The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-08

For the Man Who Is Down.
The International Sunday School Les
son for Nov. 9 is Abstinence Tor the
Sake of Others" Rom. 14:7-IA.
(BY. WILLIAM T. ELLIS)
If that keen-eyed little old Jew, Dr:
Paul, formerly of Tarsus. could reao
our newspapers for a month, and LOOK
about at our civilization, ne Wouio
probably let loose come of his bound
less enthusiasm:-'1 knew it would
work! I was sure they would come
to 1t. They called me an impractical
dreamer, but saw it as a law OF lie;
for none of us liveth to himself, ana
none dieth to himself"
We can imagine Paul commenting
in some such fashion as this: LOOK
at these news dispatches. Cleveiano
gets rid of flies, by abolishing all the
breeding places. Shall not lNery-
man store refuse where he pleases' OF
contractors wait their own convenlence
in gathering garbage? Isn't that their
personal affair? All, the city sees II
now: The welfare Of the whole com
munity takes precedence over the Ho-
erty of the individual
watch Philadelphia driving out the
piggeries from the city lmlts; marc
on the individual owners? Yes. put
thew must yield to this supreme law
OF the highest civilization, the we'll
being of the entire social body. You
can't do as you please and live In the
Twentieth Century. or in the New
Testament
The old Apostles sore eyes would
snap as he cries: Behold the Christ
law of otherism at work on every
hand! Here is a city which Is not
permitted to empty it's refuse into the
river, all for the sake of another city
a hundred miles further down stream.
one old-fashioned housewife, who pre-
fers rainwater for laundry purposes,
is forced to keep a coating of oil in her
rain barrel, even though she personally
does not object to few mosquitoes.
your modern business is yielding
to the same social law. SNAIL not a
manufacturer run his plant as ne
pleases? Not any more. Even a FAC
tory does not live unto itself. Ihe
law steps in and makes the owner IN
stall safety devices. 1t regulates the
number of hours his employees may
toll, and the minimum wage they may
receive. The age of minors who may
be hired is fixed by law. Matters OF
ventilation. sanitation and hygiene are
determined by the state. Big business
and little are being forced by law TO
recognize this new teaching OF Jesus
Christ; that the welfare of all is the
concern of each. and that the strong
must care for the weak: and that
None of us Iiveth to himself. and none
dieth to himself"
An Old Teaching Up-to-Date.
When we conjure up the figure OF
the Apostle Paul amid these modern
scenes, we suddenly realize how So
cialized and Christianized our day Is.
In a dozen ways a day, every one OF us
yields obedience to the principle OF
safeguarding the other person who
cannot look out for himself. That Is
what the food-inspection law STANDS
for, and the boiler-inspection law, and
the "Plimsoll Mark" on the steam
ships My arm Is sore as 1 write
these words. because vaccination
against smallpox has been advised for
this neighborhood. 1 had no fear OF
smallpox; my personal inclination IS
against the vaccinations; but 1t would
be unsocial to decline to take every
possible precaution in behalf OF the
community's welfare.
What the spirit-leve1 is to the build
err, this old teaching of Paul Is to our
days social order: "None Of us liveth
to himself, and none dieth to him.
self" There you have the twentieth
century social passion in sentence
Our time has set it's face against sell
fish individualism. and all unsocial
usages.
Now apply that spirit-level to the
liquor business, and see what happens
to the Wanted personal liberty" plea
of the trafficker in that which hurts
what ever 1t touches. This lesson is
bound to discuss the saloon. for 1t Is
the annual temperance lesson, for
Worlds Temperance Sunday. Wher-
ever there is a Sunday school-and
that Is about everywhere on earth
temperance is the theme for this par
ticular Sunday. Pulpits by the thous-
ands will this day echo to the same
refrain. AS never before since the
dawn of time. this year finds the
Christian church facing, with new
resolution and intelligence, the tenn
perance issue.
Calling the Roll of Business.
The platform for today, as Paul
laid it down for the Roman Christians,
is this one of social Internationally.
You can't do as you please" without
pleasing the devil. Life is to be lived
with respect to the other man-and
God. Whether we live or die, 1t is
unto the Lord. Our goal is not only
the common good, but also a common
Judgment seat of Cod" What a ire
mendous incentive! Old Paul relent-
lessly pushes further the principle of
the chivalrous obligation of the strong
to the weak: For if because of
meat" (This allusion is to the ques-
meat that had been dedicated to
idols) "thy brother is grieved, thou
walkest no longer in love. Destroy
not with thy meat him for whom
Christ died.
We have translated this nowadays
all into the familiar terms of social
service and efficiency. The vote of
our day has gone against whatever
hurts the weaker brother Every man,
every practice, every business, must
answer to this test.
Let us call the roll of merchants
who ask public permission, protection
and patronage:
"Mr. Grocer, stand up and answer
why you should be allowed to do bust
ness, and take the peoples wealth ?"
1T give men food in return for their
money; they cannot get along without
me-"
"Mr. Clothier, what have you to
say?"
1T provide protection and adorn-
ment for peoples bodies, doing them
good and not hurt"
"Mr. Bookseller, you take in much