The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-07-08

to the Jews, we have no relation with them
ana ask that our nameless temple be named
the Temple of Jupiter Helenius. "The young
Asamonians had civil and religious prin-
cipies reduced to fervent simplicity for
which they stood as stood the fathers at
Boston against George Ill, and this feryent
simplicity was far reaching i'm its meaning:
TO them it meant freedom to Worship
Jehovah. but the general principle is re-
llglOus liberty. We find that whenever
these general principles are put before a
people In the simple, concrete way, il is
tnen that people take stand To force the
MaccaDeans against their fathers custom,
and the law of God, they required them to
eat pork or suffer martyrdom.
But these anciehts from whom we take
our name today were men of universal
vision. 1t was not a mere question of
personal convenience as to whether thew
would or would not take a slice of pork: il
was question of liberty of conscience and
national honor. These men of universal
vision and world wide benevolence faced
the larger public good and became the
champions OF humanity's sacred cause
PERSONAL and immediate wel-being was to
found In shat costly, heroic service which
looked toward national welfare The honor
OF the fathers and the past, the welfare of
poster1ty and the glory of the future formed
the rock on which they stood.
The hOnOred mariner knows his shin.
then he knows the ocean, the prevailing
WINDS, the currents, the tides, then the
rocks and reefs in the highway and channel,
ana no immediate local delight can divert
MN. his mind is on breakers that may be
ahead, and this is the spirit OF the ancient
Maccabean. He kept his eye on the sacred
laws of the fathers and held his shin toward
the safety of his nation AMI the universal
liberty of man.
Shall modern Maccabees be worthy of
that illustrOus name unless in some sense
they bring themselves to the level of that
ancient morality and patriotism? And does
not our beloved country today open broad
held for the display and exercise of these
memorable qualities; and are we not in line
with history making factors IN this ami
versary service? The commemorative
elOquence of Gregory Nazianzen. Chrysos-
tom and Leo thc Great chime with thu senti-
ment of this day, for they with the fathers
dwelled ferventy on the heroic virtues of
the Maccabean martyrs.
Ihere are some things in your history and
organization which give reason why YOU
| snOuld work to the moral and patriotic level
OF the ancients whose name you bear There
is the subjective sentiment, the oxygen of
the heroic past which fires the blood of those
who intelligently bear a name so full of
meaning as is yours. There too is the OBJ
lectlve purpose, toward which the old
Judean priest with his sons turned their
races. The same essential purpose invites
ana inspires the morality and patriotism of
the modern Maccabee. There is not the
same political oppression nor the same re-
| llVlOnS nprSppntiDn mi fIla Grh fn,
dignity and religious purity is upon every
member of society who stands i'm such fra
ternal vows as do the members of this
brotherhood
Sentiment you may have of the nOblest
KIND flaming out from Your economic and
moral purpose; we must in this day put
morality into the quiet domestic economy,
and into that morality we must put
patriotism. In this day of luxury and easy
extravaganza, when young men are tempted
to live beyond their means, your system of
reserved fund will modify and build up
economic rectitude.
Then according to your declarations you
head the column in aggressive ret hrmatiOn.
In this day when the atmosphere is full of
declamat0ry reformation, you have actually
planted the cOlors of lofty self-defense, i'm
the foremost ranks of aggressive, courageous
temperance reformation. 1t that respect
you outrank some religious organizations.
Your courage is your WISDOM your wisdom
Is your self-defense, your sell-defensa Is the
law OF God, and to move with the law of
God is to move to final and lasting victory.
If Judas Maccabeus were here i'm thG
nineteenth century, which resembles his
own age I'm some respects. he would at once
buckle on the helmet of your moral safe
guard and stand up for the new section in
law 4S. With this law against drunkenness
and saloon keepers, added to the limiting Of
your membership to the ages between Is
and so years, you secure the element of
proper association. Your membership will
Oe young, sober, indus riOus, frugal, such
an element of manhood as certainly will
make both an assurance and an insurance.
Then you stand in line with modern COM
mon sense and ancient Maccabeian history,
bringing into equal fellowship your wives
and sisters. Passing over the centuries
dominated by the Greek idea you are as
God made you, 'male and female created
he them" and the strength of the AsamOnian
families was in the fact that mothers, wives
and sisters braved the conflict. The martyrs
of the mountains and the caves of Judea in
these days of terror, the bravest of these
were women, and the highest lustre of that
history Is upon the Hebrew mother who
the most barbarous martyrdom. then she
calmly walked up and crowned the sacrifice
with her own life; and for you not to share
your fraternity with your wives and sisters
would make you unworthy of such history.
But such relations will also give you the
strength of nature and of God, who, joining
the two bid no man to put asunder. No
doubt the early Romans felt the whitening
hand of their stern legalism, and went to
their decline b. cause woman's touch of
tenderness and heroic devotion was lacking.
And the Greeks scared into romantic
sensuality, and empty, fading forms of
beauty because they excluded the hOier
: forms of beauty which woman keeps alive
7 in society, but your history was born where
! woman held moral and social equality with
. man.
With this sentiment born from the pure
c Judean heights Of morality and patriotism
5 with the hopeful elements In your organiza-
Q tion and purpose, there remains yet to bt
, made history Of quiet goodness In the line
r OF the humanities, record no less heroic
0 than that made in the war Of persecution 81
tbok voh hal ola ri,