Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-10-17


preferred to be dragged through the
streets rather than keep their mouths
shut concerning wrong and slavery
and then you will have an inkling why
government has set it's face like flint
against the entirely too radical"
Perhaps you know aught about
Jesus. Perhaps yOu know somewhat
Of one whose mother sang the Mar
seillaise Of the ancient world" even
while she carried the Liberator under
her heart; perhaps you know aught of
one who dared turn his back upon the
"respectables" of his day and espouse
the cause of the publican and the sin
ner, of one who preached on a street
corner, hilltop, from a fishing smack
in preference to the synagog and the
temple, the church ooh, you preacher
man of the twentieth century, OF one
who said such unheard of things tina
the church people drove him out of
the synagog and ached to lay hands
on him (EVER TRY THAT KIND?)
Perhaps you know of one who stood
in Roman court and refused to speak
to the judge when questioned, of one
who went to the cross before he
would retract one iota of what he had
aught of him? Well,
then you ought to understand that the
radical in the church and without the
church, in politics and in economics,
in matters Industrial or social, is ever
an undesirable quantity.
Indeed, there is reason for it.. The
very name radical tells the story. In
the Latin tongue, from which this ter
rible word is taken, it signifies zone
who concerns himself with the root. D
All, there's the rub. You don't care
to have men go to the root of bhings
In religion you want little revival
In politics you want little reform. In
the Industrial world you want little
more craft unionism, in the social
world you want little more social
service" (Will some one please tell
us what that means?)
You, too, agree with much that we
say but as you wrote in that letter
and on that postal, and as you saidson
that street corner and in the vesibule,
you think che goes too far" You
agree, in many things, But you ARE
not ready. to go all the way" Ger
tainly not, you want a little reform
but not a revolution; you want a little
patch, but not a new garment: you
still belong to those who gather new
wine in old bottles and sew new
patch on an old rag. Long since, tpne
whom you profess to follow has con
1emned your child's play and told you
then and tells you now that he who
puts his hand to the plough and look
back is not fit for the kingdom of God.
Like the wise ones of other days,
YOU do not desire new wine, you say
The old is good. Therefore you prefer
The existing condition of things; you
Wouldn' trade your abominable sys-
,em of anarchy for the cooperative
nor the competitive
world for the kingdom of God.
You are conservative; that is, you
belong to those who preferred the
leshpots of Egypt to the wilderness
wandering, the materialistic slave
pens to the dream of a promised land.
You are a conservative; that is, yor
belong to those who preferred the
,ynagog and Temple to the workshop
n spirit and in truth. You are. a con-
that is, you belong to those
who preferred burying the dead to the
of the gospel of the king
lon. You are conservative; that is,
you belong to those who preferred en-
Turing the oppression of the Roman
church to an absolute break with the
religion of that day. You
IRE conservative; that is, you belong
,o those who preferred taxation with
,ut representation to revolution. You
ire a conservative; that is, you belong
20 those who preferred slavery and
he degradation of the human soul to
Bull Run, Gettysburg and Appomatox
Court House.
You are a conservative; that is, you
belong to those who prefer having
! 900 900 child slaves, 5000, 600 unem-
51oyed men, 100000 unfortunate sis
ers offering their bodies in exchange
or bread; tenements, rookeries, jails,
corrupt judges, bribed legislatures,
stuffed ballot boxes, tongue-tied
teachers and priests, subsi-
lied press, platform and rostrum,
md every other fruit of "The Sys-