Evening journal., 1916-02-05
The Christian Soldier
preached IN the Tbernace last ngh BY Dr Lyon

able result Of defeat and disaster. It
is also battle against organized cor
ruption. Selfish and evil minded men
have formed all sorts OF trusts and
monopolies and combinations, fire.
quently with the purpose OF crushing
the efforts and aspirations OF their
fellowmen. The liquor monopoly, for
example. can spend annually tens OF
millions OF dollars to corrupt legis-
lation, bribe legislators, buy up news
papers, poison public sentiment and
destroy the reputation of any who
would oppose their wicked schemes.
While on the other hand the man who
dares to fight this iniquity must make
sacrifice Of his time and Strength
and money, with no hope OF any ma
terial reward.
II is battle also often against le-
galized injustice. The strong oppress
the weak. Il is an unfortunate fact
that the laws OF the country are made
more for the protection and promo
tion Of the interests OF property. than
for the welfare of human character.
Whoever contends against the exist
ing order OF affairs always finds him
self in minority, with prestige and
power and public opinion against him.
Every victory for righteousness or
purity or godliness has been gained
only by a terrific struggle and sacri-
/ iice. The average man Is content TO
allow things to remain as they are,
with the natural deterioration and de-
cline and decay, which inevitably en-
sues. The battle then must be Thought
for a higher life against great odds.
! Some contend bravely for a time,
but at last they grow discouraged and
cease. Such cases are numerous, as
that of that brave lawyer in San Fran
cisco. Francis J. Heney, who fought
the political graft and corruption in
that city until he put some of the ring
leaders behind prison bars at San
Quentin. But one OF those notorious
boodlers, saloon-keeDer. drew his
revolver one day during a trial at
court, and shot down Heney, as he
was prosecuting case For months
he fingered between life and death.
and at last when he came up from
the brink OF the grave. he said well.
! think | have done my share. and I
am going TO quit. Let other men take
up the fight" This battle against
wickedness and vice i'm our political
and social life is demanding heroes
today, no less courageous than those
who face the bullets and bayonets up
on the battlehelds. Moreover. they
have to fight almost alone. without
the enthusiastic numbers, without
the inspiration and announcement of
waving flags and war drums, that
arouse the energies OF the soldiers in
a charge.
Recognizing the fact that every hui
man soul faces a struggle, he is com
/ PEELED To choose between two alterna-
tives. You must either submit TO
your antagonists or make them sub
init to YOU The one course is TO
compromise and finally yield. This
Is the easier and more usual method
II is the course OF the political trim
mer. the moral coward. the man who
is seeking for popularity and world,
success. He resorts to makeshifts. II
excuses. He deslgnates his action as
moderation and conservatism. he even
nrtdes himself that he takes a liberal
views Of affairs, that he is not over
radical and extreme. This weak
timid, vacillating policy is prevalent
in modern society. It is the course
that asks not what is right, but what
is popular But such an individual
must at heart despise his own coward
ice. The only course that is worthy
OF any true character in facing evils,
either without or within, is to fight.
There is always something espe-
cially attractive about a fight. A
church that is a lighting church is al
ways a live church. I do not mean
fighting among themselves, but fight.
ing the devil. A church that is al
ways engaged in active warfare
against the wicked, that church never
lacks for crowds or in growth and
progress. A friend was telling me
recently about a gambling Joint In
a certain city, where every night tn,
men sat hour after hour absorbed IA
the game, utterly oblivious to every
thing else. They manifested no con
Germ OF fear OF police raid. The,
took no interest in the street meeting
just in front OF their place. But on,
evening some men got into row ol
the sidewalk, near the front entrance
and the cry went up. "A ightl A
iight!' The men dropped their card
and upset their tables in their rusl
out TO see the fight.
This active struggle against enc
mics is essential also for the develop
, ment Of yirility and vitality. Il wa
when the tribes Of Israel were en-
!. gagged in active warfare against thei
foes that they remained most loyal I
Jehovah. and developed the creates
national strength and vigor. And O.
the other hand. when they began 1
intermarry with the heather tribe
round about, and to take upon them
selves their customs and habits an
manners, il was then they began I
decline and pass into national deca
and death
Why was il that the early settler
OF the central and western states dc
veloped such a strong and rugge,
type of manhood and womanhoodg
was on account Of the very dificultie
and dangers that they had 10 encoun
YER and overcome. settling as the,
uid, IN a new country, with the priva