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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1906)
r, m trv "Frit4 4t "-! DECEMBER 21, 1908 The Commoner. "c commoner. c "A DREAM STORY "-THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL One of the prettiest stories written hv TTnnrv Van Dyke is .entitled "A Dream Story," and de scribes "The Christmas Angel." "It was the hour of rest In the country be yond the stars it was in one of the quiet corners of the green valley called Peace field, where the little brook of Brighthopes runs smoothly down to join the River of Life that I saw a company of angels returned from various labors, on Earth, sitting in friendly con verse on the hillside, where cyclamens and ar butus and violets the fringed orchids and pale lady s-tresses, and all the sweet smelling flowers which are separated in the lower world by the seasons, were thrown together in a harmony of fragrance." We are told that three of the company seemed to be leaders, "distinguished not only by more radiant and powerful looks, but by a tone of authority in their speech and by the willing at tention with which the others listened to them as they talked of their earthly tasks, of the tangles and troubles, the wars and miseries that they had seen among men, and of the best way to get rid of them aud bring sorrow to an end." The archangel Michael, "the mightiest one among the warriors of the King, and the executor of the divine judgments upon the unjust," declared that the earth was, tormented with injustice, full of oppression and unrighteousness and said that force must be used to establish the law of God among men. Another angel, 'Uriel, the spirit of the sun, clearest in vision, deepest in wisdom of all the spirits that surround the throne" Uriel said that force would not do, that "power corrupts itself and might can not save." "There was silence for a moment on the slopes of Peacefield, and then over the encircling hills a cool wind brought the sound of chains clanking in prisons and galleys, the sighing of millions of slaves, the weeping of wretched women and children, the blows of hammers nailing men to their crosses." Then the sound passed by with the wind and Uriel spoke again: . 'The Earth is full of ignorant strife, and for this evil there is no cure but by the giving of greater knowledge. It is because men do not understand the evil that they yield themselves to its power. Wicked ness is folly in action, and injustice is the error of the blind. It is because men are Ignorant that they destroy one another, and at last themselves. If there were more light in the world there would be no sorrow." The company seemed to be pleased with the words of Uriel, but one among them remembered something that the others had forgotten. Ue re minded his fellows that when one had been sent to counsel with Balaam, the son of Beor, as ho was riding to meet the King of Moab, the dumb beast profited more by the instruction than the man who rode him; also that Solomon, who was called the wisest of all men, having searched out and understood the many inventions that are found under tho sun. wR nt . , Philosophers, unable by much learning to escape ? .m.0"?088 f tb fl0sh and dG8nafr of the spirit, it was tho archangel Raphael who spoko rupitseni'Tr.T11 I,know ttat Power cor rupis itself and that knowledgo can not anvn butTv !f, n ?T f0r th0 evI1 "& is in the Xld but by the giving of more love to men. The laws enualn"111611 fr Carth are 8teo K fun of nf.fn c Wa3;S ,Whero mcn mU8t walk aro nVnnJ ?n ?"d dailSerS- PcStileilCO Creeps SEP FUnu and fl0W8 In th0 rIvors; whirl w id and empest shako tho habitations of men ? ,drvc Ur ships to destruction; fire breaks of n SSiw0 InotuntaIns anl the foundations of the world tremble. Frail is tho flesh of man, and many aro his pains and troubles. His chil dren can never find poaco until they learn to love one another and to help one another. Wick edness is begotten by disease and misery. Vio lence comes from poverty and hunger. Tho cruelty of oppression is when tho strong tread the weak under their feet; the bitterness of pride is when tho wise and learned despise the simple: the crown of folly is when tho rich think they aro gods, and the poor think that God is not " Then Raphael asked: "How shall tho miracle be wrought in human nature to reveal the meaning of humanity? How shall men be made like God''" "At this question a deep hush fell around tho circle, and every listener was still, even as tho rustling leaves hang motionless when tho light breeze falls away in tho hour of sunset. Then through the silence, like tho song of a far-away thrush from its hermitage in tho forest, a voice came ringing: 'I know It, I know it, I know it.' "Clear and sweet clear as a ray of light, sweeter than the smallest silver bell that rang the hour of rest was that slender voice floating on tho odorous and translucent air. Nearer and nearer it came, echoing down tho valley, 'I know it, I know it, I know it!'" It was a new angel, a little child, who spoko. "All the angels rose and turned to look at him with wondering eyes. Multitudes of others camo flying swiftly to the place from which the strange new song was sounding. Rank within rank, like a garden of living flowers, they stood along the sloping banks of the brook while tho child angel floated into the midst of them, sing ing: 'I know it, I know It, I know it! Man shall be made like God because the Son of God shall become a man.' " Raphael objected that If he became a man He would be at the mercy of men and the cruel and wicked would make him suffer. "I know it," answered the young angel, "and by suffering He will understand the meaning of all sorrow and pain; and He will bo able to com fort every one who cries; and His own tears will be for the healing of sad hearts; and those who are healed by Him will learn for His sake to bo kind to each other." Uriel- objected that he must first be a child, Bimplo, and lowly, and helpless; and that ho would never gain the learning of schools, b0Cau0 tho masters of earthly wisdom would dospiao nim and speak scorn of Illm. rreeknesswIl.It,iTnn,(I lho ?0un ttn " ' mooKness will h0 answer thorn; and to thoao who become as llttlo children Ho will rivo tho hTnu nn",d0m !?Bt fn,8' wltlmut aeekiVng, to uio puro and gentle of lionrt." MIclmol otyoctod Hint ovl! mon would Wo nnd persecute l)n , , lght n(n " win iLftlT"11 1." yo"nK nneo1' ""y Th.n .l.dr?W..a" mn '"" "" and mu.t y qtokfc btfw ?." U of Peace field and, passing over he ioumta tf leaven dropped swiftly as a shootlng-stir toward , the night shadow of the Earth. The other anS fo lowed hlm-a throng of dazzling forms, be"S sky. And as they followed thoy wondered who ml !an 'avorcd ,und choon to receive tho glad wn?i6i ' ?nG, 8a,d l0 VUs tho Emperor of tho World and his counsellors; but tho flight passed over Rome. Another snld it must bo tho philos ophers and tho mastors of learning; but tho Aleut KIT v?Q AihSna- Anotl,or 8Jl,(1 " miwt b0 lho High Priest of the Jews, and tho olders and tho scribes, but the flight passed over Jerusalem. It floated out over tho hill country of Both lchem; tho throng of silent angels holding closo together, as if perplexed and doubtful; tho child angel darting on far in advance, as ono who know the way through tho darkness. "Tho villages were all still; tho very houses seemed asleep; but in ono placo thcro was a low sound of talking in a stable, near to an Inn a sound as of a mother soothing her baby to rest." And as tho chlld-angel passed over tho fields on the hill sides, tho shophords tending tholr flocks were soro afrafd; but tJioy wero reassured and told that tho babe wrapped In swaddling cloths and laid in a manger was tho Saviour of men. Then thoy heard a multitude of tho heavenly host, singing, "Glory to God in tho highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." And tho shepherds said one to another: "Let us now go, even to Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass." "So," concludes tho writer of this sweet story. '"I said within myself that I also would go with tho shepherds, even to Bethlehem. And I heard a great and sweet voice, as of a bell, which said, 'Come!' And when tho bell had sounded twelvo times, I awoke; and it was Christmas morn; and I knew that I had been in a dream. Yet It seemed to mo that the things which I had heard wero true." " NO PAY FOR POLITICAL SPEECHES Mr. Bryan's attention has been called to a republican paper of Oklahoma which alleges that he, Mr. Bryan, received "two thousand dollars hard cash" for his speeches in Oklahoma last fall. The fact that Mr. Bryan does not receive any pay whatever for campaign speeches is known to every republican who has intelligence enough to occupy an editorial position. The -editor referred to could ascertain from the demo cratic committee, if he cared to know the truth, that Mr. Bryan's services were rendered without any compensation. Mr. Bryan's campaign work is a source of expense to him rather than a source of profit, for his traveling expenses amount to considerable for each campaign, and his income from lec tures is cut off while he is at work in the campaign, but he is glad to be able to devote his time to a cause in which he feels deeply in terested, and hopes to be able to give more and more time to politics each year. His income is derived from his lectures and waitings, and thanks to a generous public he is able to make enough from these sources during a part of the year to enable him to devote the rest of his time to gratuitous service. This state ment is made in order that the readers of The Commoner may be able to answer such malicious misrepresentations as that put forth by tho Okla homa paper. JJJ THE JOB SESSION The short session of congress which meets after the election is the job session. Whenever the financial interests havp any questionable meas ures to put through, they wait until after tho election before they spring them. Then they proceed to the manufacture of public opinion in favor of the speedy passage of their bills. Tho two jobs which the corporate interests have on hand now aro the ship subsidy and the asset cur rency. The present congress has no time to con sider tariff reform or an income tax or an in heritance tax or anything else that would bring relief to the people, but it now looks as if it was going to have plenty of time to rush a ship sub sidy bill through and to turn over to the bankers tho power to issue an asset currency. The ship subsidy is a job, its object Is not to help commerce but to help a few ship companies. It ihay be that only the thin edge of the wedge will be presented at this session the giving of subsidies to South American lines but it Is the beginning of a new raid upon the treasury, and the democrats should fight it with all the weapons at their command. Tho asset currency Is another scheme, and It fs likely that It, too, will be presented In its most attractive form as a remedy for temporary stringency. The emergency note based upon tho assets of the bank is the forerunner of the asset currency. Secretary Shaw called attention to this subject, everal years ago, and the large bankers have bee. gradually reaching out for the privilege of issuing money upon their assets, although they now draw interest upon those assets. If the asset currency is not guaranteed by tho gov ernment, it is not secure. If it Is guaranteed by the government, the burden is put upon tho peo ple and the profit goes to the bankers. This Is another measure to which the democrata ought to offer a unanimous opposition. And In this connection it might be well for tho democrats to point out tho fact that the jobs are always left for the session after the election. At present congress does not convene in regular session until more than a year after Its members are elected, and the second session of each congress Is held after many of Its members have been retired by another election. The constitution ought to bo so amended as to convene congress within a few months of the election so as to prohibit tho hold ing of any session after tho election. The people ought to be able to sit in judgment upon the' action of congress when they elect tho neitf congress.