The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-05

wards that state of barbarism where
might is right, where pleasure is the
coveted goal, where the loss of
pleasure Is the misery of despair.
Philosophers of a Goddess world are
at hand with their cobweb theories of
private and social righteousness, only
to reveal in the impotence of those
theories the abyss of woe they open
beneath our feet when they tell us
that we may in safety close the port
ais of the skies and look to sole earth
for salvation. They eXtol the beauty
of righteousness; it is pointing to the
rose of the garden at the approach of
the hurricane to speak of the beauty
of virtue, while the mad instincts Of
passion are lighting within the heart
their acrid fires. They exhort us to
take into heed the welfare Of human
society, the welfare of humanity yet
unborn. But what cares the indivi-
dual, quivering in the violence Of
temptation, for society, for humanity
present or future? To some protagon-
lists Of unbelief, humanity, that Of to-
day or that of tomorrow, has slight
worth. To Mr.. Spencer it is a club
ble," q dull, ieaden-hued thing" to
Sir James Stephen it is a stupid,
ignorant, half beast of a CREATURE" 1t
is certainly all this, or still less, to the
individual or to the crowd in wild
search for possession and enjoyment,
incapable Of attaining either except bv
breaking through the barriers Of ordi-
narily accepted mortality. Will the
appeal be to the commands. and the
prohibitions Of human legislation2
Ihen the effort is to win in skillful
a Of the law, to take up arms
against the law, to seize in Ind the
laW-making power and compel it to
erase its prohibitions and alter it's
mandates. The imparting and the
vice diffusion of knowledge will be
invoked! Here is of. the most de-
ceptive fallacies of modern times. IT
is assumed that the mere knowledge
OF the laws of nature induces virtue
ana estranges vice. No expenditure
or money or of labor is spared in
building n maintaining schoolhouses
where this knowledge is impaired in
the belief thai there the youth of the
land Will be trained into good and
honorable citizenship. But, let the
truth be spoken aloud, knowledge is
NOT knowledge simply in
dlcates the roads that may be travel
ed over; some for veal, Others for
woe. That the road to virtue be fol-
lowed despite trial and temptation.
moral principles must be present to
the, soul to strengthen it in it's deep
est ,hbers, to compel it to hold itself
erect beneath the tornado of passion,
THOSE principles, the mere knowledge
OF nature and Of natures laws does
not provide. Yea more in the absence
OF moral principles, knowledge be-
comes a peril, inasmuch as it lends
power to him who otherwise is dis
posed to evil and make easier and
safer the pathway to illicit possession
and sensual ENJOYMENT:
Bring together into one single array
IN support of morality, private or
PUBLIC, all the theories, ali the com
oirations, that philosophy limited to-
each may invent, and human hand
may apply-the words of Scripture
remain true: UNLESS the Lord build
the house, they labor in vain mai
build it; unless the Lord keen the
city, he watcheth in vain that keepefh
it Are we in earnest In our will that
the moral law should prevail? Then,
let us fasten The soul OF man. deeniw
and firmly. to the Almighty and Eter-.
nal God. making it to know and to
understand that the principles Of
righteousness are the immovable laws
or God, the supreme moral ruler IF
the universe, making it to know and
to understand that God it is who plIn-
tshes the violation of those principles
who thereof rewards the observance
1t is written: Fear Coz and keen
His commandments; for this Isl all
man" There, and nowhere else, lie
~ 1T |r E.L .. e-.- t