The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-08-04
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.
DR.. Talmage breaches on Timely
Subject.
The Sacrifice Of Children - Cramming
1T the Schools-Wrong Systems OF
Discipline-The Spirit Of
Worldliness.

Dewitt Talmage chose for his topic
''Children's Rights" the text being:
Judges, XII, SO: MY father, if thou
hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord,
do to me according to that which hath
proceeded out of thy mouth" DR.. Tai
mage said:
Jephthah was a freebooter. Early
turned out from home where he ought
to have been cared for, he consorted
with rough men, and went forth to
earn his living as best he could. In
those times it was considered right for
a man to go out on independent mill
tary expeditions Jephthah was
good man according to the light OF his
dark age, but through a wandering
and predatory life he became reckless
and precipitate. The grace of God
changes a mans heart. but never re-
verses his natural temperament
The Israelites wanted the Ammonites
driven out of their country, SO they
sent delegation to Jephthah asking
him to become commander in-chief OF
all the forces. Before going out TO the
war Jephtha makes a very solemn VOW
tory then, on his return home. whatso-
ever first comes out OF his doorway he
will offer in sacrifice as burnt offer
ing In those old times opposing forces
would fight until their swords were
broken. and then each one would
throttle his man until they both fell.
teeth to teeth, grip to grip, death-stare
to death-stare, until the plain was one
tumbled mass of corpses, from which
the last trace of manhood had been
dashed ont
Jephthah wins the day. Twenty
cities lay captured at his feet Sound
the victory all through the mountains
of Gilead Let the trumpeters call up
the survivors Homeward to your
wives and children. Homeward with
your glittering treasures. Homeward
20 have the applause of an admiring
nation.
Huzza for Jephthah the conqueror.
Jephthah, seated on prancing steed,
advances amid acclaiming multitudes
but his eye is not on the excited popu-
lace Remembering that he had made
a solemn VOW that. returning from vic
torious battle. whatsoever first came
out of the doorway of his home. that
should be sacrificed as burnt offering.
he has his anxious look upon the door.
Oh. horrors, Paleness of death blanches
his cheek. Despair Seizes his heart
His daughter. his only child, PUSHES
out the doorway to throw herself in
her fathers arms and shower upon him
,.fC
on his breast or dents on his shield. All
the triumphal splendor vanishes- Hold
ing back this child from his heaving
breast and pushing the locks back from
the fair brow. and looking into the
eyes of inextinguishabl affection. with
choked utterance ne SAYS: Would God
that | lay stark on the bloody plain.
Nv daughter. nv only child. JOY OF
home. life of my life, thou art the sacri
flee
The whole matter was explained to
her. This was no whining, hollow
hearted girl into whose eyes the father
looked All the glory of the sword
and shield vanished in the presence o
the valor of that girl With self
sacrifice that man may not reach. and
only woman'S heart can compass. she
surrenders herself to fire and to death
MY father. if thou hast opened thy
mouth unto the Lord do thou unto ms
whatsoever hath proceeded from thy
mouth.
OF course this offering was not pleas
ant to the Lord: but before you hur
Your denunciations at Jephthah's cru
city. remember that in olden times
when vows were made. men though
they must execute them. perform them
whether they were wicked or good
There We're two wrong things abou
.Jephthah's VOW. First. he ought neve
to have made it. Next. having mad'
it. it were better broken than kept
But do not take on pretentious airs ant
say: Il could not have done a
.Iephthah did" If to-day you wer
standing on the banks of the Gange
and YOU had been born in India. yo
might have been throwing your Chi
dren to the crocodiles. 1t is not be
cause we are naturally any better. bu
because we have more gospel light.
Now. l make very practical use o
this question when l tell you that tn
sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter was
type of the physical. mental an
spiritual sacrifice of ten thousand chi
dren in this day. There are parents al
unwittingly bringing to bear upon thei
children a class of influences whic
will as certainly ruin them as knit
and torch destroyed Jephthah'
daughter.
In the first place l remark that niue
of the system of education in our da
is a system of sacrifice. When chi
dren spend six or seven hours day i
school and then must spend two @
three hours in preparation for schot
the next day. will you tell me ho'
much time they will have for surshin
and fresh air and the obtaining of tina
exuberance which is necessary for tn
duties OF coming life?
No one can feel more thankful tina
do for the advancement of commo
school education. But this herding I
great multitudes of children in IL
ventilated school rooms and pOorl
TX