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The Henry County Weekly
VOL. XLIV.
The Silence of God
By REV. H. S. SMITH
The value of silence in compar
ison with speech is expressed in
the familiar quotation, “Speech is
silvern; silence is golden.” Carlyle
says, “Speech is of time; silence is
of eternity.”
Silence has a language all its
own. My friend is silent. 1 ask,
“What does he mean by his si
lence?” One day your silence is
comforting, another day under dif
ferent circumstances it is distress
ing. Spirit communes with spirit
in the silence. Tennyson says,
“Thought leapt out to wed with
thought ere thought could wed it
self with speech.”
Silence is as various as speech.
“There is the silence of vacancy
and dullness, and the silence that
is too deep for words. There is
the silence of concealment, and
the silence that is more revealing
than speech. There is the silence
ofcondemnation, and the silence of
praise. The completest joy and
the profoundest sorrow are always
silent.
There is the silence of God’s
working. We see it in nature.
The planets revolve, the sun rises,
the tides flow in and out, the clouds
scurry across the sky, the seeds
grow, and all with less noise than
the turning ot yo 4 ui coiiee mill in
the Kitchen.- Man’s machinery
creaks, but God’s doesn’t.
The same thing is true in hu
man history. Men clash with sabre
and roaring cannon on the battle
field, and with fiery invective in
congress halls. But God over
rules and noiselessly directs from
His throne of silence. “Thus far,
but no farther,” He says to the
nations. Matthew Arnold discov
ered that “there is a power not
ourselves that makes for right
eousness” operating in human
history. There was the quiet snow
that stopped Napoleon at Moscow,
a silent fog that turned back the
Germans at the Marne, and the
gently rising waters of the Fiave
that stopped tne onrushing Aus
trians in Italy.
God works silently in the indi
vidual hie. Men want signs and
wonders, a hand to write across
the sky, some one to rise from the
tomb and speak. God spoke to
Elijah at Hore, not in the tire, or
earthquake, or storm, but in the
still small voice. God may use the
clash of events to unlock the door
of the soul, but he deals silently
with the heart and conscience.
All epoch making events have
been lived through m some human
soul. It was in the monastery ot
Urfurt that Luther lived through
tne reformation. John the Bap
tist and also Jesus thought through
their work in the wilderness.
Man’s great accomplishments
have been the product of silence.
F. W. Robertson tells us of an
English engineer who was stopped
by an apparently insoluble prob
lem. He shut himself up for three
days and having thought it
through in the silence came forth
to issue orders with almost super
human intelligence. Books, music,
literature, inventions are wrought
out in the silence. It was after
twenty eight days of retirement
that a body scientist gave to Amer-
A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of McDonough and Henry County.
ica the liberty motor that promises
so much in aviation.
It is the silent power of the soul
that influences men. “Ye are the
salt of the earth.” “Ye are the
light of the world.” Mark the si
lent activity of salt and light. Oh,
we thought it was our much talk
ing and our bustling activity that
would accomplish things. No, it
is the unconscious influence of
your personality that makes talk
or work potent,
There is the silence of contempt.
Herod the superstitious and insin
cere old ruler who liked td have a
prophet under his patronage, ask
ed Jesus some questions, but he
never received any answer. You
may seem to be a seeker after
truth, but if you are vicious or in
sincere you will never find it.
Now if you are in earnest and
willing to do His will I care not
how great may be your doubts, He
will bring you to a knowledge of
the truth.
There is the silence of self-con
tainment. Pilate, a superior char
acter to Herod, received answers
to his questions until he asked
Christ the question, “Whence art
thou?” Why didn’t you answer
your child’s puestion? Because it
was a mystery too deep for turn.
A Mp to a grrftrp n*
'artists who are drinking in the
meaning of a great picture with
deep joy. He asks them to reveal
its teachings to him. They ans
wer him not a word. It’s impos
sible to tell him, because he isn’t
prepared to receive it. His Spirit
will onlv guide us into the truth
as we are able to stand it.
There is a silence that is due to
man’s inability to hear. What a
noise there is on the busy thor
oughfare ! But to the death man
there is silence. God tries to
speak to men, but “their ears are
dull of hearing.” You listen en
wrapt to the songbirds, but there
is no music in the ears of the deaf.
While the bible s peaks strength
ening and comforting messages to
many, its sweet voice is not heard
by multitudes of spiritually deaf.
There is a silence t{iat is benev
olent. God’s silence may be only
apparent. I ask my friend for a
favor and he grants it. I make a
request of a great man who is my
friend. A thousand others have
done the same. He deais with us
altogether in some benefaction or
in an inspiring book he pens.
There is sometimes a far reaching
plan involved in Hist silence. Why
didn’t God in some way let Jacob
know that Joseph still lived?
Think of the years of grief writ
ing themselves in the bowed form,
the furrowed cheek, and the grey
hairs. Look to the end and per
haps ye’ll understand. Why didn’t
God grant your wish. Perhaps
you asked him to do something
for you that you could do yourself.
You send the child away to work
out his problem, because you
know it is best.
We prayed for peace. He ans
wered us not a word. I wonder
why. Is there any light in this
thought that God compels men to
work out their choice to a logical
issue? Wasn’t this true with
McDonough, Georgia, Friday. February 8, ms.
Income Tax Man
Visits McDonough.
Henry county capitalists are be
ginning to experience their first
privilege of paying income tax.
The Internal Revenue official
has arrived in McDonough, and is
located in the tax collector’s office
at the court house. He will re
main through next week to in
struct and render any assistance
he can regarding the provisions
of the new income tax law, as to
making returns in proper form,
etc. As his stay*,is brief those in
doubt should see him at once.
For general information the fol
lowing is published:
A married man will be required
to make a rsturn if his net income
equals or exceeds the sum of
$2,000. A single man will be re
quired to make a return if his net
income equals or, exceeds the sum
of SI,OOO. Persons subject to the
tax may call or leave their address
at the court house and proper
blanks for making returns, with
accompanying instructions will be
furnished or mailed them from
Collector Blalock’s office in At
lanta. 3
Appreciated Letter.
In the measure as their home
paper is appreciated by them, The
Weekly desires to assure the
writers that such an encouraging
letteffa#this is doubly appreciated
b y VV i : r
ildtt' b. 4, 1018.
Dear i-wm >r or qur Home Paper,
-■ McDon
ough, Ga.
You will find enclosed $1.50 for
a renewal of our subscription to
your paper, which expires this
month. We don’t want to miss it at
all, we enjoy reading it so much.
We see items written by so many
of our old acquaintances that it
is tons a letter from home. We
all like Observer’s items so much,
and Sleepy Eyes, and then all the
good editorials it contains each
week is all worth a lot to us away
down here in South Georgia.
Yours truly,
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Joyner.
About all the conception some
folks have of a geniit-m in, judg
ing from the way they act, is a
swell suit of clothes and gold
banded cigar.—Uncle Jeremiah.
Israel when she chose a king?
See the red ruin running through
her subsequent history. "What
soever a man (or nation) sows,
that shall he also reap.” Perhaps
such a peace as the world needs
can only come by the consecration
of our all in the spirit of right
eousness. Perhaps God is ans
wering by giving us the spirit
that will not stoo short of secur
ing a permanent peace.
There is a silence of test, a sil
ence that challenges faith and
perseverance. God’s silence to
our prayers for peace was certain
ly such. It was to reveal our
spirit, to make clear our love for
liberty and righteousness, and to
challenge faith and perseverance.
Standing the test of silence a larg
er good is possible. This woman
undiscouraged pressed back of
the silence and worshiped at the
feet ot her Lord. What a bless
ing she gets, “O woman, great is
thy faith, be it unto thee even as
thou wilt.” Standing the test of
His silence with faith and perse
verance I can see the larger good
of a purged, purified and greater
world.
WISE SUPPORTS
PRESIDENT WILSON
Sixth District Congressman Opposes the Chamber
lain Bill, and Before the House Ably Presents
Reasons Therefor.
Congressman J. W. Wise, repre
senting this, the Sixth Congres
ional District of Georgia, a mem
ber of the Military Committee of
Congress, is standing with Presi
dent Wilson in the conduct of the
war. He is in position to render
valuable service to the President
and to the country and he is zeal
ously discharging the responsible
duties which confront him in these
perilous times.
Mi . Walter S. Gard, special rep
resentative of the Macon Telegraph
at Washington, sent the Telegraph
the following statement from Con
gressman Wise some days ago, in
which he specifically opposed the
Chamberlain bill, now being con
sidered as the latest war measure
proposed in Cougress. The state
ment of Congressman Wise will
be read with deep interest and
doubtless with general approval
throughout this district.
Congressman Wise says:
“Under the Constitution of the
United States the President is com
mander-in-chief of the army and
navy. The responsib-lily is .op the
President for the successful con
duct and management of the war.
He appoints his own cabinet. Any
effort of interference with his con
duct and management of the war
at this time would, in my judgment,
be a serious mistake, and would
only add confusion and practically
destroy all the work <liat has been
done up to this time in creating
and organizing an effective war
machine.
“Changes have peen made, and
are continuing to be made, improv
ing the same and they were begun
long before there was any talk of
creating a board for the manage
ment and conduct ot the war,
which would practically take the
entire matter out of the hands of
the President and those charged
with the same.
“For these reasons, and many
others I could mention, I am op
posed to the proposed legislation
creating a munitions director.
Improvements have been made in
this department which, it has been
shown by experience, were neces
sary, and to create at this time a
new officer of this kind and undo
what has been done would only
add confusion to the existing or
ganization which, I believe, is
growing more effective every day.
Powers have already been grant
ed, where needed to the President
to make any change that he deems
necessary for the successful con
duct of the war. If some are still
lacking, in my judgment they will
be granted.
“This is no time to play politics
or think of political campaigns in
the future. We are in this war,
and it is a most serious one. No
man can tell the length of it or the
sacrifices in men and money we
will have to make. People are
giving their lives and enormous
sums in taxes are being and will
be paid. There should be but one
thought, and t|iat to win and end
this war as early as possible. Quit
talking so much; work more. f)o
nothing to embarrass those re
sponsible for its conduct. W r e
have enough boards, exercising
different functions. We need men
to carry guns and fight. This war
will be won with men and guns
fighting, and not by creating extra
boards with large salaries, to in
terfere with those responsible for
its gonduct. We should quit cre
ating boards, making politica
speeches and playing politics, and
devote our time to getting men
. and guns in the field.”
j -
Food Regulations.
At the request of the Food Ad
ministration to prevent the hoard
ing of flour, the sales of flour
hereafter, until further notified,
in towns and cities to individual
j consumers shall be in one-eighth
| to one-half barrel quantity or less,
in i ural districts from one-quarter
to one-half barrel quantity or less.
The sale of sugar in towns or
cities shall be in i to 5 lb. quanti
ties, and rural districts 5 to 10 lb.
quantities or less.
The sale of flour shall be offset
,by an equal amount of cereals.
However, corn may be used in
exchange for not more than 96
pounds of flour in 30 days.
Wheat flour substitutes shall in
clude hominy, corn grits, corn
meal, corn flour, edible corn
starch, barley flour, rolled oats,
oatmeal, rice, rice flour, buck
wheat flour, potato flour, sweet
potato flour, soy bean flour, and
feterita flour and meal.
Cal! on a member of the advis
ory committee nearest you for
further information concerning
the exchange of corn for flour.
The following are members of
the advisory committee for the
Food Administration for Georgia
and Henry county:
D. L. McCullough, J. W. High
tower, Stockbridge.
C. V. Williams, R. F, Smith, Lq
cust Grove.
F. M. Copeland, A. N. Brown,
McDonough.
W. P. Wilson, Arnold Moore,
Hampton.
Federal Food Administration
For Georgia.
By G. F. Fears,
County Food Administrator.
WHAT TO USE TO
PREVENT APPENDICITIS
Stockbridge people should know
simple bnckthor bark, glycerine,
etc., as mixed in Adler-i-ka. flushes
the ENTIRE bowel tract so comple
tely that appendicitis is preventec.
ONE SPOONFUL Adler-i-ka relie
ves ANY CASE sour stomach, gas
or constipation because it removes
A LL foul matter which clogged and
poisoned your system. The IN
STANT action surprises both doc
tors and patients. C. H. Pinson
druggist at Stockdridge.
Horse Shoeing a specialty at
Thomposn’s Shop.
$1.50 A YEAR