Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-05
WAR AND POLITICS.
Sometimes It Seems the Soldiers
Saved This Great Country
ONLY TO GIVE 1T TO BAD MEN.
Too Many Jobbers Who Are futting Plunder
Before Patriotism.
4 SERMON BY Rev. GEORGE HODGES
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH

gate, ana TOOK II anu brought II W lawn
nevertheless he would not drink thereof
but poured it out unto the Lord.
That is paragraph out of the annals o
the wars of Israel. David was fighting thu
Philis tines. David and his men held th'
rocky hills, and the Philistines were in tht
green valley. And one day when the har
vest sun was hot and shade was scanty, ano
the battle long and wearisome, David grew
very thirsty. And he thought, as thirsty
people will, of the sweet taste of COO
water. He remembered we'll at Bethle.
hem beside the village gate. He had played
about it as q boy. He had drunk deer
draughts out of the dark depths of it in the
hot afternoons The trees grew near it, the
winds blew over it, the grass nestled close
to its gray stones, and the clear water,
deep in the cool recesses of the rock, wal
the sweetest in the world to Dayid's taste.
They Served Their Master Well.
He looked out over the tents of the
enemy, afar into the green valley, and he
fancied that he could almost see the little
village with the well beside the gate. And
he said, half to himself, "Oh, that I had a
drink of water from the we'll of Bethle-
hem!" Ard these three men heard him
these three stout soldiers of his army-and
they started for that well. The whole host
of the Philistines lay between. Rank upon
rauk, with watchful eyes and angry hearts
and sharp lances, lay this great Philistine
barrier But the men broke through.
They did not disguise themselves and steal
through. Down they went, defiant as
G oliath, and fought their way By strength
of arm to the well of Bethlehem and back.
And David had his cup of water.
The earth has always been battlefield.
Every day men are drawn up somewhere
into array of battle, and other men, for good
reason or for bad, are making their murder.
Gus way into their ranks. Men began to
fight beside the gate of Eden, and have
been fighting ever since. History is divided
into chapters by the campaigns of the wars
of nations
Nh-n Fighters Were tho Heroes.
The first hero was the man who had 8
stouter fist than anybody else in the neigh.
borhood. The first king was the man who
was able by his strength and courage to
command the respect OF a considerable num-
ber OF heroes The first statesman was he
who planned the first successful attack upon
an enemy. The first discoverer ventured
into new countries that he might kill their
inhabitants. The first poet sang his song
over heans of hostile slain. For ages men
were accounted of in proportion to their
ability to harm their fellow men.
saul hath slain his thousands" shouted
the people-therefore Saul is a great deal oi
a man; "But David his tens of thousands!
SO rang the answer-therefore David Is ten
a, or rnop CauI Tho NJ hol q
world was in the condition of our frontier
mining towns before the railroad, where
every man carried his materials for murder
everywhere he went. The priest was set
Beside the soldier in the estimation of the
people, because he was thought to WELD in
visible weapons, sharper than swords and
longer than lances. Women were not con-
sidered of much consequence because they
could not fight
War a Natural Ambition.
At first men fought, like animals, for love
of fighting After that they fought for love
of reputation. They desired the good
opinion of their neighbors. And as ideals
had not risen then much above mere physi-
cal achievement, and there was no apprecia-
tion vet of wisdom nor of sanctity, the man
who would win admiration must be strong,
fearless of danger, careless of PAIN. Nat
urally the ambitious turned to war.
That is what public opinion does. 1t sets
the standard Of ambition. 1t makes vast
difference with the nation whether its peo-
pie have high or low idea of excellence.
One OF the mosc important definitions in the
dictionary is the definition OF greatness
What is it to be great? Is it to dangle at
our waist string of scalps? is it to control
a ballot box OF ignorant votes? is it to live
l. ,,,I Loyv kn,,1 M
running into large figures? is it to bear the
name of an ancient family? What differ
ence it makes what sort of an answer people
in general give to these questions! Or is it
to be honest in all dealings, to be generous,
to be thoughtful Of others, to be learner
and teacher of truths that are worth know
ing, to fight for right, and to be of some sort
of use in the world? Is that what we ac-
count to be the requisite of greatness?
One Mission of tn, Church.
Certain it is that whatever the ajority
of people find admirable in human life,
thousand of human beings will strive after.
A great part of the mission of the Church in
the world, is to set a standard of apprecia-
ton, and to teach the true definition Of
genuine greatness.
These three heroes fought that splendid
fight of theirs not for love of fighting, and
not alone for love of reputation, but for
love of David. This they did for him. That
which uplifted their adventure above all
the brave deeds of their time, was their un-
selfish spirit
The ideal soldier fights not for himself
He fights for David. His David may be
great leader, or a great cause, ora great
but there must be David. Some
behind the soldier, watching his
courageous onslaught upon the hostile host,
ready to applaud as he faces danger, ready
to welcome and reward his victorious re-
turn; his commendation the soldiers great
pst laurel; somewhere must stand great
David.
The day has gone when armies fought,
like beasts in the black forests, for sheer
love of murder. The day is going when
nations Join battle, like bullies in back
,Ilevs, for reputation, in revenge for fancifui
insults, in vindication of what they are
pleased to call their honor, or for the sake
Of stealing one another's goods or lands
We have driven that sort of fighting out OF
decent society.
War Will Be R. cosniz"d As Wrong.
1t is left now altogether to fools who
make themselves laughing stocks in duels,
Or to ruffians whom the police carry away In
patrol wagons. And by virtue of that ele-
yalion OF public opinion of which l spoke,
bv more general learning OF the religion OF
Jesus Christ, We are going to drive it out of
he lives OF nations. We have not yet quite
come to realize that whatever is a crime Tor
an individual is q crime also for a nation.
We showed that when We had our recent
Misunderstanding with Italy and Chile.
But we are getting nearer to the truth.
The day will be a long time coming when
Ill the sw ords may be beaten into plowshares,
,nt no man any longer need to learn the
art of war Because there will for long
Iime be ignoiant people in the world who
cannot understand an argument unless it
strikes them in the face. Nothing but
M nht can teach them right The lust