Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-02


A goddess world can never be a warless
world and such d war as DR.. BaecEerland
describes, and almost predicts, is too horri-
BILE to contemplate 1t terrihes the magma
ton and dismays the stoutest hearts and
bravest souls.
Scarcely less alarming are the revolving
crimes which fill these days of peace. The
columns of our newspapers are burdened
with the unending record of repuIsve Of
lenses which multiply daily with undimin-
iShed increase, Notwithstanding all our
schemes Of education and boosted enlighten-
ment. Indeed, the events of daily occurrence
show that mere education is, neither the
preventive remedy nor the cleansing cure for
these putresCent evils. One of the most nor
rible chapters in the history of crime in our
country was recently unfolded in a criminal
court of Chicago in which the students Of
wealthy university entered a plea of guilty
to an Indictment charging them with kid
naping and numbering young school boy
in order to give themselves 1.-The thrill of
such a diabolicaI deed
OF course, their crime does-nOt prove that
it was the outcome of their intellectual Gull
ture, but it does show that the highest educa-
ton does not prevent such crimes, but that
it may enable men to commit such atrocities
If we could depend on education to cure
crime, we ought to begin to see some be-
nign effects before now; for the educational
enterprises and expenditures Of the American
people have been increased thousand-fold
during the last quarter Of a century. But
what do we see? We see crime increasing
with startling rapidity, and increasing with
the young who have but recently enjoyed
the educational advantages which have cost
the nation so much of effort and money.
Most significant, and melancholy were the
words of Judge Alfred J. TaIey, Of the Court
Of General Sessions in New York, who in in
Quoting his successor into office recently, is
reported to have said:
zone of the things that you will come to
learn is that you have come on the bench Of
the greatest criminal court in the world, and
the oldest court of any kind in the United
States, at time when this country is suf-
fering under an Indictment which proclaims
it to be the most lawless on earth.
''You will find that the United States must
plead guilty to that Indictment. Most of
the desperate criminals are mere boys You
will be heartbroken at discovering that the
vast majority of defendants are under nine
teen or twenty years old. That is going to
be your most distressing problem"
With all their boosted enlightenment
and their proud zeal for schools and school
ing, the adult people of our country need
to attend some institution in which they can
learn the simple lesson that mere education
does not correct crime, but that it may give
rise to many ingenious and hideous forms of
criminality.
Nothing can save the young and the old
alike but religion. The persuasive and puri-
flying power of religion alone can heal our
woes and cure the woes of the whole earth.
And for us there can be no other religion
than Christianity.
We cannot be Buddhists, nor Confucian-
lists, nor Mohammedans. We must be
Christians, be utterly faithess soon.
There is no other alternative. With Simon
Peter we must turn to the Christ and say,
Lord to whom shall we go. Thou hast the
words of eternal life" (John VI:68.)
And we must have Whole-hearted Chris
tianity, if our religion is to avail us any
thing. The thin, diluted gospel which DR..
Kents schools of Religion" propose to
dispense to students in State Universities has
not today enough to nourish spiritual life
and sustain Christian morality. The young
life of America must be fed with something
more substantial than such poor porridge.