DECEMBER 15, 1913 



He dwells upon its far-reaching effects, and the over- 

 whelming importance of its being not only of high 

 quality, but of really compelling strength. It is 

 obvious that the sittlichkeit of a nation may deterio- 

 rate, and that its deterioration is a national disaster. 



Lord Haldane was pointing out the undoubted 

 fact that the English-speaking races have virtually 

 the same sittlichkeit, and that it forms the greatest 

 bond of friendship between them. But in his spee: h 

 lies a lesson for any one who is able to influence the 

 daily thoughts of the nation, and to insinuate stan- 

 dards of manners or morality. There are many such 

 persons; but The Companion wishes here to speak 

 of those of its own trade, that of writing and pub- 

 lishing, for what is WTitten and printed and strewn 

 broadcast over the land, more than anything else, 

 forms and upholds the sittlichkeit of the community. 

 From periodicals, books, and plays — more, perhaps, 

 than from any other source — do our young people, 

 and our old ones, too, receive their education in the 

 common ethical tradition of the race. Plainly, an*- 

 publisher or writer who uses his power to lower the 

 ethical standards of the people, to weaken their con- 

 fidence in a powerful moral tradition, is an anti- 

 social force and a public enemy. 



A part of the sittlichkeit of the American people 

 has been a wise reticence in the public discussion 

 of questions of sex, a fine refusal on the part of 

 writers and publishers to profit by any appeal to 

 prurient curiosity ; a deep conviction that to exploit 

 such topics in the popular press, no matter with 

 what motive, is certain to do great harm, and little 

 if any good. 



But we seem to be in danger of losing that part 

 of our fine national tradition — a most useful part 

 as The Companion believes, and one that every de- 

 cent man and woman ought to tight for in every 

 possible way. Our literature has been clean ; shall 

 it become dirty ? That is the question that faces us 

 all, and that must receive a national answer. Our 

 periodicals, our novels and our stage are giving to 

 the public — any public that will pay, no matter how 

 unfit — discussions and descriptions that no publisher 

 or producer would have dared, or would have been 

 willing, to offer twenty years ago. They give ; is the 

 public willing to receive ? 



This is the time of year when people are deciding 

 what periodicals they will take during the ensuing 

 twelvemonth ; when all the periodicals present their 

 bills of fare for the coming year, and urge their 

 attractions, some with honest, some with specious 

 arguments. Moreover, they put forth clubbing offers 

 that, by linking unsuspected evil with known good, 

 may completely thwart a subscriber's most careful 

 intentions. There is only one safe course. No one 

 should subscribe to a periodical of which he has not 

 first-hand recent knowledge, and no one should selet.t 

 for his own reading, and that of his family, any 

 publication that does not express and seek to uphold 

 the highest aspirations of the nation. 



Kind Words from our Customers 



A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WHO 

 " READS HIS BIBLE EVERY DAY." 



The following kind words from our good 

 friend Florence D. Richards, Ohio Presi- 

 dent of the W. C. T. U., I am sure will be 

 found interesting from several points of 

 view. 



Dear Mr. Root: — I have just finished reading 

 your articles in the Aug. loth issue of Gleanings. 

 and I want to tell you how much I have enjoyed 

 them. I wish that " sermonette " on the first Psalm 

 could be read by every young people's society in the 

 land, for it is replete with good sound " takable ' 

 advice. I, too, wish that each person, young and 

 old, would take the pledge: "I promise to read my 

 Bible every day," and then faithfully keep it. 



The World's Morning Watch, or The Daily Bibl« 

 Publishing Company of New York sends out a little 

 monthly magazine called " Daily Bible," which I 

 have found very helpful. On the outer cover of the 

 August number are these words from the President 

 of the United States, Woodrow Wilson : 



" I am sorry for the men who do not read the 

 Bible every day. I wonder why they deprive them 



21 



selves of the strength and of the pleasure. It is one 

 of the most singular books in the world, for every 

 time you open it some old text that you have read 

 a score of times suddenly beams with a new mean- 

 ing. There is no other book that I know of, of which 

 this is true; there is no other book that yields its 

 meaning so personally, that seems to fit itself so in- 

 timately to the very spirit that is seeking guidance." 



I think we are to congratulate ourselves and the 

 nation on having a president who reads the Bible 

 every day. Such a righteous example will truly ex- 

 alt the nation. "His leaf also shall not wither; 

 and whatsoever he doth shall prosper." 



I rejoiced with you in your climb over those Mich- 

 igan hills, and enjoyed the Sunday-school led by 

 your friend Mrs. Wilson. I am sorry those Michigan 

 men failed to enfranchise her and tlie rest of the 

 State's noble women. I hope you may go on climbing 

 I hills and " renewing your strength " until you will 

 have rounded out a full century of years in the 

 earthly existence, and ascended the hill of the Lord 

 to receive the crown laid up for the faithful. 



Lakeside, Ohio. Florence D. Richaeds. 



ONE MORE FOR THE " lOO-YEAR-OLD " CLUB. 



I notice by the blue-record address that anothei'' 

 I year has rolled by, and my subscription should be 

 renewed again. The paper is still very interesting, 

 and much good is being accomplished. A. I. Root 

 is certainly a pciculiar man. At his age he is doing 

 a wonderful lot of work. This is what is keeping 

 him in good health, and I hope he will hold out at 

 least thirty years yet. 



I am 58 years old, and am accomplishing more 

 work and making more money than at any other 

 period of my life. I have more desire now than ever 

 to live to be one hundred years old. 



Experience has taught me some great lessons that 

 I can profit by at this time. The good lessons I can 

 profit by; and the poor or bad lessons I also profit 

 by, by simply avoiding them, knowing by experience 

 they were a cause of failure. 



I am just as intensely interested in the wonderful 

 progressive advancement in our nation as Mr. Root. 

 I also make just as many discoveries, but I have 

 no way of bringing them before the public because 

 of the want of a publication. 



The most interesting part of Gleanings now is 

 the temperance question. Years ago I called this 

 movement a national one. I often wondered how 

 long our nation would keep raking in a revenue 

 from this greatest of all evils. Every year it is 

 larger and larger, in spite of all the preaichers and 

 Prohibitionists. The business class of the people are 

 severely letting this question alone. Not one wor^ 

 comes from our churches advocating a business move- 

 ment, and that a national one. Only once in the last 

 year have I noticed that Mr. Root mentioned it along 

 this line. Now public sentiment is beginning to wake 

 up to the fact that each State and then the nation 

 must take a hold of this matter, or this nation will 

 end in despair. 



There should be national laws passed to stop the 

 manufacture of intoxicating liquors, as strong and 

 severe as it now has against the counterfeiting of 

 money. Then we could begin to accomplish some- 

 thing. If it were not for this irucreasing thirst for 

 strong drink there would be no howl about the high 

 cost of living. Stop the manufacture of drink, and 

 use the gi-ain for food for man and beast, and see 

 how quick there would be plenty for all at half the 

 cost now being paid for this grain — grain for food, 

 not grain for drink. If this nation of ours must 

 have a revenue, let it tax the grain, not the curse of 

 the grain after it has been made into liquor. 



Mr. Root, Mr. Terry, and myself are living without 

 stronger drink than water, and our health is better 

 in every way. If this is true with us, every other 

 man or woman can live longer and better without it. 

 Why manufacture it ? 



There is no sense whatever in abusing the saloon- 

 keeper. He is our nations servant, sanctioned by 

 the government to dispose of this great river of 

 booze so this whisky-soaked nation can rake in this 

 great "wad" to have the rich "soak" from paying 

 a few dollars less tax. 



This is not a question for the churches to tackle. 

 It is not a sentimental question. It is a business 

 question — a question for the business people of tha 

 nation to iclean up as a damnable stinking nuisance. 

 Public sentiment is growing along this line, and i^ 

 time it will surely clean it out. 



Brewster, Wash., Oct. 24. V. W. Clough 



