Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-08-23
Not a Superstition.

| L may say, Will d great Oedl Ol SatlS
faction. also, the recent speech of ou
distinguished Senator in vindication O
himself and his associate Senators il
connection with the tariff bill now il
the hands OF his excellency, the presi
dent, and only waiting for his sigma
ture, or to come law for his declin
ing to do so, which may be an accom-
plished fact before this is published
As to the merit of the speech l have
nothing to say, except that the talent
cd Senator has as usual thrown all the
force of his great character and abili-
ty into this effort. l have always ad
mired and greatly esteemed Mr.. Vest,
but in the outset of this speech he has
seen proper to call upon the Holy Bi
Bile for certain matter to give favora-
BILE coloring to the Senate, and with
al to enlist the sympathy of thousands
of admiring friends of both political
parties, and this, too, in the most un-
just sense conceivable. This is why l
ask a little spa;e in your present is
sue.
1t may be, and is quite certain, that
many will read your paper that will
not be able to see the Senator's speech,
and l will therefor trespass up on your
good offices to insert the passage in
said speech to which take exception.
After delivering a pretty sharp phil
lipic against certain journalists and
others for grave misrepresentation
and perhaps very unjust criticisms, es-
teemed by the gentleman to be SIAN
derous, he proceeds as follows:
"Mr. President, the Hebrew super
stition which turned goat into the
wilderness in order that it might carry
away the sins of the people, still ex-
lists In times of great depression ana
calamity scape goat must be found
even among civilized nations, and the
Senate of the United States is now fill
ing that position to the American peo-
ple." There it is. It is the nairete
with which the Senator makes these
last utterances that would be likely
to strike the general reader, but the
cool, deliberate, and perhaps uninten-
tional charge of Hebrew supersti-
ton" to any portion of the Holy Scrip
lures. and that such charge be made
in the Senate of the American States.
is what will arouse the righteous In
dignation of every true Christian, at
least. The allegation is false in every
particular of importance, in the quo
tation, and unworthy of the distin-
guished gentleman who made the
enunciation. This is not the place for
one to attempt such an explanation of
such a beautiful and instructive piece
of Hebrew ritual. as that contained in
Leviticus, chapter Is, and occupies
the entire chapter in minor details of
priestly acts. Instead of this chapter
of ritual, which has been incorporated
into the New Testament. being ''sup-
erstition" in any sense, it was to be a
statute for ever and held sacred by
them in all their generations. Need |
say to the readers of this grand
speech, that that very statute forms
part of code that has existed for
centuries among that ancient people,
and has contributed certain quota to
every criminal code in existence in all
civilized lands at this day.
AS l have above intimated this is
not the most suitable place to ex-
pound, or give an exegesis of such
passages of our Bible. Let it be
enough to say that, the Hebrew ritual
was largely object teaching. And then,
as now, things simply spectacular may
become powerfully impressive upon
large classes of people, and sometimes
resulting in the changes of their ma
tional affairs and even destinies. This
truth is so obvious that it needs no
reiteration.
1t is very easy thing to speak of
.'superstition" and in that light and
frivolous way in which we are permit
ted to hear it, but | confess that have
never heard it applied to the atone
ment of Almighty's providing, until
saw it in the speech of the distinguish
ed Senator from our own beloved State.
thing that strikes me is, that
this gentlemen don't seem to be aware
that the term scapegoat is a misnomer
and is not found in the splendid piece
of ritual which he permits himself to
designate as a "superstition." Nor,
yet, do l apprehend that if he were
to be permitted to live for 999 years in |
the Senate, with all the brilliancy of
intellect, and other rare gifts with
which our heavenly Father has en-
dowed him, would he be able to ex-
plain either the language or the doc
trine of this sublime passage so often
escaping irreverently from our lips.
So sublime and so mysterious is the
term la-az-za- gel that its true definition
has never been reached by aLy living
har