Banks County gazette. (Homer, Ga.) 1890-1897, October 01, 1890, Image 1

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Banks County Gazette. VOL I.—NO. 21. Birds of a Feather Flock To gether. The following essay was read at Berlin, September 19th, at the close of Mr. J. E. Riteh’s school, by Miss Mollie J. Anderson : This old and oft repeated maxim is true literally. The tiny snow birds of winter, the musical black bird as well as the crow and buzzard are sure too often form large congregations.. Very many of the birds are of great benefit to mankind as they are con tinually destroying such insects and worms as are destructive to the farm ers’ crops. Others are noted for their beautiful songs that delight the ear with their -wonderful minstrelsy. While the crow delights to destroy our cornfields and buzzards revel on carrion, so it is among the human family. The low down and vicious are sure to congregate. They are never content except when together, and that far bad and unlawful pur poses. Sodom of old was an example of such association, and in the days of Christ Capernaum must have been worse as the Savior said: “If the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” I have heard that in cities there are almost whole streets that are enhab ited entirely by the bad and vicious. Thieves drunkards and murderers make boon companions. Bad in fi iiem oes make bad people and no one can grow better while living and associating with only the depraved. The filthy, unsightly carrion eating comiorants band together, and so do the warbling songsters of the beauti ful groves. The good, the pure, the virtuous also are fond of being togeth er. They choose the pure atmos phere of the broad and well paved street?. They congregate and form our Christian churches. They form as sociations for the world’s intellectual and religious training of the rising generations. In the former associa tion no good influences prevail, and all grow worse ajad worse; pandemo niimjt exists. In the latter good in fluences and good examples and good teethings make all better, and almost a heaven on earth is the result. Our object in life should be to do good not evil all the days of our lives. Our example should be only good. One bad w r ord, one bad example, may be the destruction of a fellow being. There is a turning point in the life of many persons, when a good word may save or a bad one destroy. It is right and expedient that we should flock together for good, “for in union there is strength.” So it might be said that heaven is the result of our choice. When the good have all flocked to gether around the throne of God, what a blessed consumation. But when the wicked shall have run their race on earth and have received the condemnation, “Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared - for the deli'il and his angels,” then birds of a feather will have flocked together. Do Your Best. “When I was a little boy,” said a gentleman one day to a friend with whom he was talking, “I paid a visit to my grandfather. He was an aged man, and wore a black velvet cap, and knee breeches with large silver buckles at the knees. When I went to say good-by to him he took me be tween his knees, kissed me kindly, and then laying his hand on my head he said : ‘My dear boy, I have only one thing to say to you; will you try to remember it ?’ I looked him in the face and said, ‘I will, grandpa.’ ‘Well,’ said he, ‘it is this: Whatever yon have to do, always do the best you can.’ This was my grandfather’s legacy to me. It w r as worth more than thousands of gold and silver. I never forgot his words, and have always tried to act upon them.”— Anonymous. Cost. Everybody is busy at work picking cotton. We spent Friday, September 19th, very-pleasantly at Berlin. Mr. Hitch’s school closed that day. When we reached the school house all seemed to he enjoying themselves “hugely.” We are sory to learn that the school had to close, on account of fonder and cotton. They could not have an exhibition, though they had a nice time. The speeches and essays were all good. Several prizes were award ed. Misses M. J. Anderson, H. E. Anderson, Dill and Alice Eng lish, and Master Martin all re ceived prizes. Miss H. E. Anderson received two. The editor of the Ga zette gave tho school an excellent talk on religion and education. We see he is in favor of the girls being educated in preference to boys. Sunday, September 21st, was a bad day for campmeeting. There were several knocked out of going on account of the rain. Mr. J. A. Sheri dan and family started and had to turn back. Mr. D. 11. P. Garrison has about completed his gin house aud is ready to go to ginning. Piedmont. Morbid contemplation and analysis of self, to the exclusion of active duty, and the willful ignorance of self which carelessly inflicts harm and misery upon others, are both products of an ungenerous egotism. True benevo lence and true humanity will take us onto f ourselves to live for higher and nobler things, and will equally bring us back to consider ourselves when that is necessary to purify our influ ence and to make it a blessing to the world. Labor, not enjoyment, should be a present thought with Christian peo ple. It was delightful to the disciples to behold the glory of the transfigu ration, but they were sent hack to work. Spiritual delight should stir the Are of zeal and make us the mere anxious to serve others. Conspicuous dressing lias been one of the <li*naWs *4 the ago: and if the tailor made dress had not run into the region of costliness, it would have wrought wonders for women of all grades. The perfectly dressed wo men causes no one to turn the head and glance at her, unless for her charming ensemble: blit if by any accident the glance is arrested and fixed on her toilet, then it is seen to he faultless. Only in the private dephts of one’s boudoir, where none but intimates have access, can- any eccentricities of dress lie indulged, and there one can cultivate the picturesque at one’s own sweet will, if it is really worth while to give the subject so much attention. The chief thing to remember is that a style of dress becomes a part of'ono’s own personality, of one’s individual ism, and one would always prefer that that should be pleasing. —Har- per’s Bazar, . The human heart is so formed that its innermost depths can be opened only from within. The best love, human or divine, waits outside that sacred inclosure, saying, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock;” and not until the heart’s door is open from within can that love find admis sion there. Nor can the heart’s door be open from within to receive love, except as it opens for the outgoing of love. Friendship’s best gifts are therefore kept inside the heart until the heart’s door swings outward at the pressure from within of friend ship! that must find its way beyond the heart. Then, and not till then, the heart secures the full gain of be ing loved, while having also the great er gain of loving. Time is the most valuable of things, and punctuality is a virtue bordering nigh on to a grace. An exhortation to begin on time will fit many a neg ligent, nonpiunctual preacher who waits for the choir and waits for the congregation, and then begins the service with a slack hold, and the grip is not tigheneu all the way through. Be.punctual. Begin on time and move choir and congregation up to the point. God’s service, like time and tide, should wait for no man. HOMER, BANKS COUNTY, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER I, 1890. Surplus Exhaustion and Other Matters. In answer to R. J. Dyar’s letter of last week I must say that it would have been good policy for Cleveland to have purchased bonds, even at the premiums demanded, as by hoarding the surplus he produced such a con traction of the currency that there was not money enough in circulation to move the crops, which accounts for the low prices of grain aud cotton during his administration. Cleveland saw his mistake when almost too late, and purchased on an average of $7,- 000,000 per month during the last eighteen months of his term of office. Most of the bonds that Cleveland purchased, and those now being pur chused fall due in 1907. Better to pay them and stop the interest, and get the money into circulation. There was no other way then to stop the contraction of the currency. In answer to “O.B.” I must say that I have been misrepresented. I did not say that the surplus was ex hausted. I simply quoted the often repeated inquiries of those democrats who never read hut one side. I did not say: “One other administration like the present will exhaust the treasury,” I said “One more adminis tration like the present and but little will be left of the debt.” We are continually hearing about contraction of the currency, and to show that it cannot be laid at the door of this ad ministration, I will make a few quota tions from the report of Secretary Windorn on the 10th of this month: On the Ist of September, 1889, the amount of net cash, fractional silver and national bank redemption fund in the treasury was §141,000,000. The amount of the same items Sepi. 10th, 1890 was $99,509,220 made up as follows : Fractional coin, $22,000, 000, (not available), in national de positions §25,000,000 now in circula tion. These two items amounting to deducted frdfh ft? $99,000,000 leaves about $52,000,000, which represents the present availa ble cash in the treasury, or the sur plus. Secretary Windom is now pre paying the interest on the bonds and purchasing $16,000,000 of them in order to throw enovgh money into circulation to move the crops and relieve the stringency. As regards the “Butt cut of repub licanism in Banks” becoming a demo crat, I will answer the often pro pounded question: “What is the difference between the democratic and republican parties?” “What difference does it makes, only that one has the offices and the other wants them?” To satisfy 0.8. on that score I have one slight observa tion to make; one slight difference to suggest, and that is, that upon every issue, upon every question affecting the honor, the welfare, the prosperity and the existence of this nation for the last thirty years, the republican party has always been right and the democratic party lias always been wrong, and it is just exactly as wrong to day as it was in 18G1 or any time since. Slavery, secession, state sov erignty, reconstruction, the public credit, the resumption of specie pay ments, the coinage of silver, protec tion to American labor and the tariff for the protection of American indus tries; upon every one of these ques tions, from the beginning down to the present time, the republican party has always been right, and the demo cratic party has always been wrong, and I believe will continue to bo wrong forever and ever. As an eminent statesman has recent ly said: “The democratic party is the political dumping ground of the politics of the nineteenth century. Every excluded heresy, every aban doned heresy, every thing that the nation has got done with and tired of, and has cast away to be trodden under the foot of man is the heritage of the democratic party.” In many localities it is the aggre gation of the imbecility and the dis loyalty of this country, it being strongest where public morality is weakest, increasing all the dangers and destructive agencies of society and having neither conscience nor courage of convictions. It is the never ending menace to the prosperity and the honor of the American people. So, in the language of another I answer: “Politically, I think the worst republican that ever lived is better by far than the best democrat that ever lived.” I don’t want to join the democrats. Thomas Hayden. When perplexed as to duty, bowed down as to any of life’s sorrows, re bellious as to disappointed hopes, de feated purposes, irremediable losses, or thwarted desires—may the image of the great Burden-beurer in Gethse mane rise before the mind, strengthen and quiet the heart. If thorns in the flesh are not extracted,grace sufficient will be granted so to endure as that larger blessing shall accrue to the sufferer and greater glory .to him. The formation of the Christ image, th n, demands in us a willing denial of will. By the example and grace of Christ we will say in the dark and cloudy day or in tho clear shining, “Not as I will, but as thou wilt.”— Rev. William M. Campbell. Why should we insist on bearing our own cares when God is ready to bear them for us ? Why do we mag nify them, and multiply them, and brood over them, as if in so doing we could relieve ourselves or make them fewer and lighter? Let us go with (hem at once to Him, knowing that it is as self-righteous to keep our cares as our sins from him. Let us go to him with thanksgiving as well as prayer. O, how thanksgiving lightens all burdens and scatters all shadows. How quickly care leaves us when we rebuke it with “Bless the Lord, O my soul ! ’—H. Bonar. Unless your religion changes you from a mummy to a man, makes you kiwfajk in business, pious- beMM counters, temperate at dinner tables, loyal to your country, affectionate to to your family 7 , neighborly in your community, conscientious at the ballot box, patient in affliction, hum ble, cheerful, and hopeful everywhere and always; unless it links you in brotherhood with the poorest of God’s children; unless it leads yon on er rands of mercy to hovels arid hospitals and prisons, as well as to cushioned pews and sacramental boards; unless you live Christ on week days as well as worship him on Sabbath days, then is your religion spurious, hypocritical and abhorrent—a refuge of lies.—Dr. Alexander Clark. “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” This was the Psalmist’s ea gerness to appear before God. God’s house, God’s service, God’s word, God’s people have a strong and a glad attraction for the saintly soul. The godly soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. Absence from God’s house is a sore privation to a child of God. Voluntary ab sence from God’s house is a sin un know to the true and devout Chris tian. Backsliders and formalists only are guilty 7 of it. We want one man to he always thinking, and another to be always working, and w r e call one a gentleman and the other an operator; whereas the workman ought often to be think ing and the thinker often to be work ing, and both should be gentleman in the best sense. The mass of so ciety is made up of morbid thinkers and miserable workers. It is only by labor that thought can be made healthy, and only by thought that labor can be made happy, and the two cannot l>e separated with impunity. —Raskin. The best thing to give your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, toler ance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a fa ther, deference; to your mother, con duct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, char ily- The New Testament term propecy is difficult to define, because the term has outlived the fact. It is not preaching as it is often, but wrongly, defined. Mr Fletcher says it means to magnify God with the new heart of love and the new tongue of praise, as they did on the day of pentecost when filled with the Holy Ghost. He insisted that believers are now called on to prove the same baptismal fiire. We think this is clear. Proph esying is the spontaneous and pow erful utterances of praise, rapture, and exortation, when filled with the Holy Ghost. Some of the St. Louis people are agitating the question of furnishing free books to all school-children. Why not furnish to the school-chil dren free shoes, free hats, free coats, free dresses, stockings, etc.? Chil dren would do quite as well in schools without books as without clothes. If St. Louis is goihg to be liberal, why not do the liberal thing all around ? A Williamsport girl, rvho in the matter of beauty and eft'ectionate ex uberance was not to say “fresh as first love and rosy as the dawn,” was asked why she did not get married, and this is what she said in reply: “I have considerable money of my own, I have a parrot that can swear and a monkey that chews tobacca, so that 1 have no need of a husband.” We are glad to believe that many of our public men are men of the highest character-truthful, honest, and pure. They dignify the bosi tions that they hold, and are worthy of all the honor that can he paid them. But there are many others of whom these things cannot he said—drunk ards, profane swearers, blackguards, and debauchees. No eminence of official position can make offenders of this sort respectable or even hearable. We are reminded nowadays of Ly man Beecher’s prayer: “God help us not to despise our rulers, and God help them not to be such men that we cannot help despising them.” Cheerfulness is a medium betwixt levity and gloominess. It is compat ible with seriousness; and its purest and most permanent source is a hum ble consideration of the many favors and blessings which w r e enjoy from the Divine hand. An inward cheer fulness is an implicit praise and thanksgiving to Providence under all his dispensations. The preacher should not regard himself as a mere drill-master in mi nor morals. While he must, of course, give the people formal in struction in all matters of righteous living, he must at the same time re member that it is his chief business to quicken their consciences by the presentation and enforcement of the highest spiritual truths. If he for gets this fact, there is grave danger that he will degenerate into a scold, and loose his influence as a public teacher. To draw the line at the right place is not an easy task; but the wise preacher will diligently seek to do it. . There are many seasons in a man’s life, and the more exalted and re sponsible his station the more fre quently do those seasons recur, when the voice of duty and the dictates of feeling are opposed to each other; and it is only the w T eak and tho wick ed who yield that obedience to the selfish impulses of the heart, which is due to reason and honor. For their own sake children should be taught that their happiness de pends upon their being of service to other people. No greater wrong can bo done to a child than to bring it up with the notion that it is the creditor rather than the debtor of the world. The end of such training is disap pointed hopes, a sour temper, and a malignant heart. Five minutes, in the pew, before the service begins, spent in prayer and meditation, are invaluable as a preparation for the worship of God. SINGLE COPY THREE CENTS. Tlie Preacher’s Task. With the preacher every Sabbath brings a crisis which makes a heavy draft on his nervous force. During the entire week his mind is working up to tlie supreme moment when the deliver}' of his sermon begins. A few great men have lived who could preach great sermons without spend ing much time in preparation. Mr, Spurgeon spends the week about other caies, and prepares sermons of great beauty and force on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, aud preaches them to eight or ten thou sand people with rare unction aud effect. Henry Ward Beecher was accustomed to a similar plan of work. But ordinary, and even extraordinary, preachers find it necessary to keep the mind working almost every day of the week on the message they pro pose to deli ver on Sabbath. When the day arrives the nerves are wrought up to a high tention, tlie energies of thought and feeling accumulated during six days of meditation are jgoured out in two discourses, and when they are over relaxation must needs follow.—New- York Christian Advocate. The Jnliei-itance of Believers. Notice how many good things they have who believe in Jesus: They have everlasting life. Tlie light of life. Hope toward God. A con science void of offense. Peace with God. Access into this grace wherein they stand. Fruit unto holiness. The first fruits of the spirit. The Holy Ghost within them. A build ing of God, a house not made with hands. All sufficiency in all things, God’s promises, exceading great and precious. Redemption through Christ. Access by one spirit unto the Father. A desire to depart aud be with Christ, which is far better than to stay here. They have tho same love. The promise of the life that now is, and also of that to come. A great High-priest that has passed into the heavens. Hope as an anchor of the soul. A strong consolation. Bold nes to enter into tee holiest. Fellow ship with Jesus. An advocate with the Father. Boldness in the day of j udgment.—Methodist Protestant. There is a great deal more defense of doctrine, attack of science, cham pioning of faith going on from press and pulpit than the situation demands. The Bible is in no danger, truth is not menaced, religion is not attacted every time some startling theory is advanced by so-called or real scien tists; much less is Christianity threat ened when fresh wind-puffs of per sonal opinion flare the petty rush lights of religious prejudice. It is pitiful weakness to rush out the big guns of the Church and pour broad sides when a freebooting shallop fires a culverin against the towering bul warks of Christian faith. But some of our overzealous sentinels beat to arms and sound the tocsin at every puerile alarm on the frontiers of faith. This serious gunning for vermin, tins sober stalking of small game in the name, of tho Chnrch’i defense, is about as gallant and as helpful ns it would be to resist a ehigre with a Bowie-knife, or pursue a mosquito’ with a double-harreled shot-gun.— Southern Christian Advocate. Life’s harmony must have its dis cords; but, as in music pathos is tem pered into pleasure by the pervading spirit of beauty, so are all life’s sounds tempered by love. Labor, not enjoyment, should be a present thought with Christian people. It was delightful to the disciples to behold the glory of the transfigura tion, but they were sent back to work. Spiritual delight should stir the fire of zeal and make us the more anxious to serve others. Good temper, like a sunny day, sheds a brightness over every thing. It is the sweetest of toil, and the soother of disquietude. Tins Banks County Gazette ia the official an of Banks county.