The Newtown bee., 1891-11-27
The Bee Buzz.


people so morally dead or dull in every
sense, that they regard Christianity
failure and missionary work fraud or a
fanatcism. There have always been
such and perhaps always will be while
the world stands. But, as Canon Farrar
asks, if missions are a failure, how is it
that, whereas in the third century after
Christ not one man out of $50 of the hu-
man race was Christian, now in the
nineteenth century one man is christ
ian out of every five? A failure? L con-
front the assertion with the most abso-
Lutte contradiction. | say that, consider
ing the insigDificance of our efforts, mis-
sions have been more successful than we
had any right to anticipate in our Wild
est dreams.
To whom does the earth belong and
how shall the possession and use of it be
regulated? 1t is an old and much vexed
question and, taking the world as it is,
all theories of the distribution and uses
of land are beset with grave difficulties.
Might we not take a hint from the divine
appointment of this matter in the Jewish
economy of old? At the end of every 40
years came the great year of jubilee,
when the original Inheritance of land, &C
cording to the first distribution of Cam
aan among the tribes of Israel, reverted
to the man or family to whom it would
naturally fall, whether lost to them by
folly, or otherwise. This made, practic-
ally, a new start and opportunities for
the less gifted and less fortunate, if not
for all the children of Jacob. By this
means, the rich could not monopolize the
land, nor Cypress the poor to any great
extent, neither could any family ALLEVIATE
its God given home and inheritance for
more than half a century. Therefore,
there was no conflict between capital and
labor, no long continued ground of ha-
tired between the rich and poor and no
mutterings of communism among the
people of the Holy Land.
Great changes for the better have been
made in the homes of farmers within the
last quarter OF century and greater
changes still will occur within the next
% years. Farmers do more brain work
and less bone labor, use more skill in till
ing and suffer less from excessive drudg-
cry. Inventions of farm machinery have
done much toward Tightening the toll of
agriculture and have given the farm Ia
borer more leisure. Farmers have better
food and more comfortable and attract
i've homes than ever before. And still
there is room for scientific Improvement
and social and educational progress in
farm life.
Citizenship in itself implies duties and
responsibilities. Society is what we
make it. We are parts of the composite
whole, which we call the town, the state
and the country. We are the town, the
state and the country. Our lives, our
homes, our votes are all elements in the
social structure. We are prone to think
of society and government, and all pub
lie institutions, in the third person and in
an objective sense. The town may exist
in our consciousness simply as a corpor-
alton, which imposes taxes upon US
against our will. Many people live in
life long antagonism to the state which
alone protects them and secures untold
men regard politics as an impersonal mat
ter, which, somehow, concerns the fell
lows who manage the elections. But we
ought to be made to realize that the par
ty caucus and the election of officers to
administer the government and to make
the laws are matters for which we are,
on our part, personally responsible. We
have influence and it is our duty to use
it for the common good. We have not
only rights, but duties in the primaries.
Our votes count and we should take care
that they are counted on the right side.
Apparently, we think our country safe
from anarchy and strife, simply because
of our form of government, common edu-
cation and personal freedom. 70 the man
who is law abiding, self controlled and
patriotic, that feeling is, perhaps, very
natural. The stability of a republic de-
ponds upon the permanence and respon-
sibility of its people. The greater the
number of persons who can be relied up
on to obey the laws of the land and to
stand up for and maintain the principles
of our government, the stronger must our
government be.
Our only safety Is in the virtue and in
telligence of the people who are practic.
ally governed by themselves. II we &c
by the voice and will Of the majority,
how important the character of that ma.
iority becomes to US. What a startling
thought it is that in a few more years We
may be governed by an irresponsible
mass of aliens and foreigners who have
not even begun to appreciate the bless
ings Of the freedom they have come hith
er only to abuse. stAmerica for Ameri
cans'' has become the motto of party
Not with any disrespect, we trust, tt
those who come here and make home
and become patriotic citizens, but simply
for protection against the danger of be
ing governed by mob.-[O. Q. Wright