Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-04-18
LACK OF CORRECT
MORALS Is CAUSE
Editor News:

genesis of modern society. From that
article il IS evident that Mr.. Brannan
is struggling with an undigested mass
of facts and theories which he has
gathered from the writings OF his So
cialistic comrades, and which they In
turn have borrowed from the advocates
of monism or materialist1c evolution,
embellishing their borrowings with
other theories of their own manutact-
ure. That modern society is the pro-
duct of evolution | have no wish TO
deny, provided always that 1t be
granted that this evolution has pro
ceeded according to definite laws aid
down by the Supreme Law Giver, who
is a Personal and Infinite God, and Is
not the result of blind energy or
chance. Granting this: namely, that
Divine Providence in watching over
and directing the human race which
God created and placed in this world,
it will be evident at once to any be-
lever in an all and all-good God
that if, in the present state of our So
cial development, there has arisen a
class of men who in their greed ana
avariciousness appropriate to them.
selves by fraud or otherwise o OF
this worlds goods than is right AMI
just, and do not employ that which
they have thus appropriated for the
benefit of their fellowmen, forgetting
or not acknowledging the Christian
teaching that those who have wealth
should regard themselves merely as
stewards of God to dispense their
wealth for the best interest, jointly,
of themselves and their fellowmen,
then this must have resulted through
the sinfulness of these persons, who in
thus acting are not living up to the
teachings of Christ and the principles
of his Gospel.
That men do wrong today, that by
the misuse of their free will they
hinder and obstruct Gods will and
cause injustice to abound among men
is certainly no new thing in the
world, but has existed ever since the
original transgression of Adam and
Eve, and will continue until the end
of the world.
But the fact that some men are
greedy, avaricious and selfish, and
giving way to these sinful tendencies
have set themselves in opposition to
that Justice and brotherly-love which,
undoubtedly, God wished to obtain
among men, does not prove that pri-
vate ownership of property and means
of production properly safeguarded,
is radically or fundamentally wrong,
nor does it show that cooperative
ownership is right or that it will
make the condition of mankind any
better than it is, which is the ,ques-
ton at issue. 1t must be. further evil
dent to the thinking man who has be-
fore him the history of his race, that
the mere change from private to col
lective ownership is not going to
change the nature of man, nor turn
sinners into saints. Only the grace of
God can do this. The mere possession
of enough to eat and sufficient to wear
or any amount of enjoyment of this
worlds goods, supposing for the mo-
ment that cooperative ownership
would give men this, is not going to
do away with greed, avarice and sell
tishness. The millionaire of today does
not stand in need of any Of this
worlds goods; he has a plenty, and
more than a plenty of all. this world
can give him. Nevertheless he goes
amassing still more wealth Will
cooperative ownership change the ma
ture of such men so that they will be
with a fair share of this
worlds goods as doled out to them by
the socialist bureaucracy? Before l be-
lieve so someone will have to prove it
me.
But while l am perfectly willing to
admit an evolution of society in the
way l have stated, 1 most emphatically
deny that there aver has been OF is to-
day any such universal class struggle
as socialists claim and Mr.. Brannan
asserts has existed or exists at present.
1t is quite evident to anyone who has
watched the socialist propaganda that
they are doing all in their power to
arouse class ~antagonism, and to fill the
hearts of the less fortunate classes of
with hatred of their more for
tunate fellowmen and so bring about
that revolution which they are begin
ming to see will not come about in
The natural evolution of society. But
The mere statement by Socialists that
, class struggle exists does not make
of this statement prove it to
)e a fact. Labor and Capital are nat
1ral allies, not enemies. Each needs
he other. and if the principles of the
Gospel were always applied in their
citations on both sides, there never
would be any conflict between them.
What is needed, therefore, is not to
Idopt the new Gospel of Socialism,
,ut to get back to the old Gospel of
So | would still insist that the priv
tie ownership of property and the
means of production while open to
.buse, as every human system must
10 is fundamentally right, and the
means of securing to every man
is inalienable right to live as a man
hould live. Mr.. Brannan, so far as |
an see, has not offered one particle of
roof to the contrary in his article.
here is grave abuse of the private
wnership, l admit this, but the way
o cule it is not by social revolution,
ut by social reform, which lies in the
Of the people just as much as
Ocial revolution does. Therefore |
ill have to deny Mr.. Brannan's re-
uest, n because l believe that the
'atherhood of God and the brother.
God of man will be furthered more by
'eform than by Revolution, l will
ill sign myself,