Middletown transcript., 1922-12-30

one who never turned his back but marched breast
Never doubted clouds would break
NeVer dreamed. though right were worsted wrong
would triumph
Held fall to RISE are baffled to fight be+ter
Sleep to wake.
The. poet speaks truth Providence has so Gre
ated manor evolution has so shaped him, IL you
prefer TO put 1t that way-that there is no greater
spur to his soul than the incentive of the un.
achleved Always the unaccomplished that seems
worth while challenges his ambition, his courage
his determination
Man has already accomplished much on this
earth-so much that he has now vision of what
MS goal should be-so much that he is now able
10 see now far he has fallen short Of reaching that
goal. And no age has been so we'll equipped to
move on to that goal as this present age Never
mas the incentive to the achievement of that goal
been so strong. For man cannot stand STILL He
must press onward to the goal or fall back and
lose much that he has gained. Failure to reach
the goal emphasizes the incompeteness of all
that has been accomplished. And this Shining
goal is nothing less than the message of the sea.
son:
peace on earth good will to men,"
Practically this means the reformation of human
nature And the reformation of human nature
means nothing less than the worldwide apnlica
tion Of precepts of Christianity to the affairs of
mankind.
Christianity was blamed for not preventing tho
great war. 1t has since been blamed for not pre-
venting the industrial strife and the economic ills
and other evils that have afflicted the world Per
haps the best answer In brief this charge is the
utterance credited to George Bernard shaw:
christianity has not yet been tried"
1t Is noteworthy fact that during the last ye,r
men OF AFFAIRS speaking from the vlewpont Of
business and not that of religion, have pub,icIy
declared that In the application Of the teachings
of the Gospel lies the cure for the Industrial
Ills growing of ld-ud do
Some Of them have gone so far as to declora rho,
nothing but a sincere acceptance of Christlanitv
can save society from utter ruin and civilization
from a complete collapse.
1t is not contended by them that Christianity
contains a panacea that will at once cure oll in.
dusrial and economic Ills They know that M
such panacea exists. They admit that Christian
ity do, not teach economics does not instruct no
to production and distribution; does not In short
set forth a system of industry in any form or
shape They start from different basis and
their reasoning is about like this:
Christianity, however, does set forth n moral,
formula that can be applied at all times to all
systems, This moral formula is an active solvent
OF wrongs under any system. Its application can
cure the defects of any system not so much bv
changing the system as by changing the attitude
of men toward one another
Practical Christianity would not tolerate inius
tice of'any kind With injustice of all kinds ban.
ished from the affairs of men and nations existing
economic and Industrial systems would either re-
model themselves or would be cast aside In sbort
economic regeneration would come about ms n bv.
product in connection with the larger moral re-
generation of mankind through the acceptance of
Christianity. For in the last analysis the faults
of systems have their source in the hearts of men
A stupendous undertaking? An impossible
vision? Well, they ASK what other course is tbera2
The converse of the proposition has been tried to
the uttermost. And where is the world? Apnar
emily civilization in this Twentieth century is fac
ing the great crisis.
George Washington. 1873 years ago, as Americas
first president proclaimed Americas first national
Thanksgiving day. And his preamble declares.
ut Is the duty of all nations to aclnowle,ga