Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-10-09
''WHY GO TO CHURCH"
Continued from Page Six,

nation. and that that is the disease !
which is battling the scientific states
men of our day. That is the disease
which ought to challenge your best en-
fort to see to it that it is forever re-
moved from American life. When you
ask of yourself in despair why the
Senate does not act why the Presi-
dent does not act, why the people
themselves do not act and remove La
Toilette. you are simply touching the
sore. The removal of La Toilette would
have little if any effect for permanent
good. There would be many other
such spokesman left. 1t is generally
conceded. l am told, that any serious
attempt made to remove him from his
high office would simply go to make
him a prosecuted patriot and would in
crease instead of diminish his infiu-
ence and his following. If newspapers
would cease to give him space, if the
Senate would empty its seats when
ever he arose to address that body, if
we all got very much less excited over
the rawlings of this unfortuna tely-
minded man, his influence would
quickly wane, and he could then sink
into that state so aptly described by
Grover Cleveland as innocuous
desuetude, The cutting out process is
not the cure.
Two thoughts suggest themselves as
worth moments study this Sabbath
, morning. The first is Q warning: the
second is test of Gods truth.
As a nation we seem to be falling
miserably in the whole great work of
education | do not here speak solely
I Of classroom instruction. but quite
as much Of that education such as YOU
and ] exert as we go about among our
fellowmen, that which we live and that
which we preach. You are fully in
formed Of the extent Of our 1mm,gra-
! ton. You are aware that since the
! organization of our governemnt and
| up 70 1906, for instance. over 25.00O.-
900 immigrants came to the United
! states. In the single year of 1905
| over 100000 foreigners came to us.
! The same number came the following
year. To receive a half million of
! foreign born in any ope wear is but an
average yield. Now all these immi-
grants bring with them the spirit of
their own native land. their customs.
! their ideals. The reason thew come
here is not to he attributed ALWAYS.
even though it sounds sweetly to say it.
to high patriotic ideals to their desire
to worship God as they see fit"
They come largely because America
offers better opportunities for work
and for saving.
I Let me give you an iilustra ton of
conditions as they We're in nv own
city Some dozen years ago | opened
and from 15 to 100 Of thes< foreign
born took advantage Of these evening
hours for study. The rewards from
that labor Of love- if may speak os
them incidentally. have been coming
back to me in all the years since.
There is on my desk this very hour a
I letter written in excellent English and
in penmanship that would put nosr OF
our American children to shame. from
one of the Young men who faithfully
! studled all that was taught IN tina,
schooi' TWO weeks ago when I re-
tuFhed from this service a Greek
Young man was waiting at the house
10 take my picture. He wanted to
send II over the seas TO the boys who
mad gone back to fight in the Greek
army. Could there be greater re-
"ardE Could ones vanity be more
tenderN touched-to have ones pic
ture taken for world wide distribu-
ton. But to merit that reward mean,
long hours of a labor OF love in
room 50 i'll smelling that ! care not to
dwell upon its memory long
Now the point. There was quick
response for every endeavor made to
teach those foreigners what it meant
TO be American citiz-rs. I could not
hope ever for a more eager crowd Of
learners--a hundred rough hewn fell
lows who wanted to better their CON
dition, to be melted into the type they
had come to admire. Now whcr the
work had grown beyond me and
sought to turn it over 70 the orcaniza