The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1891-07-23
AN ABLE ADDRESS.
Mayor Munday's Welcome on
Behalf of RusseIlyille.
To the Sunday School Delegates, on
July I5.

~ uctbittS upuH ut tu StHuh bt
| fore you in an important relation to
night, to represent this community
in the expression Of its feelings oi
welcome to you here assembled.
| We do this because such courte
sy is due such body Of cultivated
and well bred people. And again,
we do it because you are our neigh
bors and friends, aud the man is
wanting in good breeding who would
permit friend to enter his threshold
without satisfactory knowledge of
his welcome. But the intensity or
the welcome we offer you tonight,
comes from the nature Of your call
ing, the character of your work
your commission to teach righteous
ness.
My friends, In the work you are
doing to day, you are shaping the
mind and thought OF the next gener-
alton. Its veal or woe will be as
you haye shaped its thought and
conscience. You are seeding for a
harvest in the next generation, and
If you will show me the character of
that harvest, l will tell you what
seed you are sowing now. The
next generation IS the creature
Of this, just as we are of the last.
Our present peaceful conditions
and happy homes are due 10 the
impress OF the men and women
gone before us. This thought should
whet our activities to the keenest
edge. We should stand for God as
no generation has in the past, for
none have had neither our opportu
mites nor responsibilities. Let me
give it to you in trust that in the fu
ture, and 1t may not be long way
of, lies a terrible conflict for the
mastery in this country between the
powers OF good ard evil. The lines
Of good and evil lie so close together
that the powers committed TO our
hands for the procurement OF good
by a misuse or neglect, may become
the very elements Of. our destruction.
The machinery put N motion by the
state for the development Of mind In
our educational institutions must
have a safety valve for its proper
control, or it will become not an ele
ment OF safety, bnt one Of danger.
That safety valve lies in the natu:e
OF your work, the training OF the
heart and conscience. Here, then,
you discover your special fed Of
work-heart training. The state
undertakes the training Of the mind,
the education of the brain. 1t acts
upon the hypothesis that safety lies
In the development Of mind, that in
te Fgei.cer ban,shes Wee. You do
not accept this as all the truth. You
take a step higher, and your hypoth
esis Is that safety lies in the twin
development OF head and heart. You
know that rascality ignorant and ras
cality refined is nothing but rascali
ty still. The difference is in method
and not in nature. A citizenship
educated only in mind Is just half
educated, and the least half at that.
1t is therefore lop sided and danger
Gus. But, developed In mind and
heart, 1t makes country whose God
is the Lord, and the promise is to
such a people and such country
A man working in the field Of morals
is at the same time at work for hts
country. Take man, for instance,
filed with the natural passions OF
the human heart. These incite him
TO the murder of his fellow man.
Instil into this man the spirit and
law Of Christ, which says "thou shalt
not KILL and you have not only
served the Master in this thing, but
you have served your country as well.
for the laws of your country forbid
murder no less than the laws OF your
God. 1t is also the same OF theit.
arson, perjury, SANDER and every
other crime in the catalogue.
1t is to be noted here that in the
common welfare of men the law OF
your God takes precedence not only
ou the ground of being first deliver,
ed, but because of its first import.
ance. 1t is the foundation upon
which civil law rests. It's work is
silent and preventive while civil law
is open and punitive. But for the
restraints and conditions which it
works out in the hearts OF men. 1t
would not be possible for any law to
exist. And why shouldn't it take
precedence, for you cannot make a
christian without making good cit
izen ut the same time, and there is
not single bible truth but what, II
lmbibed .nto the heart, and revealed
in the life and actions OF men, would
make them better men and better
citizens.
Let me then speek n word for the
dear old book tonight Let me i'm
plore you TO guard we'll The fountain
heads Of thought and character
Make IT point in your care. aad
plant il IN the minds oi the young
that that blessed book is the sheet
anchor Of American institutions, and
that it shall never, never be driven
from our public schools, the place
where mind is developed and charac
ter nodded
There is an oligarclv OF power
whose tread is becoming mighty in
the land, which with native born
malice for our public school institu
tions, Joins forces with the atheistic
tendency Of the age to bring about
this very result. My friends, plant
yourselves square on this p,oposi
tion: that the wise provisions in our
political economy Of separation OF
church and state, shalt never be per
verted To mean the hible relegated