The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-01-17
FLAGS AT HALF MAST.
REV. THOMAS DlxoN's SERMON on
WORLDS FAIR PROPHECIES.

REV. THOMAS DIxoN's SERMON or
WORLDS FAIR PROPHECIES.
Mutterinss OF Discomfort and Despair In
anAee sfProgress-The Social Disease.
Menaces In Europe and America-The
Z GnlfBetween the Classes
NEW YoRK, Dec. s1.-Rev. Thomas
Dixon, Jr., preached at Association hall
this morning. the last Of the series Of SER
mons on The Prophecies Of the Worlds
Fair. The text chosen was from Jere-
miah Vi, "A: Saying, Peace, peace:
when there is no peace. !"
Il had been planned that the last day
of the great Columbian exposition
should be a day Of supreme triumph.
twas ft that it should be so. Its man
agement had been a magnificent sue
cess. The people Of America had join
ed in making it a success. They had
opened it in unprecedented splendor.
They had given their hearts enthusi-
asm to it. They had given their money.
And they rejoiced in its success. It's
magnificent achievement in art and in
architecture and in the celebration OF
the progress Of the world was the attain
ment of victory for which the nation
reioiced with peculiar national pride.
Ii was sad and tragic disappointment
which met them on the dayof the close.
Instead Of a day Of festivity, Of merri-
ment, of grand music, of rejoicing, it
was day of gloom, sadness, silenee,.
foreboding. The flags on the buildings.
were all at half mast. The mayor of,
the city of Chicago had been stricken
down blythe hand Of an assassin. In.
stead Of music, there was silence. h-
stead of laughter, there were tears. And.
the ration felt it. It was as if in the
midst of our rejoicing we were brought
sharply and suddenly face to face with
the fact that there was skeleton In
the closet, skeleton Of grim and terri
ble mien-one that could not be down.
ed at the bidding of any man or any
power.
It is perhaps as well that this grand
world 3 exposition should have closed
with the flags at half mast. It would
not have been worlds fair had we not
in some way celebrated the exposition
Of our social disease. No celebration
IN the closing days Of the nineteenth
century that shall recite It's achieve
ment, its progress, its present position
and its promise would be complete with
out these dark lines drawn in the pic
ture:
TIE WORLDS DISEASE
We are brought thus face to face
with the fact Of worlds disease in the
midst Of our celebrating a world 3 tri-
umph and progress. Restlessness, an
archy and social disorder are facts, of
which we would like to remain uncon-
scious, were it possible, but it is no
longer possible. The mob that surged
through Haymacket square and explod-
ed their bombs seme years ago, the
grim monument that marks the spot
today, the mob that swayed through
the streets Of New Orleans and held
the city in It's grasp until its'deeds of
murder were wrought, the lynchings
that have disgraced the south and the
west and the north Of late, the noto-
rious lawlessness and mob rule and slum
government of our rscihes ali these are
sharp reminders of the fact, that we,
too, Of late, must enroll our nation.
among these that suffer from this social
disease.
In Europe there is not q nation that
does not shiver today at the thought
Of possible social revolution. Anarchy
is rampant throughout the civilized
world.
Spain attempted to crush the wretch
that had made an effort to kill one OF
her great men. What was the result:
Theresult was thztin Barcelona, while
q greas theatr was packed with help
less and innocent and nnofending men,
women and child1en, from thetop gall
lery fend hurled dynamite bomb
into the orchestra. # both the bombs
hurled had exploded the entire theater
wo7ld have been demolished, and per-
haps thousands would have been man.
gled to pieces. As it was, the horror
was enough. Thirty lives were lost,
and hundreds were woanded The
depth Of deviltry and iendnihress to
which a man must descend to be capa-
BILE of such q crime may be said to open
q new chapter In the history Of our civ
ilization.
France is reminded within the past
few weeks Of the same great disease. A
bomb is exploded IN the chamber Of
deputies, with the evident dramatic in
tention OF emphasizing the irrepressi-
BILE conflict between law and iawless-
ness, between anarchy and government.
It was only the merest accident that
prevented this bomb from doing the
terrible work intended by its thzower.
Officials in Germany haye recently
received mysterious packages which
contained explosives sufficient tehl.
Russia has been in condition OF