Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1916)
fSwnpTi' v llWffij'ui,lt1iP The Commoner DECKMBER, 1916 time. And what progress could ho make against the saloon If he, was less radical? If it Is proper for a Christian to drink what argument caft bo made against the use of alcohol by the non Christian world? He does not confine himself, either, to the moral suasion side. He is prepared to meet any argument that ever has been made, or ever will be made, in behalf of the saloon. He assails it as an economic evil and as a menace to morals. He condemns it because it saps the Btrength of the body, lessens the productive power of the man, and robs the community of service to which it is entitled. Ho conde.mns it because it be numbs the intellect, increases the number of ac cidents, and shortens the natural expectancy of the man who uses it. He condemns it because it increases larceny, provokes murder, dimin ishes the citizen's security and increases tho bur den of his taxes, because it diverts to tho till of the bar money needed by the wife and child. He condemns it because it shortens the school term of boys and girls and sends them out to bear the burdens of life when they ought to be en gaged in preparation for a larger work; because it not only squanders in the worship of King Al cohol money that would otherwise be employed in the advancement of God's kingdom on earth, but multiplies the calls upon those who are charitably Inclined. But, however well equipped for contest on economic grounds, Billy Sunday is most a glad iator when he enters the arena of morals. It is when he addresses himself to the conscience of the individual that he is at his best. There is no sophistry that can withstand his thrusts. The man who goes into partnership with tho liquor dealer, whether he furnishes tho capital, the liquor, or the votes that called the saloon into existence no matter which of these essen tials he supplies has no business entering into joint debate with Mr. Sunday. If Mr. Sunday ever needs testimonials to tho efficacy of his work for prohibition he can ob tain them in abundance in Colorado, Nebrasica and Michigan, where his work contributed mightily tome recent victories for state prohi bition; and in Kansas City, where the change in sentiment was so pronounced that the county went dry in the recent election. When national prohibition comes which will bo within a few years it will be found that a very considerable share of the credit will be due to this intrepid David, who, with unerring aim, has for many years been hurling pebbles at this giant evil. THE MESSAGE The message is tho measure of the minister. It is the final test in every vocation and pro fession, as well as in the ministry, but it is su premely important in the ministry. Men aro not called to the ministry merely to earn a liv ing or to spend their lives in a pleasant environ ment among sympathetic friends. They are called, if called at all, to bring human beings into intimate acquaintanceship with God, his Word and his Son. They must, of course, have food and clothing, and they must also have sbfelter, even though the Master whom they follow had not where to lay his head. ThjeTreunder no obligation to seek hardship for hardship's sake, and they need not reproach themselves because they find con genial spirits with whom to commune. Happi ness is not inconsistent with service, they ought to travel together, but the heart must not bo set on happiness. The minister's heart must yearn to bring other hearts into harmony with God, with Christ, as "the way, the truth, the life." Has Billy Sunday a message? No unbiased person will doubt it who will bring himself un der the spell of his voice. Mr. Sunday does not apologize fore Bible; he just preaches it. He does not try to expurgate the Scriptures; he en deavors ratherto purge tho heart of unbelief. He tries to strip sin of the drapery, old fashioned . or new fashioned, that conceals its hideousness. He begs his listeners to give obedience to tho first' commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," which, interpreted in the lan guage of today and applied to the present beset ting sin, reads "Thcu shalt not put thyself be fore God," Ho leaves to those who have more time and less zeal the drawirfg of nice distinc tions and the explanation of derivations he must be'.abotft his Master's business, that of winning souls. His success demonstrates the irresistible power of the Gospel when the inln- 000000000 MY WISH FOR YOU That tho years may givo you time for work, developing, fruitful, ennobling work; time for play, merry, restful, re creative play; time for friendship, firm, constant, sustaining friendship; time, abundance of time, for love with all its joys and but few of its sorrows; ttmo for happiness and this all tho time; time to grow old, peacefully, gently, graceful ly; and then time to die, as one who passes into sleep at night, confident ho will see the sun in the morning. John Malmesbury Wright, New Year's Day 1916. San Francisco. 000 inster is, like Paul, "determined not to know anything among you, save Josub Christ and him crucified." Christ reduced truth to its lowest and sim plest terms His -words lose force when amend ed or modified. Just as the living spring owes its giving power to the fact that it is connected with a reservoir higher than itsolf, so the Chris tian becomes like a living spring only whon ho is connected through Christ with tho Heavenly Father, and thus becomes tho means through which the goodness of God pours out to a wait ing world. It is the business of Christ's messengers to point out the simplicity of tho Bible plffn, so that everyone may know that salvation Is with in his reach that it is as easy for an uribeliever to be converted to Christianity as it is for an honest man to become a thief or for a law abiding citizen to become a murderer no mat ter how much time may have been spent in con templating the act, the decision 'itself requires but an instant. No evangelist has ever been more successful than Mr. Sunday in making plain the path' that leads from the abodes of sin to tho foot of tho cross His growth proves that the Bible is Its own best defense, that the world Is eager for tho truth that "the harvest is rfpe." I have already spoken of the sins against which ho inveighs with greatest earnestness, be cause they arp the sins which aro most destruc tive. It is sufficient to point out, in conclusion, the universality of his appeal. Christianity, to vindicate its claim upon all people and its right to live for all time, must fit into every human need and be sufficient for every human being, everywhere and forever. This is tho Christianity that Billy Sunday preaches tho Gospel of the second chance, for all are sinners and need forgiveness a relig'on to live by as well as to die by, for it guides the young, strengthens the mature and consoles tho aged. It defines the duties and obligations of both employer and -employee, and fixes tho re sponsibilities of those who labor independently. It shows the poor how to turn their abilities and opportunities to the best advantage; it teaches the well-to-do how to wisely use that which they have accumulated; and it warns the wealthy against the "cares of this world and the deceit fulness of riches," which "choke the truth." Christianity presents as its qentral figure tho Prince of Peace, who is able to bring peace to every heart,vand whoso teachings, when applied among men, will bring peace between commun ity and community, between state and state, and between nation and nation throughout tho world. Mr. Sunday's appeals crowd the mourn er's bench to overflowing because they present a living, throbbing Christianity a Christianity without qualification and without limitation in time or space or power. Any namesake desiring a copy of , the Novem ber Commoner containing the Heart to Heart quotations from Mr. Bryan's speeches, can se cure the same on application to Commoner office. The Texas peanut crop this year Is estimated at twenty-four million dollars. This ought to be large enough to give enjoyment to every base ball attendant next summer. Someone, after examining, the returns, sagely remarked that the progressive leaven seemed to work best where there Was the least "dough." To High School Students This audlonco recalls a day in my life forty two years ago and moro whon I was a high school boy, for I was only fourtoon when I became a memhor of a Christian church by conversion. I look back to that day as tho most important day of my life It has had far more to do with my Hfo than any other day, and tho Book to which I swore nllcglanco on that day has boon moro to mo than ,nny party platform. I sharo in tho Joy you givo to tho older gen eration In coming tonight to put your hoarts un dor tho Influences of a great appeal. Students, If you will count tho books which you will havo to study boforo you complete tho prescribed course you will And that It takes a multitude of books to train tho human mind; and when you havo studied thorn all, that mind Is but tho agent of somoth'ng greater than tho mind itsolf. Tho mind is but tho instrument used by tho heart, and it takes only ono Book to train tho heart that ought to bo tho master of tho mind. All your books will not save your llfo from fail ure If your heart goes wrong; If your heart goes right it can take a head, however dull, and mako it useful to society. You come, therefore, to hear something moro important than thoy teach in the school. You como to learn a truth that ought to enter Into tho mind and Blnk Into the heart of every stu dent, namely, that there Is no reason why any boy or girl should over make a failure of life. All your learning will not keep you from fall ing. Learning has no power to Have a human being from sin. You como tonight to consider tho claims of a Book that can save you, that can add to every joy that comes through tho body or the mind, that can rcflno every pleaBuro known to the physical man or to tho mental man. You havo como tonight to learn of that larger life into which the great evangelist will invite you as he presents to you tho only Book that is good always and everywhere tho Book that will guide your footsteps whon you arc young and throw light upon your path during mature, years, and the only Book ono cares to havo be side him as the evening of life approaches. I am here to join with you in drawing inspiration from the addrpss to which we are now ready to listen. From Mr. Bryan's speech at Billy Sun day's Boston meeting. "FULIj FED FATNESS" Tho Chicago Tribune comes out of the cam paign with less to its credit than any othor re publican paper in tho west. Its attacks on the President before tho election ware dlsreputablo; its attacks on tho voters since tho election havo been disgraceful. It cuts it to the quick to soo tho west save thoPresident whon tho east de serted him, for isntJt the west the Tribune's special field of effort? It compares tho people to Esau and fears that tho people "gorged on material prosperity" will "die of surfeit." Tho Milwaukee Free Press joins in. the dirge and bewails the "full-fed-fatr ness" of tho voters; the "indolent fatness of tho few." Too bad. Too bad. And tho Tribune and its tribe said the people would STARVE under a democratic administration, but instead of that gluttony has made them indifferent to repub lican threats. And this doleful complaint comes from the very republicans who thought tho full dinner pail argument perfectly legitimate in 1900. Another reason why St. Louis put up such a whopping big majority against closing the sa 'loons In Missouri Is that she has ambitions to entertain other national political conventions, and there must be somebody to put up the bonus, ' n n I. It took several weeks for Mr. Hughes to make up his mind that all was lost. Thjs Is one of tho few Instances, that seem to prove the New York newspapers dp have some influence In making up a man's mind. - Republican editors aro holding Inquests over the question of, can the republican party come back? Well not as long as it insists on golnj back to its old leadership. Va