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About The Henry County weekly. (McDonough, GA.) 18??-1934 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 1908)
THE TULTIT. AN ELOQUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY BISHOP H. C. POTTER. Subject: The Church and Labor. Brooklyn. N. Y.—The Rt. Rev. Henry C. Potter, Bishop of New York, preached in St. Ann's Church on the Heights, Sunday. His subject was "‘The Church and the Labor Ques tion,” and for his text he took the two passages: St. Luke 3:10 to 14 (R. V.): “And the multitude asked Him what then must we do? He answered and said unto them, "He that hath two coats let him im part to him that hath none; and he that hath food let him do likewise.’ And there came also publicans to be baptized and they said unto Him, "Master, what must we do?’ And He said unto them, ‘Exact no more than that which is appointed you.’ And the soldiers also asked Him, saving, "What must we do?’ and He said unto them, ‘Extort from no man by vio lence; neither accuse any one wrong fully; and be content with your wages.” And St. Matthew 11:2 to 7: "‘Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ he sent two of his disciples and said unto Him: ‘Art Thou He who should come or look we for another?’ And Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Go your way and tell John the things which ye see; the blind receive their sight and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the good tidings preached to them; and blessed is he who shall find no occa sion of stumbling in Me.’ ” Bishop Potter said: I wonder if it has ever occurred to you to ask yourselves the question, how far the absolute incidents of the gospels are a witness to their truth? There are incidents like that which must present itself to you in connec tion with John the Baptist, and that other which occurs at the close of St. Matthew’s and St. Luke’s gospels in connection with Peter which make us feel that if any one were writing a book in which he desired to present to us simply a favorable impression of this or that man there are certain things in the gospels which would have been left out. Nothing is finer, for example, in its way, than the lan guage of John the Baptist in connec tion with the coming to him in the desert of the people, and of the sol diers, and the tax gatherers and the rest. It is a singularly direct and explicit way in which he lays down to each group what should be the law of their life. And it is entirely an other man, if we stop and think a moment, whom we encounter in the gospel for the third Sunday in Ad vent: “Art Thou He that should come? Really, Ido not know wheth er you are or not.” That is the implication of the words, and I can imagine an unbe liever using these words as a very effective argument against the belief of John the Baptist in the divine claims of Jesus. Here is a man who has been sent as the forerunner of Jesus, who had baptized Jesus, who was profoundly persuaded of the mis sion and truth and divine character of Jesus, and yet there comes a mo ment in his life when he says: ‘‘Well, really, I am not clear about ycfu. You claim to be the Messiah. You have appeared to this nation and to this era in the history of the world with a revelation of the Supreme Force in the world. Art Thou He who should come?” But the -fine thing about these two texts is the fact that each one of them is a distinct and explicit witness to that thing of which you and I are perfectly conscious in our selves. That is, that every man and every woman is made up of two men and two women; that there are types of character which are so contradic tory and so unlike each other that abstractly we should say they are ab solutely irreconcilable and yet they belong to the same person, influenced by different circumstances and chal lenged by different perplexities. There can be no doubt as to the impressions which had been made by the teaching and life of Jesus upon John the Bap tist in the words I have read. John, in other words, grasped and seized with singular clearness and force the fact that heye in the advent of Jesus there had entered the world an abso lutely new law in the conception of life and of the individual’s relations to other lives about him. Go back to the beginning of civili zation and trace step by step to this hour and you will be amazed to find how largely they built on the compli cations and philosophies of caste. My brother (Dr. Alsop) might make an Interesting sermon upon the tragic and dramatic forces of caste in In dia, whose religions it would be well to remember are older than ours. In other words, the moment that bar barism begins to lift itself by organi zation, by the creation of the govern ing society, it differentiates barbar ism from civilization. It begins also to emphasize the distinction of caste. Do you know that to-day a Pariah, one of the classes in India, cannot walk on the sidewalk of the street after 3 o’clock in the afternoon be cause it is possible that this Pariah, whose touch is defilement, might brush against a Brahmin? In other words, the Brahmin has pushed the theory of the isolation of the caste to that point where he cannot allow one not of the same caste to walk on the same side of the street with him. When I was in India 1 asked a Hindu on a boat on the Hoogly River to sit down and eat with me, and he turned as if I had struck him and said: “My caste forbids; I cannot eat with you because you are a Christian.” Now, Jesus came and John the Baptist sees first of all that He had struck at the foundation, at the sys- • % I’m 7 1 8 wl a r a , _ Round V Wt J* W WffiP' V T i a tem of the theory of caste. The the ory of caste carried with it the right of certain privileged people to main tain a certain autocratic and imper ious sovereignty over the lives and property of others. ‘‘No,” said John, having been long enough in the pres ence of his Master to grasp that great central truth of the Master’s teach ing, “no, you and I, the soldier and the tax gatherer and the men who pay taxes, and, all the rest, are one family in the family of God, and in your relations to one another you must govern yourselves by the law of equity and not by the power which comes into your hands because of any mere caste inheritance whatever your office or place may be in caste inheritance of power over another.” The believers in the religion of Jesus Christ were slow to grasp that truth. John the Baptist himself be gan to doubt whether Christ had come to create a new system under •which men should sustain new rela tions to each other. “Art Thou He who should come? If so, why don’t you strike at the foundation of this concrete, ecclesiastical-political-social order of which you and I are a part?” Now, we come to the great truth which Jesus strives to get to the minds of His disciples: “Go tell John the things you have seen.” What was the definition of the Master’s method? That He put into human society an absolutely new conception of the relation of man to man and left it as a seed. He did not deal with the miseries of society, as you and I are often tempted to deal with them. He did not dismiss the blind and the lame and the rest out of His sight and teaching. He dealt with them four-square, and relieved them. He translated the mind and the heart of God to the consciousness of man and He made them realize at last that His religion was in the world to be a re creative force. First of all, begin ning at the individual heart and life and then bringing about the recon struction of society because of the different way in which men regarded each other. That brings me to the subject on which I have been specially asked to speak to-night. You and I, whether we are disposed to like the situation or not, and most of us resent it as an insufferable impertinence, are con fronted in this republic, and in this twentieth century, with incompara bly tho most tremendous problem, in its relation to the right construction of human society, with which the re public has yet had to deal, and that problem is the problem of the unifica tion of the ideas and sympathies and purposes and aims of men. and you cannot go home to-night and lay your head upon your pillow' without being conscious, whether you choose to ac knowledge it or not, that there is in the depths of poverty and want and shame all about you a profound so cial discontent, and that there are earnest and able men (let us be just, although we don’t love them), who are deeply persuaded that there can be no peace in human society unless that peace is wrought by the absolute destruction of principles which are precious and beautiful and dignified in human society. They say the whole social fabric must be pulled down and thrown to the ground and the man who stands in the way of that must be got out of the way. Now, the question which confronts you and me is: How are we to deal with this state of mind and what are we to do to remedy it? We know that if such a social revolution were to come to pass to-morrow it would be attended by cruel and brutal indignities and that the guardianship of the family and the safety of the State itself would be imperiled. Our social prob lem here in America, and especially those problems which involve our re lations to the men who work with their hands, are not to be solved by revolution, but by quite another method. First of all we are to recog nize the situation, the tremendous convolution, the transformation I may venture to call it, which has come to pass in the workingman's life by the invention of machinery, by the building up of great central forces for the employment of men un der conditions which separate him absolutely from the master whom he serves. The workman is as absolute ly unknown to the man or the cor poration—and it is often a corpora tion —who employs him as if he lived in Dahomey. It is along these lines, whether you choose to recognize it or not, thatdanger lies; and the church’s relation to that problem is one, after all, which is in the hands of every one to whom I am speaking. How much do you know’ of the life of the w’orkingman? How much time have you given to understanding it or to soften it or to inspire it? It is not the giving of money, or the creation of charitable institutions that builds up the feeling of brotherhood among men. The poor man resents our con descension. He does not want that or your gold; he wants recognition of his manhood. The shop girl wants you to honor her womanhood; to re spect her in the task in which she is toiling and suffering. You_ can do The ills peculiar to women, take different forms. Some ladies suffer, every month, from dark rings round their eyes, blotches on their skin and tired feeling. Others suffer agonies of pain, that words can hardly express. Whatever the symptoms, remember there is one medicine that will go beyond mere symptoms, and act on the cause of their troubles, the weakened womanly organs. Wine of Cardui Mrs. M. C. Austin, of Memphis, Tenn., writes: “For five (5) years I suffered with every symptom of female disease, but after using the well-known Cardui Home Treatment, I was entirely well." 11/DITF f!C A I FTTFD Write <<xlay f° r * free ropy of valuable M-page illustrated Book for Women. If you need Med fl 111 ILi UkJ n l LC 1 | Ll\ iCi ' Advice, describe your symptoms, stating age. and reply will be sent In plain sealed envelope. Address: Ladles Advisory Dept., The Chattanooga Medicine Co., Chattanooga, Tenn. much to make tftat task easier ana create an atmosphere in which she and you can move alike as members of the same divine society and fellow soldiers under the same Master. That brings into view the relation of the church to these great social problems. You and I somehow or other must bring the man who works with his hands to recognize his place, his right, his office, his calling in the church of God. The first business of the church is to place her houses of worship at the service of the people who work with their hands and then in the life of the church to encourage that spirit which will help us to un derstand and to serve it. There is but one way to do that. Instead of turning to any “ism” of the hour or theory of social reconstruction, or any new philosophy which under takes to re-create society upon theo ries which are essentially barbaric in their nature, you and I must go back and look into the face of the Master and find in Him the secret of our ser vice and our triumph. A lrayer. Soul of our souls, Thou to whom W’e turn for life and health, inspire and quicken us, and by our worship prepare us for our work. Give us a steadfast spirit, a heart enslaved by uo appetite or passion, a will guided by wisdom and firm for the right. Give power to work and power to wait, mercifully look upon our in firmities and those evils, which by our frailty, our sin, or our ignorance we have invited, turn from us. Transform evil into good. Out of mortal weakness bring forth immor tal strength. May the fire purify, and not consume; and, when we pass through the rivers, may they not overwhelm us. Stay with us from dawn till eventide. Should the way be rough and gloomy, may wo put our hand in Thine, and, if we are led out into the dark, still let us hold fast by Thee, and cast away fear. In the crush and clang of life, may a blessed calm often visit us, telling that a Holy Ghost has entered in, and will not leave us till we bid Hipi go. Amen. —P. E. Vizard. The Coming of Jesus. The prince of this world is never cast out until Jesus comes in. NEW NEWSPAPER PROVISION In Relation to Lapsed Subscriptions is Now in Force. Henry B. Varner, of Lexington, N. C. t president of the National Editorial as sociation, is in Washington to urge the postofflee department to postpone for six months the new ruling of the department in regard to lapsed sub scriptions to newspapers and period icals. An order promulgated on December 4 denies to publishers the privilege of sending copies to subscribers as such after a specified term following the ex piration of (he subscription. This ruling became a law January Ist. Hereafter publishers of weekly news papers cannot carry subscribers in ar rears more than one year; semi-week lies more than nine months; tri-week lies longer than six months, and dailies longer than three months. For each violation the publishers will be fined one cent for each four ounces. Since the average newspaper weighs four ounces or less, each paper sent to a subscriber in arrears for a longer peri od than indicated will cost the publish ers one cent fine. This law will not affect the big dail ies very materially, but it will make a change in the management of weeklies and semi-weeklies. Mr. Varner says newspaper publishers do not ©bject to the law, but simply wish more time to prepare themselves and their subscrib ers for its actual operation. Hs will see Postmaster-General Meyer and urge an extension for six months. He de clares few newspaper publishers know of the law, and fewer newspaper sub scribers. REPORT ON BROWNSVILLE Soon to Ee Submitted to Congress by Committee on Military Affairs. The senate committee on military af fairs expects to submit the reports of the Brownsville investigation to the senate within the next two weeks. The majority will fix the responsibility for the shootng up of the Texas town on the colored solders. The democratic senators will join with the chairman of the committee, Senator Warren and other republican senators in the ma jority report. TROUBLE STILL ON. Night Riders Make a Raid on Russellville, Kentucky, Apply Torch and Use Guns Promiscuously. A special from Louisville, Ky., say»: Although all is now apparently quiet in the struggle between the tobacco grow ers of Kentucky and Tennessee and the American Tobacco company, the developments of the day have given great uneasiness. The town of Russell ville, which was raided by night riders early Friday morning, was quiet Fri day night, but the sheriff and his dep uties, the police and the citizens were on the alert to prevent any repetition of the outrages. It was decided by the peace officers and the leading citi zens, in view or the improbability of another raid, that the governor would not be asked for troops. State Fire Marshal Mott Ayres, however, will be gin an immediate investigation of Thursday night's raid, which resulted in the shooting of three men by the raiders, the burning of two tobacco warehouses and a planing mill, and the partial destruction of three smaller buildings. The county judge and court officials have notified Governor Wilson that a special term of court will be called to consider the evidence brought out by the investigation, and that extraordinary efforts will he made to apprehend and punish the guilty parties. The most disturbing news of the day, following as it did on the heels of the Russellville raid, was the fail ure of the Burley Tobacco Society and the chief buyers for the American To bacco company to agree regarding the marketing of the 1907 crop held by the society. The parties met at Winches ter, in accordance with the terms of a compromise agreement recently brought about by Governor Wilson. The Bur ley men wanted the company to buy 60,000 hogsheads of'tobacco from them, while the buyers would agree to take but 10,000 hogsheads. The Burley men consented to sell the smaller amount. The tobacco had already been Inspected and graded. The Burley men fixed a minimum price of 15 cents a pound. The company buyers refused to give more than 12 cents. The Burley society issued a state ment after the failure of the conference declaring that, after making the con cession in regard to the amount to be bought and failing to agree on a price for the smaller amount proposed by the company, the growers asked the buyers if they would consider further compromise propositions. The buyers, according to the statement, declared that further propositions were useless. The statement concludes: “The attitude taken by the buyers demonstrates conclusively that the American Tobacco company is the only buyer left for our tobacco, and that it is determined to fix its own price.” A further conference between the buyers and Burley association has been called for Frankfort in a final effort to reach a settlement, hut it is feared the failure of negotiations at the Win chester meeting may increase the fric tion in the tobacco districts. POOR DELUDED AMERICAN HEIRESS. Countess of Yarmouth, Sister of Harry Thaw, Now Seeks a Divorce. A London dispatch says: The fail ure of another alliance of the English nobility with an American woman of wealth became public Friday afternoon when the countess of Yarmouth, who wag Alice Thaw of Pittsburg, and a sister of Harry K. Thaw, applied to the divorce court for an annulment of her marriage to the earl of Yarmouth. FLAT RATE COMING SOON. Georgia Railroad Commission Will Issue Order at an Early Date. An order establishing a flat rate of two and a half cents per mile for pas senger travel on the railroads in Geor gia, this arrangement to become ef fective April 1, will be issued in a short time by the state railroad com mission. THE SEABOARD HAS TROUBLE Big Railway System Vic im of Ad verse Legislation in the iou'.h. RECEIVERS APPOINTED Attorneys Rush to Federal Judge Pritchard With Application to Place Road's Affairs in Court. Because of its inability to socure the funds to pay fixed charges duo January Ist, this inability being due to adverse legislation in the souui, Ihe Staboar4 Air Lius railroad system was put iuit> the hands of receivers at Richmond, Va., Thursday morning, through the ac tion of Federal Judge Pritchard, who was hurriedly summoned from Asheville, N. C., to take cognizance of the application tof a receivership. Judge Pritchard appointed as receiv ers R. Lancaster Williams, of Rich mond, and R. Davies Warfield of Balti more. Both men are identified with banking houses in Baltimore, Williams being of the firm of Mlddendorf, Wil liams & Co., and Warfield is president of the Continental Trust company. Mr. Williams is also a partner in the firm •f John L. Williams & Sons of Rich mond. The bond of each was fixed at $60,000. The title of the case as filed is “Tho Air Line Railway, complain ant, agalust tho Continental Trust Com pany, trustees, under the first mortgage made by the Seaboard Air Line railway, defendant.”* Judge Pritchard’s decree gives tho receivers immediate possession of the property, which embraces tho main stem from Portsmouth, To., to Tampa, Fla., with numerous branches to coast points on the east and to Atlanta, Mont gomery and Birmingham on the west, a total of 2,382 miles. ■♦")] The preliminaries lo the appointment of receivers for the Seaboard form a dramatic incident quite unique in rail road history. Decision to put the road into the hands of receivers was reached at a conference in Washington on Tues day night between members of the vot ing pool and creditors of the road, both the Ryan and Williams forces concurring. New year’s day application for the receivership was made to Judge Waddill, in Richmond, but he referred the party to Judge Pritchard of the United States circuit court, who was at his home in Asheville, N. C. Respond ing to an urgent request by wire, the judge started at cnce for Richmond, and was met at Danville, Va., Wednes day midnight by several Seaboard attorneys, who had gone there from Richmond by special train for a confer ence. The special train with Judge Pritch ard on board returned to Richmond, ar riving after a fast run at 7 o’clock on Thursday morning. After their sleep less night and strenuous efforts cam© no relaxation, however, the party only allow'ing themselves a hasty breakfast before presenting themselves be fore Judge Pritchard to have put into effect the arrangement reached at the midnight conference for the passing of the crippled road with its $72,000,000 capital and $58,01)0,000 liabilities out of the control of the voting trust into the hands of two men. The necessity for prompt action arose from the ma turing of heavy liabilities January Ist. By the decree the receivers are em powered to borrow money if needful to pay such rental as may become due, purchase cars, etc., and pay for labor and supplies, but not for any other pur pose without an order of the court hav ing primary jurisdiction. The effect of the receivership will be far-reaching in Baltimore, where the securities of the company are more largely dealt in and held than in any other trading center, not even excepting} New York. The bond issues placed on tha property siuce it has been merged Into one system aggregate $36,765,000, of which amount it is estimated nearly $5,000,000 is held in Baltimore.
