The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-07

Christ-animated men and women are
daily finding new ways Of warning
against this enemy Of society.
Filling and firing all means and
intense spirit is the really formidable
foe of intemperAnce. Methods may
be matched by methods, schemes by
schemes. The saloon has no ade-
quate power with which to meet the
deep, new purpose Of the aroused
the vigilantes Of Christ; WhoGe motive
is loyalty to Him and to all the men
and women for whom He died. They
dare to do for patriotism and religion
all that the adherents Of this business
will do for gain.
A Basis for Prosperity.
Terse Comments for March S-"How
to Prevent Poverty" Ps. 72:1-19.
AfBY WILLIAM T. ELL1s.)
Tho all-pervading sense Of present
social and economic problems IL illus
trated by the fact that the Christian
been given this topic. "How to Pre-
vent Poverty" Social issues cannot
be kept out Of the pulpit and the
prayer meetings. This should not
mean that the church has become
mere forum, for the discussion of
economic and political questions. The
business Of religion is with eternal
principles, applied to present life.
For ages tho church has spent herself
lavishly in the alienation Of poverty:
now she fronts tho harder task Of
trying to prevent 1t.
The old IsrAelites felt that pros
perity was the mark of Divine favor
The Book of Job, and the other Wis
dom writings Of tho Old Testament.
Strengthened out that crooked line Of
thinking. Today there are myriads
godliness, then our richest million
aires would be our most pious citi-
zens. Tho rich in faith, now as ever
in the past, have often been poor in
this worlds goods.
Poverty IL true riches whom II turns
mems thoughts from things to God
Broadly speaking. the Christian ma
tons are the prosperous nations The
standards Of living in Christendom are
higher than in heathendom. Wealth
is greater. more widely diffused and
utilized moro generally for the COM
mon welfare. The poorest workman
in America IL rich alongside Of the
best paid laborer in India or China In
a general sense. the progress Of Chris
tan civilization means raising Of
economic, political and social stand
, ards. The Gospel wars against all
that hurts humanity.
when we talk about getting on y"
said Hugh Price Hughes. I'VE mean
getting moro money. Christ never
got on
Conditions make some men poor. It
is easy for the unthinking to dismiss
the host Of unemployed with a con-
temptuous wave of the hand; but some
| OF these men are OF better quality and
capability than their critics. Circum-
stances, IN no wise affected by indi-
vidual capacity throw thousands Of
good men out Of work every year. This
is doubtless inevitable in a changing
social order; and it calls for patience,
| sympathy and cooperation on the
part of all Of us. The point make is
simply that we cannot dispose Of the
| problem of poverty by blaming the
poor man. Such an attitude is stupid,
| as well as unbrotherly. The evils Of
poverty are to be remedied in OPEN
mindedness and courage; and not to
be scoffed at by those who themselves
| never felt in their bodies the pinch of
want.
! '-rhe Bible not only dwells on the
| rights of property and the duties of
labor, but, for once that 1t does that,
| It breaches ten times over the duties
| of property and the rights Of labor. -
Charles Kingsley.
Some men with ve-thousand dol
lar incomes complain of how poor they
are; others count themselves prosper
GUS with five hundred dollars a year.
The term is entirely relative. Millions
of able-bodied. industrious men In the
Orient do not make ten cents a day,
| and vet support families upon it. Our
standards determine our prosperity
So the need of the tested, invariable
spiritual values Of the Bible becomes
apparent. If a person is rich in his
soul. the state of his purse is q minor
consideration.
The wealth of man is the number OF
things he loves and blesses, which he
is loved and blessed by.-Carlyle.
!, l have known pauper millionaires
ana nave known rich men who were
growing gray over the ever recurring
problem of how to meet the months
bills. The latter have to figure care
. fully the pennies they can afford t.
!, spend for lunch. while the formel
have starved their souls. So we mus
have a definition of poverty. A full
fat soul, crowded with worthy inter
ests and linked to many other souls
is vastly to be preferred to the lean
lived beggary of the man who ha,
! nothing but money, although plenty o
: that. And the standard by which tn
whole question OF poverty is to b.
solved must be one which conserve
and cultivates the fulness Of real life
Mere material prosperity. apart from
spiritual vigor. would be q cAlamit,
! and not a boon. Better q poor coun
try like Scotland. which has enriche
D the worlds life, than a rich natiol
sodden in its own affluence.
Individual efficiency il the first ste
n towards the prevention Of individua
r poverty. Thrift, industry and iutegrlt,