PUBLIC EXPENSE a so-called scientific inter
pretation of the Bible when orthodox Christians
are not permitted to teach an orthodox interpre
tation of the Bible?
Evolutionists not only ignore scientific truth,
but they ignore also the science of government,
for, under popular government, rights are de
termined by the MAJORITY, excepting where
the rights of the minority are protected by the
Constitution. This constitutional provision
merely defends the rights of the minority from
invasion; it does not authorize the minority to
invade he#rights of the majority. Those who
defend the faith of the fathers have a triple ad
vantage over the evolutionists; they stand upon
the revealed will of God; they are supported by
the established truths of science, and they are
working in harmony with the principles of popu
lar government.
The great need of the world today is to get
back to God—to a real belief in a living God.
Evolutionists either deny the existence of a God
or put Him so far away that consciousness of
His presence in the life is weakened, if not de
stroyed.
The world needs an infallible guide, such as
the Bible is believed to be by a large majority
of Christians. Evolutionists weaken faith in the
Bible by discarding as false the account of man’s
creation by separate act; and then, having ac
cepted evolution as if it were a fact, they pro
ceed to discard miracles and the supernatural
including the virgin birth of Christ and the bod
ily resurrection of Christ. When they have
eliminated all of the Bible that conflicts with
evolution, the Bible is no longer an authority,
but merely a “scrap of paper."
The world needs the Christ o»f whom the Bible
tells. Evolutionists rob the Saviour of the glory
of a virgin birth, of the majesty of His deity, and
of the triumph of His resurrection. Such a
Christ is impotent to save. The world needs a
full-statured Christ; not a man aspiring to be
a God, but a God condescending to be a man.
His blood has colored the stream of time; His
philosophy fits into every human need; His
teachings furnish the only solution of the prob
lems that vex our hearts and perplex the world.
A prayer-line of communication between the
Creator and his creatures is an imperative need;
evolution raises no altars and inspires neither
gratitude for blessings received nor petitions for
Divine guidance.
Man needs a belief in immortality to strength
en him in hours of temptation: evolution gives
no answer to Job’s anxious question: “If a man
die shall he live again?"
Humanity needs a Saviour to lift the burden
of sin and open the way to a new life; evolution
has no place for the cry of the penitent soul and
holds out no hope of a new birth.
We do not ask that teachers paid by taxa
tion shall teach the Christian religion to stu
dents, but we do insist that they shall not teach,
under the guise of either science or philosophy,
anything that undermines faith in God, impairs
belief in the Bible, or discredits Christ, the Son
of God and Saviour of the world.
A Republican legislature in Nebraska, actu
ated by partisan motives and for partisan pur
poses, has so far refused to adopt the program
proposed by Governor Bryan, in redemption of
his promises to the people to reduce their taxes.
The governor has pointed out, without success
ful contradiction, that if the legislature will
adopt his program, which he urges,, not as a per
sonal or partisan measure, but in the interest
of the whole people, there will be effected a sav
ing oif nine million dollars now paid by property
owners as direct taxes or license fees. The gov
ernor is appealing to the people to write to their
representatives and tell them what they wish
them to do. Here’s a people’s referendum that
ought to produce results.
Out of a desire to secure cheaper labor than is
now possible, the great manufacturing interests
of the east, backed by the bankers, are seeking
to secure a letting down, in part for the present,
of the bars that now restrict immigration. In
order to work up a public sentiment in favor of
this, there is much propaganda spread about that
there is a labor shortage and what we cannot
Cully resume our wanted prosperity until this is
relieved. Look about you and see just how much
o*f truth and how much of a propaganda there
is in this talk. Look in the want ad columns of
* your newspapers, and you will find it isn’t true.
Income tax collectors have a difficult and
thankless job, but what puzzles us is how they
are able to check up on the returns that the
Wholesale bootleggers hand in.
Edwin Markham
(Mr. Bryan’s introduction of Edwin Markham
at Villa Serena, Miami, Fla., March 1, 1923.)
Ladies and Gentlemen: We are guests of the
Monday Club, assembled to meet and listen to
one of the outstanding characters of this genera
tion, Edwin Markham. He has the vision of the
seer, the wisdom of the statesman, and the pen
of the poet. He has given us a description of
what a poet should be and has himself illustrated
his description.
The poet must have ideals to give him themes
about which to write. He must have the
prophet’s courage to prooiaim what Le sees and
he must have the artist's skill in the use of
words that his utterances may challenge atten
tion and hold a place in the memory.
Edwin Markham has the qualities of the poet;
his songs disclose a sympathy with his fellows.
He keeps them company in their onward march,
but he sees farther than they and encourages
them with cheering words. He goes before them,
but not so far as to be beyond their sight or the
sound of their heart-beat.
He has put inspiring thought into beautiful
words that will live, and, living, carry the
thought to succeeding generations. Let me give
you just a few extracts to illustrate the wide
ness of the field in which he toiled.
In speaking of Lincoln he brings together a
group of similes. Where on any uninspired page
has so much of beauty and of strength been ex
pressed in.so few words?
“The color of the ground was in him, the red
earth;
The tang and odor of the primal things—
The rectitude and patience of the rocks;
The gladness of the wind that shakes the corn;
The courage of the bird that dares the sea;
The justice of the rain that loves all leaves;
The pity of the snow that hides all scars;
The loving-kindness of the wayside well;
The tolerance and equity of light
That gives as freely to the shrinking weed
As to the great oak flaring to the wind—
To the grave’s low hill as to the Matterhorn
That shoulders out the sky.”
He has been the apostle of good citizenship,
urging to duty by the awakeniDg of a sense of
responsibility. What lines more needed or more
compelling than these:
“We need the faith to go a path untrod,
The power to be alone and vote with God.’’
His writings follow all the paths that human
feet can tread. He is the companion of those
who toil in the shop and he walks by the side of
the man in the furrow. He preaches civic right
eousness and proclaims social duty—always
drawing from the Heavenly Father as the Source
and from the teachings of His Son. Of the Mas
ter he thus speaks:
“Tongues and Ages may disclaim Him,
Yet the Heaven of heavens will name Him
Lord of peoples, Light of nations, elder Brother,
tender Friend.”
His other splendid poems have been some
what thrown into the shadow by his own lines on
"The Man with the Hoe.” In this remarkable
appeal to the sense of justice that God has
planted in the human heart, he asks a question
that has in it something of the searching power
of that first question, “Where is Abel, thy broth
er?” Mr. Markham pictures the toiler as he is
represented on Millett’s canvas, and then asks,
“Whose breath blew out the light within this
brain?” and then follows it with another, scarce
ly less compelling:
“How will you ever straighten up this shape;
Touch it again with immortality;
Give back the upward looking and the light;
Rebuild in it the music and the dream?”
This generation has been fortunate in being
able to read what Mr. Markham has said; we
are highly privileged to hear his voice, touch
his hand, and renew our own strength by con
tact with his glowing personality.
“THE RISING TIDE”
On another page will be found a London dis
patch that brings the welcome news that the
British government is taking notice of “the ris
ing of indignation” in this country against the
use of the British flag to protect those who con
spire against our constitution and laws. The Brit
ish authorities will find some way of retiring
from this disgraceful partnership with outlaws
when they know that the American peop.e will
no longer tolerate it.
PRESIDENT MURPHREE, LEADER
Dr. A. A. Murphree, President of the Uni
versity of Florida, has fired a shot which will
be heard throughout the United States. He
has set an example that ought to be followed
by every university president In the country
and by the presidents of all the denominational
and private colleges. A few weeks ago he
signed a total abstinence pledge and sent &
copy of it to each university professor and to
the thirteen hundred eleven young men who
are students at the State University. In a recent
letter he announces that every member of the
faculty responded by joining him in the pledge.
Seventy-five per cent of the students have al
ready sent in their signatures to the pledge and
the returns are still coining in. It is not at all
improbable that practically all of these boys
will follow the example set by their revered
president and their respected professors.
All honor to President Murphree, and con
gratulations to the faculty and students for the
response they have made to the call. Dr.
Mur,hree has set the University of Florida on
an eminence; he has made it conspicuous
throughout the nation; he has put it back of
prohibition in the most effective way possible.
Now, how many university presidents will
follow his example? Few professors will refuse
to sign the pledge if the head of the university
or college leads the way, and few students will
refuse to sign if the invitation comes from their
teachers. Every university, college, high school,
and graded school in the United States should
have a pledge book; every teacher and'every
pupil should be enrolled. The entire nation
should be brought to the support of prohibition,
and to^al abstinence is the surest road to en
forcement.
I am proud of Florida's University and proud
of the University’s president, faculty and stu
dents. It will give me pleasure to bring this
splendid initiative to the attention of all our ed
ucators. Public sentiment will goon impress
upon all presidents, professors and teachers the
importance of the step that Florida’s University
has taken under the leadership of its great exe
cutive. W. J. BRYAN.
In 1917 the taxes in this country amounted
to $5.97 per $100 of income. In 1921 they had
mounted to $14.32. This means that out of
every $100 a person earned he handed over to
the various tax collectors a total of $14.32. At
that rate of increase, by 1963, we will all be
working for the government all the time. It
takes six billions a year of fresh capital to keep
our industries and instruments of commerce
working to keep up with the increase in busi
ness, and we are spending eight billions for
taxes. This isn’t much of an argument in favor
of longevity.
A political writer, discussing whether the Re
publicans will dare to renominate Harding or
whether Harding will care to ask a renomination
for what most politicians look upon as a Demo
cratic year, says that it is quite likely that
precedents will govern the action of the national
convention. Well, Republican national conven
tions have been governed in all sorts of ways,
and perhaps precedents will do as well as any
other method.
A big group of men who operated a creamery
in Nebraska for a number of years and which is
now listed as a bankrupt are on trial on the
charge of having inflated the value of the stock
sold. We don’t know anything about this case,
but we feel safe in saying that a creamery con
cern did not have a monopoly on separating sta
tions the last few years when it came to a part
ing between a man and his money for worthless
stock.
An Iowa girl of good family, refined, cultured
and talented was recently sentenced to five years
in the state reformatory for embezzlement while
cashier of a department store. It was found that
her peculations began almost as soon as she as
sumed the duties of the place, and no one was
able to explain or understand how she could
have done what she did until it was discovered
that she loved to play the cornet.
The congressional budget bureau recom
mended to congress an appropriation of $27,
000,000 as being all that is required for neces
sary work. The house increased it to $57,000,
000, and the Senate placed the stamp of its ap
proval on that figure. Apparently the average
congressman thinks that the business of a budget
bureau Is to place a minimum limit on appro
priations.