The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-05-22

he would be blind Of body II he could
not at 10 o'clock of an unclouded noon
see the sun in the heavens As q mat
ter of gratitude to Almighty God, gen
tlemen of the American congress, be
pleased to insert the four words sug-
gested by the Methodist conferencel
| Not only because Of the kindness
of God to this nation in the
past should such reverential
Insertion be made, but because
of the fact that we are going to
want Divine interpretation still further
| in our national history. This gold
and silver question will never be set
| tied until God settles it. This ques-
ton of tariff and free trade will never
be settled until God settles it. The
question between the east and the
west. which is getting hotter and hot.
ter, and looks toward q republic OF
the Pacific, will not be settled until
God settles it. We needed God in the
100 years of our past national life,
and we will need Him still more
in the next 100 years Lift up your
heads, We everlasting gates OF our glo-
rious constitution. and let the King OF
Glory come in Make one line OF that
immortal document radiant with Om-
impotence! Spell at least one word with
Thrones! At the beginning, or at the
close, or in the center, recognize Him
from whom as a nation we have re-
ceiyed all the blessing of the past and
upon whom we are dependent for the
future. Print that word God" or
"Lord," or eternal Father or
"Ruler OF Nations" somewhere be-
tween the first word and the
last. The great expounder OF the
constitution sleeps at Marshfield,
Mass, the Atlantic ocean still hum
ming near his pillow Of dust it's pro-
longed lullaby; but is there not some
one now living, who. in the white mar
BILE palace of the nation on yonder hill
not ten minutes away. will become the
irradiator of the constitution by caus-
ing to be added the most tremendous
word of our English vocabulary, the
name of that Being before whom all
nations must bow or go into defeat
and annihiliation-''God
Again before the approaching ad-
journment of our American congress.
it ought to be decidedly and forever |
settled that no appropriation be made |
to sectarian schools, and that the |
between church and state |
in this country be forever broken up
That question already seems tempo
rarily settled. ALI schools and all in
as we'll as all denomina-
lions should stand on the same
level before American law. EN-
peror Alexander of Russia, at his
Peterhof palace, asked me how many
of religion there were
in America, and recited their names
IS well as l could. Then he asked me
The difference between them, and there
[ broke down. But when l told him
that no religious denomination in
America had any privileges above
The others, he could hardly UNDER
stand it. The Greek church first
in Russia. The Lutheran church
irst in Germany. The Episcopal
church first in England. The
Catholic church first in Rome Moham-
mechanism first in Constantinople. The
emperor wondered how it was possible
hat all the denominations in America
could stand on the same platform. But
70 it is, and so let it ever be. Let there
be no preference, no Partially, no at
,empt to help one sect an inch higher
han another Washington and Jeffer-
ION, and all the early presidents and all
The great statesmen Of the past, have
lifted their voice against any such tend.
sncy. If school or an institution can
1ot stand without the prop of national
then let that school or
that institution go down. On the 9TH
or side of the sea the world has had
plenty Of illustrations of church and
state united. Let us have none of the |,
and decentralization born of
that relation on this side of the At
antic Let that denomination come
put ahead that does the most for the
cause Of God and humanity. Men. in
and religions getting what
hey achieve by their own right are
Of usefulness, and not by the favorit-
SIN of government. AS you regard
The welfare and perpetuity Of our in
keep politics out Of reli-
zion.
But now, that am speaking of ma
;ional affairs from religious stand
point, bethink myself of the fact
hat two other gavels will soon lift
ind fall, the one at st. Louis and the
other at Chicago, and before those ma
'ional conventions adjourn, 1 ask that
hey acknowledge God in the plat
'orms. The men who construct those
platform are here this morning, or
will read these words. Let no pelit-
cal party think it can do its duty un-