The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-09-02

than christians Of the past. First, we
have learned that the incarnation Of
God, the coming OF Christ In human
flesh, His becoming man among men,
has sanctified all human relationships;
that men are no longer to think Of
themselves as separate units, just
God and oneself, but that they are to
realize that there can be no christian
religion that has not to do with God,
oneself and ones brother. For how
can man love God, whom he hath not
seen. If he does not love his brother
whom he hath seen And we have
also come to know this, that Jesus
Christ. by becoming man. made every
man stand before God, with the equal
rights Of every ether man. And,
therefore, we have found this to be
profoundly true; that christianity can
never again be anything but social
gospel, gospel that is to do with all
of human society, and that christian
men. if they are truly fulfilling their
purpose are to live in communities,
cities If you please, that they may
permeate and make christian the city
in which they dwell. And 80, this
morning, l make no apology in the
midst OF our celebration or at the
conclusion of 1t, when we are think
ing OF larger and greater Keokuk,
to ask you to think with me of some
of these principles which should an
innate us as christian citizens in this
city. How shall we make Of Keokuk
the ideal city?
People Who Founded Keokuk.
First Of all. the city will have
unity with its past. presume that
there has been no other city in the
middle west that had entered in it In
its early days, to be the founders OF
it, men and women of more gentle
birth and breeding, none OF stronger
personality, none with richer heritage
of culture and refinement than those
who came first to this city. In the
future we will be proud Of those who
laid the foundations of our city. We
will revere their memories. We will
understand something OF the ideals
they possessed in the founding of the
city. We will be familiar with their
names. We will look upon them with
some degree OF reverence. The city
will not merely be city Of the pres
ent day, but city that had its foun-
datfons well laid In the last.
Second, our city, which is to be
true city OF God, must be city having
unity with itself. There will be no
north or south side, no West Keo-
kuk, as separate and distinct in their
ideals of life from the whole city.
What is the difficulty with cities to-
day? AS they have grown, they have
brought together large masses Of hui
mainly, which have congested In parts
of the city, and so we have the shame
of a city, the poor tenement district
and the slum, the disgrace and blot
upon our christian civilization. Pow
erty Is poverty indeed, but II 1t
means In the coming Keokuk there
shall be a part of our city life like
those vast cities in the east, con-
gested tenements and slums, then we
don't want such growth. Is 1t neces-
sary?
Some forty years ago a young
man who came to make his home in
Keokuk was asked by one of the early
founders what he thought Of our city.
He replied, The location is beautiful.
the site chosen excellent, the people
are kind and hospitable, and there
are many attractive features, but |
miss the factories which / have seen
in cities of the east To this the
older man replied, But we don't want
factories. We do not care for the
kind of population which is attracted
by them