platforms have less to do with
a nations political character than its
religious books The preacher is
greater man than the politician; and
the statesman achieves real greatness
only when he is primarily a prophet.
1t is safe to say that. If this Men and
Religion campaign, which is just
now being launched. achieves its
proper dimensions, it will bulk more
powerfully in the nations life than all
the busy maneuvering which at the
same time is engaging the politicians.
A primary lesson of history, which
cannot too often be reiterated, is that
religion is the first factor in a nation
life. The great and growing people OF
the present time are those with a
vital faith French magazines have
been lamenting the condition of their
nation, as compared with that of Great
Britain, revealed at the coronation;
but few of them perceive that the Sc
cret lies in Frances loss of real re-
ligion; whereas. as the coronation
ceremonies indicated, the handspring
of Britain's life is a sense of RESPONSE
bility to God One may even go farther
and point out that a fundam entail
reason for Germany's lack of success
as a colonizing power, and one cause
of the worlds 6istrust of her designs,
is that she has not carried with her
into the government of the colonies
that deep religious sense of steward
ship and responsibility for her sub
1ect's welfare, which has marked the
United States and Great Britain. Both
these great nations are, in broad
sense, missionary nations; they have
felt themselves to be taking up the
white mans burden, and to be Gus
todians of the welfare of weaker peo-
pies. All of which Is but the out
working of an overwrought Christian
cohV4cuoh on the part OF the people
Some Things That Abide.
old Judah's problem was primarily
then. one of men and religion. Two
things which can never be divorced
are the character of the people and
the state of their nation. When the
people of Judah, under the Judges
and under King David. gave them
selves to their first work of serving
Jehovah, they had success over their
enemies. and prOSueFffv fu their H0una
affairs. When. under Solomon. they
L..-nnAH. -