Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-05-15
PROMOTION.

DR.. Graham, in his sermon at the
Episcopal Church, Sunday, drew fine
reflection from the parable put to assem-
bled Israel by Jotham, the youngest
son of Jerubbaal, who had escaped the
slaughter of his bretheren. The text
is from Judges o: 81:
The trees went forth on a time to
anoint a king over them; and they said
unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
But the olive tree said unto them,
Should | leave my fatness, wherewith
by me they honour God and man, and
so to be promoted over the trees?
The lesson taught in the parable,
the doctor said, was that man should
seek promotion only as an end to doing
greater good and increasing his sphere
oil usefulness.
The olive tree, for example, was very
useful in its place, affording fine oil
by which kings were anointed and many
other purposes served. The olive rightly
declined to leave this position, humble
though it be- to rule over the forest.
Applied to latter day politics, this
doctrine seems trancendental, and it is
probable that il Jctham were alive and
were to make this little speech on the
stump in our own day and time, the
newspapers in their comments would
say that he was mugwump OF mug
wLmps. The machine organs would
pour out their ridecule on him as a
political dude, milk-sop, or man-mil-
liner, and Mr.. Ingalls, of Kansas, would
rise in his seat IN the Senate to compare
him to that disgusting specimen Of hui
manly that is representative OF neither
sex.
Taking the olive trees position as a
standard, it is painful to reflect how far
we are from the adoption of such rule
in modern politics, or even in matters
OF every day life. There is a universal
scramble for promotion, and the aspir-
ant for honors never so much as pre-
tends that he seeks to raise his station
in order that he may increase his use
fitness.
Jotham's parable continues to relate
that the trees met with similar answers
from the fig tree and the vine to that
given by the olive, but when the kingly
office was rendered the bramble it was
accepted with alacrity.
We have multitudes OF ambitious
hrambles in this day and generation, all
Of them seeking promotion for the vain
glory and Chicken pie" that the Office
affords, and not considering their cap
ability of bestowing honor on the Office
or bringing personal usefulness to its
administration.
1t is hardly practical to hope for a
thorough reform in this direction; such
reform is not consistent with human
nature as we know it. History has pro
duced few men who come up to the
olive trees standard. Cincinnatus,
Washington and Robert E. Lee, were
shining lights, but the world has known
enoh characters only at rare intervals.
But while sudden and radical reform
may not be practical under present
conditions, it is pleasing and profitable
to have such a standard fixed as the pos
sibly attainable in political morals, We
were glad to hear such ideas advanced
from the pulpit; that is a proper place
for their PRONUNCIATION, and the press
should not withhold its sanction.
Such expressions are gratifying at &
6me when political morality is at such
low ebb, when honor and promotion
are melted out by party machines, anc
when efforts at reform are made the
subject of public ridicule.