The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-26
A LITTLE LAY SERMON.

There Il sense OF what Is good and right
and Just IN every human mind. This Is only
another way of saying that morality exists In
depondenty OF religious ideas. that the distnc-
ton OF moral good and evil tho obligation to
shun the evil and do the good are lnws which
man discovers In his own nature and which
have their principle in himself as they have ap-
plicntiou IN his actual life. which IL simply stll
another way OF asserting that while caaustry
created man and implanted these natural in
stlncts for good and evil within him, Tint man
in his turn by reason OF these natural qualities
Of mind created svory conception OF God and
every form OF religion worship; n deciara-
tion that leads us afleld from our purpose pre-
clsely accurate though It is.
These inherent qualities of every henrt or
mind. now cultivated TO their highest point and
again almost altogether undeveiopcd. constitute
the universal bond between men, tho greatest
possible bulwark OF orderly society. For they
spring forth in luxuriant beauty TO meet and
embrace every expression OF their kind. Man
may reject every religious creed or preachmcnt
and yet unfold splondidly to the actual prac-
tlco OF the religious sentiment as expressed by
tho elomontss OF charitable kindness and
morality.
Thus tho individual whose reformation is
sought according TO the estaDli9ned formulh,
win, IL approached In the proper spirit of In
vitation and by one actually radiating the sonti-
monts first set forth, in every case sooner or
later respond, But II the ono seeking reforma-
nation OF character and practice attempt CO.
ercive measures. the inherent qualities OF good
ness and morality are thrust back into a far
ther corner OF the mind and there stalks forth
10 do battle with tho also natural qualities OF
.nA
every form OF coercion and duress; because
coercion is as foreign to reformation--ls as log
icslly opposed to the elements OF true good
ness, as day Is to dark. vice to virtue or bond
age to freedom.
All that has been set down above is true
meticuiously true. The better nature OF men
responds 70 invitation and appeal springing from
genuine sincerity. The good In human nature
has never been brought out by coercive meas
ures. Gulzot. the historian philosopher says,
Governments are not constituted by coercion;
whenever they can dispense with It they do and
TO the great profit of all; indeed their highest
perfection is to dispense with II. and to oonflne
themselves to methods purely moral, TO the
action which they exert upon the understand
ing; so that the more the government dispenses
with coercion, the more faithful II Is to its
true nature, the better II fulfills Its mission.
Those governments which mako the greatest
OF coercion succeed not nearly well as
those which employ It scarcely at ALL"
Is there who will dissent from this beau
tiful doctrine which fits human nature ms per-
fcctly does every natural law? How strange
then, that our TINA should he disturbed and
rendered increasingly wretched by government
indulging In all forms OF durcss under the COM
pulson OF organized factions urging morality
for their Justification The sole purpose Of gov
ernment--of all human relations--the sole JUS
tlflable and defendable purposes to render
the individual happier. Yet coercion practiced
by eabals and organizations in tho first In
stance and their combined power brought TO
bear on congress In tho second, results IN arous-
ing the belligerency OF the human mind against
the constant enoroachments upon individual
liberty until the finer. inherent qualities of
morality are completely lost sight OF, COM
pletely blunted. ana hostility to government per
sc takes their place!
A conviction does not enter the human In
tellect unless the intellect admits it; It must
make itself acceptable. 1t follows, OF course
that coercion in any and every form is ahso-
luteiy Incapable of forcing the acceptance OF a
conviction concerning any doctrine. creed oil
philosophy; and with equally precise logic II
lOlONt tndl with lHe lnNeltSt iIto anu uhiS'
stricted the mind OF man unfolds TO its greatest
advantage under the influence OF invitation and
precept.
The human mind is the seat OF all good and
all evil. There should be no surprise that two
principles dissimilar co-exist In juxtaposition
ssIt is as II one would say that two seeds are
planted in the same hill. each responding ant
unfolding to influences which In their nature
are precisely opposite. The implanted principle
OF good in every mind responds TO demonstra
tlons springing from It's klnd-charity. kind
ness. precept and invitation; while the prin
ciple Of evil wakes strong and becomes Volen
against coercion, injustice and forms of duress
Is this not true7 Look around you and see tn
principles here enuncated demonstrated OF
every hand. The most depraved wretch ex
ercises an uncanny power in perceivng at al
most single glance true virtue ana genuine re