Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1919-10-18 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE FUTILITY OF EVIL.  On writing on Duch a sulject as the above, it is necessary to deal with another aide of the question altogether. This is, if I may use OW phrase, the Utility of Evil. Also, the question must be dealt with so nicely that at the conclusion one argutnent does not in the least lean towards the latter of these two sides. For, besides being low principled, it is also not Christian, to "do evil that good may come." Howevor, let us, in the first place, deal with the former: the Futility of Evil. Evil, in other words sin, is not as many attempt to teach and preach in these days—a mistake or a fault. It is all that, and a great deal mose. It is a crime against the laws of civilisod mankind, and, most of all, against the Creator. To sin against One who is Omnipotent, with a view to 'gain on that Being' is doubtless futile. For such a Being ca.n, and often does, annihiilate any chance of gain upon Himself. Witnoss Satan s at.te,tapt to overrule his God, and the result.  Lei. 118 take an example of the Futility of Evil. There is a in, we will suppose' who owns vast acres, a castle, and immense wealtli. Near him there is living a poorer brother who is barely able to dive on the meagre gains he is able to make out of a small farm. He has socialistic ideas, however, and though he has had equal education and chances in lite„ yet he believes that his wealthy .hrother ought to share with him. As this does not happen he resorts to murder in. order that he may inherit the vast estates. Let us imagine that his crime is not at the time dieeovered. Yet, being a low type of man, one who his squandered his time at school, college, and University, t.he wealth he has sinfully inherited begins to melt. His brother's friends are not his friends. He ends that many claim friendship, and, having "plenty of money," he is rwitlli-ng to entertain them. He trlvels rapidly along The primrose path too Ile everlasting bonfire," and as his weaditeh goes, so do the friends. Sanlul enjoyment gives place to misery, creditors begin to clamour, tenants cry out for repairs to her farms, and he feels that he is going through "living death." Debt hurries him to prison, and there, by some means or other, his er:me is discovered.  "Murder, though It hath no tongue, wild out." Then comes the capital puri4thinent, and he drifts Into eternity, abe being without hope of future forgiveness and happiness. Individual evil is rarely anything alse but futile.  It see.nis strange that evil should be termed futile, and yet, when we first look at evA, it Deems in more oases than not very useful indeed. This may be, of course, by looking at it through the spectacles of our mature, with all its weaknesses and sooompanying faults. However th•s may he. let us now turn to s careful survey of the Utility of Ern. A far VIC ample of the Utility of Evil will be found in the case of Julius Car's invasion of Britain. It. was not ambition altogether which led him from Gaul, but the lure of gold, tin, and other valuables to be found in our island. He was in debt to his troops, end wished once more to reconcLlie himself with them. What was the re$111:.? England flourished under the guidance of the Roman soldiery. Roads prang into exist