The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-09-17
BIBLE QUOTATIONS.
How the United States Senator'S We're
Puzzled.

A few days ago it became necessary to
file the will of the late Senator Gibson of
Louisiana for probate in New York, writes
SIS. NJ in the Philadelphia Star It's
publication has caused great deal of COM
ment here, because of its simplicity and its
high moral tone. The item of publication
reads as follows:
The will of the late Senator Gibson has
been placed on file in the court of probate
in New York, as well as in Louisiana,
After making several requests to relatives
and friends. he gives the residue of his
estate to his three sons. Montgomery. To-
bias and Preston. He advises them that
the only thing that is more difficult to build
up than independent fortune is character,
which is more easily lost, and the only safe
guards of character. he continues, are the
Ten Commandments and the .'Sermon on
the Mount
1t is curious how few among our people
in high official life can be found who have
anything more than thin and very super
fetal idea of what Christ said in the Ser
mon on the Mount. The great majority
have not read it since their Sunday schools
days. We have had acclaimed at stated in
tervals In both houses of Congress the Dec
laration of Independence, Washington's
farewell address, Patrick Henry's famous
speech in behalf of liberty, excerpts from
Jefferson's writings. Jackson's profani-
ty and Lincoln at Gettysburg. but never
the Sermon on the Mount. Mr.. Gibson's
will has set us to thinking and reading.
1t is not often, am sorry to say, that
men in politics and the ewspaper business
give such matter thought or concern. /
will relate what may be called a curious
coincidence that is apropos. A year or two
before Senator Gibson died he was address
ing the Senate on the subject of the dis
turbed condition of the South brought about
by having the colored man in politics. He
quoted extensively from the Sermon on
the Mount in defense of the South. Jones
of Arkansas. tie same who has become so
well known as the chairman of the sub-com-
mittee of the finance committee that was
charged with the task Of constructing the
taliff bill was temporarily presiding.
was one of a group who were in close
proximity to him. Leaning over toward us
he said: Where does Gibson find those
quotations he is usings'' He gets them from
the Bible' was the spontaneous answer
that came from several of us. .sOh, know
that said Jones, "but from what section
of the Bible None of us could answer pos
itively. l walked over to Senator Hoar,
the book authority of the tody, and put
I he query to him. He gave me the correct
information. Jones said it annoyed him
that he could not remember the fact. He
then asked for copy of the Bible. When !
it was brought none of us could say where |
in the Book the sermon coud be found. 1t |
occurred to me that had in my |
desk copy of the sermon printed in tract |
form.
1t was the habit of kind-faced and elder |
ly woman to drop in on us at intervals and l
distribute tracts and religious reading that |
we might become better men if we would |
drop politics and newspaper work once in
a while and give the tracts cursory perusal. |
1t was my habit to throw those given me in
old lady's advice when had leisure. But |
never found myself with leisure. That |
is leisure for that kind of reading. I never
wanted for the time to read newspapers
and the latest novels, but it was different
when the tracts caught my eye.
But that is not material in finishing out
the story. found in my desk among the /
old ladys offerings several copies of the
Sermon on the Mount. These took to the
Senate chamber and distributed. Senator
Jones read the copy gave to him and
then carefully placed it in side pocket.
have wondered since whether in making up
he new tariff and allowing the Sugar Trust
such full swing. it ever occurred to the Sem
ator to refer to the sermon and reflect.