The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, December 01, 1922, Page 7, Image 7
I yr-v-, ,. -., 7mBB'HHfflMHBflHMMHHpflBjHpflBBBBBBBflHHB Si ' ' tall fae Commoner , 9, ';. u f ." T DECEMBER, 1922 ' moral Influence t'6'.protect them, but we are! not called upon to send our army and our navy into the Orient to rescue the oppressed and the per secuted from acts of injustice. If any of our own people arc there, we can bring- them nway in times of peril, as -we brought them from Mexico, but we Cannot engage in wa'rs far away from home in order that American citizens may re main in other countries in time of war. As for the helpless people of other nations who suffer cruelties, wo Can better afford to bring them here and take care of them in the United States than to send armies to foreign lands to guard them. In this article I have briefly treated of four o tho public ciuestlone under discussion. In closing I venture to call attention to the need of a Government paper. What the people must have if they decide questions quickly anright ly is full information furnished by the govern ment to those who desire it. A national bulle tin would not only present the issues, but it should have editorial space in which representa tives of the different parties could present argu ments brought pro and con, so that all tho peo ple would have all the information necessary to sit in judgment on all questions. Such a paper should also permit space on equal Jerms to all candidates legitimately beforetthe country. So that political honors will be open to the poor as well as to the rich. A national bulletin would do more than any other one thing to shorten the period of agitation and insure the triumph of that which is right. The sense of justice in the heart of the American people can be frusted if the people know the facts and the arguments. "Let thero be light" on every public question and our people will solve aright every problem, remedy evory wrong and secure every needed re form. . w 1 ' k WEk. Mr. Bryan's Bible Talks 1 " " I k If ,- hi WdLr WwwMuMtJ "PROGRESSIVES" FORM TfEW UNOFFICIAL n J- BLOO ' A Washington dispatch, dated Dec. 1, says: Another unofficial "bloc,' in congress was born today when progressives, Republicans and Demo crats, called into session by Senator LaFollette, Republican, Wisconsin, and Representative Hud dleston, Democrat, Alabama, formed a pro gressive group ior promotion of progressive leg islation during, the present and the next con gress. About 40 senators, representatives and members-elect, meeting behind closed doors in the senate - .agricultural .committee room, adopted resolutions unanimously declaring their purpose 'to drive spec'a, privileges out of control of gov ernment" and outlining a, general program of liberal legislation. V Politics was declared to be banned and it was announced officially that no third" party move- ment was oontdmplate'd. , Republicans, Demo crats and farmeriaborites joined in the confer ence, whichvaB declared to be bi-partisan and legislative, but non political. Plans ior promotion of progressive sentiment and policies throughout the nation were made Yec. 2 at thjj doncluiajng meetings of the two day's conclave. Resolutions declaring for continuation of the new progressive movement, which is to be ac tively translated into legislation through the bf Partisan progressive bloc of congress formed , Dec. 1, were1 adopted during two sessions of the Public conference and 'addresses were made by a uozen leaders iri liberal nlovemeitts Presentation of a detailed legislative and eco nomic program was not a,tteirtpted, but speakers W the "open forum" and at the closing din ner proposed, apmltitude of reforms and flayed Past and present; government officials and poli cies. ( v Senator I&FoIlette "presided over, the open sessions and "speeches were delivered by Presi dent Gompersrof ih American Federat'on of abor; Gov. JBfaine,- .of Wisconsin, and others. Kesoiptloqq adopted) unanimously by tho con vention declared that the movement was "non partisan' and 'jdesigncd primarily to promote Progressive' legislation Other resolutions called ;?r extension qt tho -direct primary, including aooiishment ot the electoral college and direct m,r ele(J,tion of president' and vice-president. v conforence declared, however, that it 8 impossible in a single day to formulate a uiplete legislative andeconomIc program. . ' Tn "?ptuntuiant of. Senator LaFollette of a non- rtlsy conimlttee to provide for national co-: fto 0 Progressives was suggested. At nn Same tirae a date for calling another eonfer Lni? Sf prSTessivea was left open, but Senator" btb J e ftnnunced that a conference of pro gressive governors would beheld next January. A LESSON OF SURPASSING BEAUTY By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN BIBLE TEXT LESSON FOR NOVEMBER 12 (Luke CJ27-38) mi?1 11 say ""to you which hear, Love- your ne ? ?ood to them which lmtc vou, Whiei?8,iioi,Jl at curse you' and pray -for Hioip -which despitefully use you. And unto him that smlteth thco on the ono cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh thy goods ask thorn not again And If ye love them which love you, do ye jUho to them likewise. , For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that lqvc them. And if ve do good to them which do good to r'ou, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ,ye hope to re ceive, what thank have ye? for sinners aHo lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again: arid your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the High est; for ho is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Bo yo therefore merciful, as your Father also n merciful. - . Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, anil ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall ho given unto you; good meas ure, pressed down, and shaken, together, and run ning over, shall men give into your bosom. .For with tho same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. As a physician Jesus healpd bodily diseases; as a teacher He pointed the way in" which those who would follow Him can exhibit in their lives the change that has taken place in their hearts and make progress toward that perfection which is enjoined upon them. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in -heaven is perfect." The Sermon on the Mount' set forth in the sixth chapter of Luke and at much greater length in the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters of tho Gospel according to Matthew presents almost all of Christ's moral code such a code as.was never promulgated before and such a code as has riot been formulated since. This code, in itself, would be sufficient to set Christ apatt from all mankind and put the stamp of the deity upon Him. He did not have the privilege of associating with the wise men of. His time and, if He had ' been in daily communication with them, Ho could not have gathered from .them the wisdom that He embodied in His words, because they had no such wisdom to impart. He could not. have obtained this wisdom from the past, because it was not to be found, not even in the books of the law, with which He was familiar. He proclaimed a new gospel and set up new standards by which men's -lives should be regu lated. 6 THE GOLDEN RULE m Take, for ..instance, one that has become known as theSolden Rule: "As ye would that men, should do; to-you,' do ye also to them 'like wise '' " ' Confucius, whose words were- accepted as the. moral "law by millions of people, stated his gold en rule in the negative: Do not unto others as you would jiot have them do to you. . This enjoins against the doing of injury to others it would prohibit injustice. That, of course, is to be commended; it is hard to calcu late the suffering and loss that would be pre vented if all refrained from doing tt others that which they would not want others to do to them. But the negative rule is not to be announced. There is a very wide gulf between refraining from wrong doing and doing good. 9 A letter of recommendation written according to the rule of Confucius woud not be xegarded as very-helpful; suppose one would give a friend a recommendation like this: "I have known this man thirty years and have never known him to injur anyone." What impression would it make? It suggests that something is wanting. There is a reservation that would excite inquiry. How different from the following: "I have known this man thirty years; he utees -the Gold en Bule in his daily life and does unto others that which ho would have othors do unto him." Chr'st's doctrine is a doctrine of action do ing good, not morely refraining from injury. Bonevolenco is tho keynote of Christianity. When Christ's spirit enters into one and how can ho bo otherwise a Christian ho goos about doing good. Tho Christian who withdraws him self from tho world and is only interested in himself and his own welfare fails to appreciate tho true Character of ..Christ's teachings. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." Christanity is not a lazy man's job; It Is un ceas ng work, but work that is a pleasure, be cause it brings joy t(j the workor. BUt' tlio Golden Rulq ia Impossible unless ,oho learns tho socret. , . , Men will not do untp others as they would havo mop do unto them, unless, they have been initiated, so to speak, into the mysteries pf the doctrine. It rests upon love and upon nothing else. Wo will not do good unto others In ad vance of favors to ourselves unless we havo a reason fpr it, aud Christ gives us the reason. Love is th.e cause. Christ's reason is not a nice calculation based upon benefits received, ouch as Confucius taught. When asked if there was not some word that would cover all the relations of life, he answered; "Is not reciprocity such a word?" Reciprocity fmbodies tiie idea ot mutual, aid balanced sorvicc as if one could keep an act count and mako.'gfts received and benefits-bestowed exactly balancp, . k - ALL INCLUSIVE LOVfi' Clirist did not teach the keeping of books In the doing of gqod. He not only inspires a lovo that despises seff'sh calculation,, but a-love that includes enemies In Its fat-ffuug lines. ' . "But I say unto you which, hear, Lovdyour enemies, dp godd to. them wh'(ch hate yo.ublesg them that curse you, anil' Way "for th'Qm wltfcli despitefully use you." , ' , Even curs'ng and persecution cannot offer a barrier to the love that Qutfsti inculcates No matter wliat another does dr how .he feels, love must' not' be chilled or turned .away. ' Christ goes into i detaMl ind uses ' for illustra tion the hardest qase that can bc'jdund; , '.'ITnto "him1 that smlteth thee on the 6iie .'cheek offer also the other." ,"'.'..' ' ,. Even the hot b.lbod that '.resents a physical, In 'jury must not bo allowed tp drown out Love" in the heart of the injured ono; an unbrotherly act musf not quenCh-the spi?tt' of brotherhood. Some pharacterfze loye as urimanly when, it is "carried to this extreme thfc term. , mollycoddle has been coined to describe 'onp wjip will suffer without" showing resentment , Well, standards ""change. ' It used to for even in this country, that the. man, who declined a challenge to a duel was branded as .a cpiyad; but a Century has made a change, and now he 'man who sends a challenge is punished ao a ' criminal. " - -:( , FALSE STANDARDS OF-HPNpRy , The same false -standard of honor hassled to' wars without number. National, in'sults -have been paid for in blood not the blood of thtf'bne who used the insulting language, but the' bjbod of innocent persons. This false standard 'of honor -among nations is destined to give way to Christ's Gold6n Rule. . w j Our nation has already entered into trdaties . with th'rty nations, representing threeuartcrs of the . world's population,, whereby alt differ- " .ences and disputes, no matter what (he caube, must be- investigated before resort to War. Time iiiust be allowed for the blood to cool and for the peace of society to be mobilized; time must be allowed for the separation of questions 'of honor from questions of fact. This is a long step towards peace. It was the "bid form of diplomacyshoot first and investi gate afterwards that plunged the world ino the bloodiest of all wars. Christ's code, and nothing else, will bring world peace The song of the angels at Christ' birth "On -eartj&peace,. good will toward -men" means neacofd theJftriilividual, peace to the community, peace between states, peace betwee nations AncTneace throughout uie.wona. This peace re8tst on love as Christ exemplifies it. v , Christ not only tells us to love our enemies, . I, wj i " i 1 J 41 ' 2 1 f ,1 vi ,ii & M ;i tSk 'Jac &' ' cj,k':