Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-12

Editor Kennebec Journal:
That very expressive word logo
thete," which Theodore Roosevelt has
so aptly used, recalls to my mind an
old couplet:
A man of words and not Of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds.
But Woodrow, d, Wilson, in using
words that he fails to live up to, is no
more deserving afthe designation 10
gothete" than q host of others, who
are substituting sound for sense in
their discussion of public affairs. Even
we who write letters to the Journal
cannot often unstop n bottle of ink
without putting our foot in it. CIhat
is why | use a typewriter) Mr.. Ingra-
ham uses a lot Of words trying to
make a distinction between Christi
anity" and "relieion,' repeating the
stale prattle Of q bygone age about
"creeds,'. ana criticiZing a statement
Of Fred r. Smith, one of our greatest
leaders in religious thought and life.
Mr.. Smith tells a story that illustrates
much of the opposition to religion and
churches, which insist that men should
live clean. The New York papers print
ed bitter TRADE against the churches,
written by a man who blamed the
churches fer poverty and need in gen.
cral and his own in particular. Short
~ afterward he murdered his family
and committed suicide. But Mr.. Smith
knew the mar: knew that he had long
lived double life; had supported a
mistress in addition to his family. AL
so, the felloW drank, and his vices soon
rendered him unemployable. He sowed
to the wind ard rcaped the whirlwind
The churches cndeavor to save men
FROM sin; it is impossible to save
men IN sin. This fellows bitterness
toward Christianity was due to the fact
that Christian men had sought 10 pur-
suade him to abandon his life of sin.
For years | have defined Christianity
as Friendship with Cod" But that
involves a "creed"-belief in God.
Christianity is friendship with God
through Jesus Christ. But that in
wolves more "creeG''-belief in Jesus
Christ. | fear Mr. Ingraham and l
can find no common ground.
Mr.. Boomer poprs out words about
liquor selling near the Togus Soldiers
Home, and when the Kennebec Jour-
Iidl III vi lei HUE jHlpllSS lIdl HC
knows what he is talking about and
suggests that the sheriff avail him
self Of that knowledge, he pours out
n lot more words to abuse the Jour-
nal and show that he does not know
what he is talking about. Which calls
attention to that class of logothetes
who desire the discreditins Of prohibit
ton, not it's enforcement.
Then there are the anti-preparedness
logothetes. They teach that because a
nation that has always been stoutly
opposed to those ideals of civiliza-
ton that America is devoted to arms
itself to conquer the world, we must
remain unarmed and allow our ideals
to be destroyed, unless our wiser neigh
bors shield uc from the fate we invite
According to that theory, the police
man who carries a revolver to protect
society is no better than the yeggman
who carries revolver to make war on
society. Neutrality" is word dearly
loved by the logothetes. How good it
sounds-sweet as the cooling of the
dove Of peace. 1.-THE devil is foxy old
splithoof," says the kennebec Journal,
but I've never was wiser than when he .
fooled lot of good people into using
that word. Neutrality means that war
is perfectly right, that a nation is JUS
tilted in doing anything that it has the
military ability to do: that might
makes right. 1t applies among nations
the idea that Anarchists would apply
among individuals War is interna-
tional brigandage. Should each citizen
Ct frontier town attacked by bri-
gands remain neutral until he is at
tackled, thus allowing the brigands to
kill and rob piecemeal? War is based