The morning news., 1894-09-09
SENATORS AND TEE B1BLE.

Few Of Them Knew Where to Find
Christ's Sermon on the Mount.
Executive Clerk q. S. Senate in Wash. Star.
a few days ago it became necessary to
file the will of the late Senator Gibson of
Louisiana for probate in New York.
Its publication has caused a great deal of
comment here, because of its simplicity
and its high moral tone. The item of
publication reads as follows:
The viii 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 bequests to rela-
tiveS and friends, he gives the residue of
his estate to his three sons, Montgomery,
Tobias and Preston. He advises them
that the only thing that is more difficult
to build up than an independent fortune
IS character, which is more easily lost,
and the only safeguards 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 moro than thin and very
superficial idea of what Christ said in the
Sermon on the Mount.
1t is not often, l am sorry to say, that
men in politics and the newspaper bust
ness give such a matter thought or con-
cern. l will relate what may be called
curious coincidence that is apropos. A
year or two before Senator Gibson died
! he was addressing the Senate on the sub
ject of the disturbed condition of the
south, brought about by having the col
ored men in politics. He quoted eXten
sively from the Sermon on the Mount in
defense of the south. Jones of Arkansas,
the same who has become so well known
| as the chairman of the subcommittee of
the finance committee that was charged
with the task of constructing the tariff
bill that has now become law without the
signature of President Cleveland, was
| temporarily presiding.
l was one Of group who were in close
proximity to him. Leaning over toward
US, he said: Where does Gibson find
those quotations he IS usingw He gets
| them from the Bible,' was the sponta-
neOus answer that came from several of
| US. ~ know that, said Jones, "but from
what particular section of the Bible2'
None of us could answer positively. ]
walked over to Senator Hoar, the book
authority of the body, and put the query
to him. He gave me the correct informa-
tiOn. Jones said thatit annoyed him that
he could not remember the fact. He then
asked for a copy Of the Bible When it
was brought none of Us could say where
in the book the sermon could be found
| 1t instantly occurred to me that | had in
| my desk copy OF Jne sermon printed IN
| tract form.
| 1t was the habit of a kind faced and
! elderly woman to drop in on us at inter
| walls and distribute tracts and religious
reading printed in other forms, with the
admonition that we might become better
men if we would drop politics and news
! paper work once in while and give the
tracts cursory perusal. 1t was my habit
to throw those given to me into a drawer
with the intention of taking the old lady's
| advice when | had leisure.
l found in my desk among the old lady's
! offerings several copies of the Sermon on
| the Mount. These l took to the Senate
| chamber and distributed. Senator Jones
| read the copy l gave to him and then
carefully placed it in a side pocket.
have wondered since whether in making
up the new tariff and allowing the sugar
trust such full swing it ever occurred to
the senator to refer to the sermon and re-
! fleet.