Life — February 25, 1926 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“While there is Life there's Hop VOL. 87. 2260 Published by LIFE PUBLISHING COMPANY $98 Madison Avenue, New York Coantes Dana Giason, President Sunwoon, Editor Art Editor RE F. D, Case H Z=NRY FORD came out the other day with observations quoted in the Cosmopol titan Maga- sine to effect that the only thing that really counts in this world is experience ; experience for the next life. “is here “Every man,” he said, nee. He gains it thought that for xperi and then passes on.” He some knowledge that men used to have had been lost; that they knew definitely wh: the soul; “that they did not guess about reli it,” and he became of n, but knew thought they would know it again. Asked said bout life on other planets he “This earth is just a clearing sta tion. We do not know anything about what is on those other planets except life Iam sure there is life there Henry is He must airly advanced. have been communing with the spirit ists or reading the Bible to himself, or something rash of that sort. Per haps it was his obstreperous remarksthat stirred up Burbank, the plant wizard, who came out the next day with the claim that he was tel, a doubter, * very doubtful a questioner, a skept of immortality, and of opinion as a sci entist that ing foundation.” But when one exam Burbank’s title to be all those things he claims, and reads carefully all religions are on a tott ines Mr. what he said in that interview, he does not seem to diverge so far from con- He with temporary belief as he makes out has been busy with plants and not definitions of religion nor with theories of immortality, and he may not have had the Mr. Ford seems to have had of conversing with some advantage which orward-looking spiritist But right on top of Mr. Burbank’s Crate Maxwait, Vice-President Lancuoane Giason, Secretary and Treasurer outburst there comes word in the papers that he admits that he can cure diseases “by laying on hands.” It might be ex- pected of him. His extraordinary in- fluence on plant life implies an under- standing and control of life in other forms, Appare practices in shaping life have given him powers tha! not understand, plain. it,” y his studies and his he perceives but does I don’t attempt to ex- he says, and he has given notice that people are not to come to him to be cured of disease, for he has no time to attend to them, UST as one was expecting that Bishop Manning would call for funds to put a bootleggers’ window in the Cathedral as a companion to the sports window, out he comes and says that the motion of the Church Temperance ciety for an amendment to the V stead act to permit light wine and beer does not represent the Church and is not a recommendation that should be accepted at this time. That the Bishop should not be im- pressed with the value of the services of the bootleggers as defenders of lib- erty is a little disappointing, but some » be ex- must even the opponents thing on the whole that was pected, nor of Volstead necessarily consider that His servations were carefully measured It is likely enough that merely letting in light wine and beer would not med- icate the situation adequately. If the Volstead act is to be amended, the job must be carefully Something has been gained by Prohibition, but a the Bishop is altogether wrong. studied. great deal has been lost and persons officially for the ment of the law are perplexed to know what to do about it Dr. Manning’s strong. He responsible enforce appeal is not very “I wish that the clergy of our own church and of all churches all over our d would join in a crusade for such voluntary action in support of the law, and that the people all churches and all good citizens would unite in such a movement.” While he is wishin wish for v« why does he not n in forgoing m, instead of voluntary action in sup Volstead? We had the first before the amendment and things were moving well under it. One of the worst charges against the amendment is that trying to make total abstinence com- pulsory it has killed the movement for voluntary abstinence Dr. Manni: doubt that support of Volstead by all good citizens “would be for the moral and spiritual good of our countr untary ac rui port of asks if an voluntary body can the Certainly one can doubt it. Uf the law is bad, and millions of decent peo- ple think it is bad, to abandon opposi- tion to it would leave it free to ride on our necks. The philosophy of the It is not Christian. It ces needlessly the great birthright free will, which makes for the de- law is wrong sacr velo ment of character, to compulsory regulation which makes merely for de- portment, and is sure in the end to fail Mill said in his essay on Liberty: “The sole end for which mankind are war ranted, individually or collectivel. interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number is self-protec t The only for power can be rightfully exercised over member of in purpose which civilized community against his will is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant.” The regulation of rum should run in. side these limits which Mill indicated. Under Volstead, and indeed under the amendment, it far exceeds them. The argument that Prohibition facilitates in- dustrial production and increases sav ings-bank deposits may be good enough for Judge Gary, but it ought not to be good enough for Dr. Manning. It sacrifices spiritual things for temporal things, and the Bishop of New York ought to see it Es . Martin comicbooks.com