The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-02-08
An Editorial Classic.

The Wall Street Journal, nine years
ago. published an editorial that ought
to be reprinted every year. In bust
ness life, especially should we cultivate
broader thoughts. This is a sermon
for business men 1t is not that of a
! theologian, but in it's simplicity, it
is worthy of special position in every
publication tnat reaches any number Of
business men.
Here it is:
Is There a Decline in Faith?
He who believes in a future life is
citizen of two worlds. He moves in
this, but his highest though and in
spirations are fixed CT the future. To
such a person, what takes place here
and now is not unimportant, than
what shall take place hereafter. He
looks upon his life here as prepara-
ton for the life to come. His expert
ences here. whether of joy or Of sor-
row, are of value to him only as they
enable him the better to meet the ever
lasting demands of the life after death.
He is not Indifferent to the rewards
which may come in this world to in
dustry, endeavor and opportunity; but
failure, illness, poverty, abuse-what
do these amount to, to man who be-
lieves he is to enjoy the sublime priv
ileges of eternity? He measures every
thing by the infinite Wealth, luxury,
power, distinction-ae may not despise
these, but ne looks upon them as be-
ing but temporary-mere delights that
are given as tests of his character.
Faith in eternal life smooths out
every inequality and injustice of the
present life under the great weight OF
the infinite. 1t makes the poor feel
rich, and gives to the unfortunate a
sense of heirship to the Almighty. 1t
makes the rich feel a sense of grave
responsibility and trusteeship.
Now. it is not needful for this dis
cussion to consider whether such a
faith is reasonable or not. The Wall
Street Journal has on concern in tneo-
logical discussions. It takes no part
for or against any creed, but it is in
tensely interested in the economic and
political effects of any change in the
thought, the habits and lives of men.
If these has been a marked decline in
religious faith, that fact must be of
profound, far reaching significance. 1t
alters the basic conditions OF civiliza-
ton. It becomes a factor in the mar1
kets.7 1t changes the standards and ef-
fects the values of things that are
bought and sold. 1t concerns the i'm
mediate interests of those who never
had such a fai'h almost as much as it
does the lives of those who have had
the faith and lost it.
The question, therefore, is of practi-
CAL immediate and tremendous i'm
portance to business men. Has there
been a decline in the faith in the fu-
ture life; and, if so, to what extent IS
this responsible for the special phe-
nomena of our times, the eager pur-
suit of sudden wealth, the shameless
luxury and display, the gross and cor
rupting extravaganza, the misuse OF
swollen fortunes" the Indifference to
law, the growth of graft, the abuse OF
great corporate power, the social un-
rest the spread of demagogy, the ad-
vance of socialism, the appeals to bit
ter class hatred? To find out Wha
connection exists between decadence
in religious faith and the social unrest
of our time, due on one side to oppres-
si7e use of financial power, and on the
other to class agitation, might we'll be
worth an investigation by commits
sion Of government experts if it were
possible for the government to enter
into such an undertaking.
Whatever may be a mans own per-
sonal beliefs. there is no one who
would not prefer to do business with
a person who really believes in fu-
ture life. If there are fewer men Of
such faith in the world, it makes a
big difference; and if faith is to con-
tinue. to decline, this will require new
adjustments. There are certainly, on
surface, many signs Of such decline.
Perhaps, if it were possible to probe
deeply into the subject, it might be
found that faith still abounded, but it
is no longer expressed in the old way,
But we are obligated to accept the
surface indications. These include