The copper era and Morenci leader., 1912-08-02
Secret of True National Greatness By Rev. JAMES P. MARTIN Pastor of Hyde Park Presbyterian
 Church. Denver. Colo.

not yet fulfilled The anniversary of a national birthday leads us to reflect upon the state of things. Calm judg. ment would lead us to see many de fects and crudities in this passing era. Our history as a nation, our wondrous tales of fabulous wealth and unique physical advancement, parallels and re- sembles an individual who, hastening to get wealth and power and to be master of applying science to indus try, has left vulnerable points in his own education; Is like the man who. gathering generously, Is spending equally prodigally. We have grown big so fast that we have become awe stricken at our own size
 We might well sit at British feet and learn. We are confused of face at the thought of poverty and squalor. when our German friends are ap- preaching the problems so wisely. We are shameless because of our conceit and arrogance in our daily contact with men, but the little brown man" of the east is thoughtful here and might teach us maners. What shall we say of child labor; factory life in general; mining horrors; congestion
 
 surely cannot count ourselves as per feet, nor to have even attained unto our high calling.
 We need right now, less of pyrotech- mics, whether as fireworks or vain idle bubbling from some so-called patriot the measure of whose patriotism is de- termined by the length of time and ra- pidity of accumulation in feeding at the public crib.
 To my mind we need most to re- fleet sober1y and deliberately as indi- viduals every day the country over. The first thinking should be not of what other men ought to do, or of what Investigating committees may discover, and so on, but of what each one as citizen of ordinary capacity and intelligence can accomplish as he forms that part of the national entity confined within the limits of home or neighborhood, town or city in which he lives and votes. The true, sincere dedication of a patriots own self to country after serious concern for its needs, may accomplish our Utopian dreams and effect results that shall stand forever.
 That such dedication may be of profit and glory, each one has stern duty incumbent upon him. He must make the most possible of himself and project himself far into the mass of the body polite. That brings me to the theme of the morning. The secret lies right here. To have a great na. ton, let each individual make himself wise, strong and self-supporting. We are not saying too much when we re- fleet that the test of every institution Is the promotion of greatness in the individual
 The holy word of God stands for the i glory of the individual, saying, Let | every man hear his own burden" Christ's estimate of the individual i gives intensity to our thought. While the world Is busy trampling men under ; foot, Christ Is busy lifting them up | Christ did not consider external condi- tions. He went straight to mans soul | and stampeded 1t, made in Gods | image"
 Midway between selfishness and dis aster stands Christ's philosophy, "Let every man bear his own burden" which asks each man to love his fel- lows and his God and thus become great individual, gathering wisdom and goodness as he goes forth. In tn- div1dual excellence we have the key of all problems, the solution of all vexed questions, the clew of every maze
 The secret of the increasing wage comes not so much by shortened hours or laws of regulation as by the excel fence of the individual in doubling the quality and quantity of his work. When we will, we can double our wages, as a nation. Too many of us are buying tools of heavy labor when we should be developing intellect. Rely on self. Go early, stay late, give your nights to study, climb, make yourself indispen- sable, save the waste. Your fondest hope Is then not beyond your grasp. The difference in men Is not made by unequal laws, but by difference in ones own value.
 Which is better, to bring all men down to common level, or to lift up the lowest to the level of the strong est, wfsest and greatest? To return to our scheme, the secret of national greatness lies in personal culture, per sonal happiness, character and worth. The survival of the f1ttest is ours here. The boundary between strength and weakness lies there. The strong man wills to be stronger and becomes so. The weak man is content to stay as he is, and so loses his estate.
 Give yourselves to preparation for the last grand struggle. Ten years of fitting for one year of sublime living is none too great. Such Is time saved
 We need Pauls in our life so that the faith may be spread. We want an ideal nation-ideal in equal rights