The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-10-09

Mississippi and the Arkansas Gate OF
heavy artillery, making the mountains
of Tennessee and Kentucky and Vir-
Einia tremble as though the earth it
self were struggling in its last agony.
The gate was so fiery and so red that
l can think of nothing more approprt.
ate than to take the suggestion of
Isaiah in the text and call it gate of
carbuncles.
This country has been for the most
part of its history passing through
crises, and after each crisis was better
off than before it entered it, and now
we are another crisis. We are told on
one hand that If gold is kept as a
standard and silver is not elevated,
confidence will be restored and this
nation will rise triumphant from all
the financial umisfortunes that
have been affecting us. On
the other hand, we are
told that if the free coiuage of silver
is allowed, all the wheels of business
will revolve, the poor man will have a
better chance, and all our industries
will begin to hum and roar During
the last six presidential elections /
arena, but never have and never will
turn the pulpit in which preach into
a political stump. Every minister
must do as he feels called to do, and
will not criticise him for doing what
he considers his duty; but all the po-
litical harangues from pulpits from
now until the Sd of November will not
in all the United States change one
vote, but will leave many ears stopped
against anything that such clegrymen
may utter the rest of their lives.
AS a general rule, the laymen
of churches understand politics
better than the clergy, because
they (the laymen) study politics
more than the clergy, and have better
opportunity of being intelligent on
those subjects. But good morals, hon-
esty, loyalty, Christia patriotism, and
the Ten commandment s-these we
must preach. God says distinctly in
the Bible: 1.-THE silver and the gold are
mine," and He will settle the con-
troversy between those two metals.
If ever this country needed Divine
rescue it needs it now. Never within
my memory have so many people lit
orally starved to death as in the past
few months. Have you noticed in the
newspapers how many men and women
here and there have been found dead,
the post norton examination stating
that the cause of death was hunger?
There is not day that we do not hear
the crash of some great commercial
establishment, and as consequence
many people are thrown out Of en-
ployment. Among what we consid-
cred comfortable homes have come
privation and close calculation and an
economy that kills. Millions of people
who say nothing about it are at this
moment at their wits end. There are
millions of people who do not want
charity, but want work. The cry has
gone up to the ears of the Lord
of Sabbath" and the prayer will
be heard and relief will come.
If we have nothing better to de-
pend on than American politics, relief
will never come. Whoever is elected
to the presidency, the wheels of gov
eminent turn SO slowly, and caucus in
yonder white building on the hill may
tie the hands of any president. Now,
though we who live in the District of
Colum bia can not vote, we can pray,
and my prayer day and night shall
be: ''Oh, God, hear the cry of
the souls from under the atari
Thou who hast brought the wheat
and corn of this season to such
magnitude of supply, give food to
man and beast. Thou who hadst not
where to lay Thy head, pity the shell
terless. Thou who has brought to per-
lection the cotton of the south and tho
fax of the north, clothe the naked.
Thou who hast filed the mine with
coal, give fuel to the shivering. Bring
bread to the body, intelligence to the
mind, and salvation to the soul of all
the people! God save the nationr
But we must admit it is hard gate
to push back Millions of thin hands
have pushed at it without making it
swing on its hard hinges. 1t is gate
made out of empty -four barrels, and
cold fire CRATES, and worn out apparel,
and cherries homes, and unmedicated
sickness, and ghastliness and horror.
1t is gate of struggle. A gate of
perjury. A gate of want. A gate of
disappointment. A red gate, or what
Isaiah would have called a gate of
carbuncles.
And a little child, long ago in
Heaven, pulls at the white robe and
says, "Motherl' and she turns around,
saying, My child, for the first time
smile and felt the coil of your blonde
curls on your childish brow, but
L never heard your voice, even in
play or prattle, and / am confused to
know which is the best music, that
which the angels of God render or the
voice of you, my darling. Musicl I
read about it, and saw the notes in the
music book, and l saw the fingers of
planists and organists run up and
down the nowbanks of the keyboard,
but never thought it would be any
thing like this. MusicI' Then the angel
will say to lifelong invalid. did
you ever breathe air like this? Such |
balm! Such tonicl Such immortal
life in every respirationl Did you ever
have any climate on earth like this
climate of Heaven?" And the soul
SAYS This is the first time in many a
long year have been freed from pain.
AS passed through the river by that
gate the last ache left me, and l am
well, gloriously well. everlastingly
well. have swallowed the last Bit
ter draught. have felt the last cut of
the knife. have passed the last sleep
less night, and now realize the beauty
of what St. John said in Revela-
ton: There shall be no more pain"
And then the martyrs and the proph-
cts and the Apostles will take up the