The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1922-04-06
President Harding Speaks for
Moral Uplift.

class OF Calvary Baptist Church in Wash
ington. He said in part:
If people who are known as leaders, he
added, become known for their defiance
of some law, they need not be astonished
if their example is followed by others.
| At another point, Mr.. Harding discuss
ed 1.-THE loose talk nowadays about the
cause of the spiritual generalization of
the community" and declared that it
could not be laid entirely to the war, but
to a tendency before that period toward
"a certain moral laxity, a shifting of
standards, a weakening of the sterner
| fibres."
In his experiences of year in the White
House, he said, there has come to me no
other such unworthy impression as the
manifest religious intolerance which ex-
lists among many of our citizens"
III hold IT to be menace to the very
liberties we boast and CHERISH" he as
serted
There is no relationship here between
church and state" the President said.
Religious liberty has its unalterable
place, along with civil and human lib
erty, in the very foundation OF the re-
public. Therein is shown the far-seeing
vision of the immortal founders, and we
are better people and better republic
because there is that freedom.
II fear it is forgotten sometimes. In
the experiences of year in the presidency
there has come to me no other such I'M
welcome impression as the manifest re-
ligious intolerance which exists among
many of our citizens. | hold it to be
menace to the very liberties we boast and
cherish.
I'm spite of our complete enforcement
or church and state, quite in harmony
with our religious freedom, there is an
important relationship between church
and nation, because no nation can pros
per, no nation can survive, IT 1T ever
| forgets Almighty God. | have believed
that religious reverence has played very
influential and helpful part In the match
less American achievement, and l wish
it ever to abide. If | were to utter a
prayer for the republic tonight, it would
be to reconsecrate us in religious devo-
ton, and make us abidingly God fear
ing God-loving people.
~ do not fail to recall that the religious
| life makes for the simple life, and it would
1 De ike ulNlNc UcuculCIlOu " lCSIOiC IHC
simpler life in this republic
"There is a good deal or loose talk
nowadays about the cause of the spiritu
| al decentralization of the community.
which it has become popular to attribute
/ to the abnormal conditions that were in
cident to the war. But in fact the war
is not wholly to blame. Before the war
started or was dreamed of, we were al
ready realizing the tendency toward
certain moral laXlty, shifting OF stand
ards, a weakening of the sterner fibres
| think we should do we'll to recognize
that intellectual and moral evolution OF
the community 1t would be grievous
error to allow ourselves to feel too conf
dent that this is only temporary and
passing aspect.
Take for example the matter of re-
GARD for the law. Without Civ ng too
much weight to alarmist expressions, we
must nevertheless recognize that there Is
a very apparent tendency to lighter
and a more frivolous view OF the cltl-
zens' relations to both the State and the
church. We can hardly hope for res
toration of the Old ideals in religion and
! in moral conduct SO long as this tendency
to disregard for the law shall continue.
SIT is absolutely essential to the main
/
taInment of proper moral plane, that
the law should be recognized as sacred
and supreme. 1t should have at its back,
and enlisted in its support, every element
of the community that realizes the desir-
ability of sound, secure and stable insti-
tutlons Disregard of one statute inevl-
taby must breed lack of respect for
the law in general. This tendency is OBJ
vious, and ought to give the deepest con-
! Germ to people who have seen, in this
world, the fearful results that may flow
from the breakdown of respect for the
social fundamentals.
"Whatever breeds disrespect for the
! law of the land, in any particular de-
partment of our community relations, Is
a force tending to the general breakdown
of the social organization. II people VINO
are known as leaders, as directing lnflu-
ences, as thoroughly respected and re-
spectacle members of society, shall II
their respective communities become
known for their defiance of some part oil
the code of law, then they need not bt
astonished if presently they lind thai
their example is followed by others, Will
the result that presently the law In gen
eral comes to be looked upon as set o.
lrksome and unreasonable restraints upoI
the liberty of the individual.
"Our only safety will be in intoxicating
an attitude of respect for the law as OF
the whole the best expression that ha!
been given to the social aspiration ant
moral purpose of the community.
"Unless we can accomplish, in the do
main of citizenship, and thereby sustain
enforcement, we may well ieel that thu
outlook is not encouraging for the
achievement of those loftier, spiritual
purposes to which the church is devoted
"rhe failures of the past invariabl,
have been preceded by contempt for the
law, by spiritual paralysis and mora
looseness, all of which had their earlier
reflex in the weakened influence OF the
church. We know the helpful, exaltinG
influence of our religious institutions
We shall be made stronger as they De.
come stronger, and we shall ever find
greater pride and greater security IN the
nation which righteousness exalteth.