Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-11-13

mn appeared recently in the Christian In
= n dex, publishes statistical facts which
go to show that ours is "The most laWless
civilized nation" on earth
1t is most difficult, if not impossible, to
disproye his allegation, and is quite painful
to accept it.
In exposition of the alarming facts which
he presents he demonstrates that the preva-
lence of lawessness in our country is not
caused by iIliteracy, nor is it due to our
democratic form of government nor trace
able to our judicial system nor to be &C
counted for by any outward conditions or
civil institutions.
Most correctly he finds the final cause of
all the law1essness in the land is "a lack of
moral stamina in our people," leading to
"carelessness and Indifference of Christian
people with reference to their duties and
responsibilities as citizens.
He concludes that eff there is any fault
anywhere in law enforcement the RESPONSE
bility rests on the shoulders of the individual
citizen in each community. He cannot shirk
it evade it.
He continues:
eff there is IawIessness in any community
it can be laid the doorstep of the good
citizens, it is their own child.
'Any community is just the kind of a
community that the good people Of that
community want. The good people the
controlling influence in any community, they
want it to be. Public sentiment controls
everywhere, and the good people can, and
must, control public sentiment"
All that Mr.. Nell affirms is indisputably
true, and the hope of arrestng this fearful
current of crime is in the fact that good
men and true, like Mr.. Nell, see the menace
to our civilization which it brings and are
beginning to declare its cause and cure
The ultimate source of all social disorder
is in the evil resident in the human heart.
If the hearts of all the people were cleansed
of sin the pollution of public life and the
prevalence of crime would cease at once.
President Coolidge delivered an address in
Washington, October Is, on the occasion of
the unveilingI of the equestrian statue of
Francis Asbury, the pioneer Methodist bish-
op in America, and in the course of his re-
marks reached conclusions quite similar to
those of Mr.. Nell.
The President said:
ga wide variety of motives has gone into
the building of our republic. We can never
understand what self-government is or what
is necessary to maintain it, unless we keep
these fundamentals in mind. To one of
them, Francis Asbury, the first American
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and his associates, mace tremendoGG con-
tribution.
"Our government rests upon religion. 1t
is from that source that derive our rev.
erence for truth and justice, for equality
and liberty, and for the rights of mankind.
Unless the people believe in these princi-
pies, they cannot believe in government.
There are only two main theories of govern
ment in the world. One rests on righteous
ness the other rests on force. One appears
to reason, the other appeals to the sword.
One is eXempli6ed in a republic, the other is
represented by despotism. The history Of
government on this earth has been almost
entirely a history of the rule of force held
in the hands Of a few Under our cOnstitu-
ton America committed itself to reason
with the power held in the hands of the
people.
Gust as the time was approaching when
our country was about to begin the work of
establishing q government which was to rep
resent the rule of the people, where not a
few but the many were to control public
affairs where the vote Of the humbest was
to count for as much as the vote of the most
exalted Francis Asbury came to America to
preach religion. He had no idea that he was
preparing men the better to take part in
great liberal movement, the better to take
advantage of free institutions, and the better
to perform the functions of self-government
He did not come for political motives I'm
doubtedly they were farthest from his mind
Others could look after public affairs. He
was a loyal and peaceful subject of the
realm. He came to bring the gospel to the
people, to bear witness to the truth and tt