Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-04-20

M Su SldlSS Itpuui'S'
vNSM The people who
live here see more
OF the chief men of the nation than
any who live anywhere else between
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. IL
senator, or member of the house OF
representatives, or Supreme Court JUS
tice, or secretary of the cabinet, or
representative of foreign nation enters
a public assembly in any other city,
his coming and going are remarked
upon, and unusual Difference is paid
TO him. In this capital there are so
many political chieftains in our
churches, our streets. our halls, that
their coming and going make no ex-
element. The Swiss seldom look up
10 the Matterhorn, or Jungfrau, or Mt.
blanc, because those people are used
70 the Alps. So we at this capital are
so accustomed 10 walk among noun
tains of official and political eminence
that they are not to us a great novelty.
Morning. noon and night We meet the
giants. But there is no place on earth
where the Importance of the Pauline
injunction to prayer for those in en-
lnent place ought TO be better appre-
clated. At this time, when our pub
lie men have before them the rescue
or our national treasury from appalling
denclts, and the Cuban question. and
the Arbitration question, and in many
departments men are taking important
positions which are to them new and
untried, L would like to quote my text
with whole tonnage of emphasis
words written by the sacred mission
airy TO the young theoiogian Timothy:
eXhort. therefore. that, first OF all,
suppllcation, prayers, intercessions and
giving OF thanks be made for all men:
for kings, and for all that are in au-
thority."
II / have the time. and do not forget
some OF them before l get through,
VIII give you four or five reasons why
the people OF the United States ought
10 make earnest and continuous prayer
Tor those in eminent place.
flrst, because that will put us in
proper attitude toward the successful
men of the nation. After Won have
prayed for a man you will do him JUS
ice. There is bad streak in human
nature that demands us to assail those
that are more successful than our-
selves. 1t shows itself in boyhood
when the lads, all running TO get their
ride on the back of a carriage. and one
gets on, those falling TO get on shout
10 the driver, Cut behindr' Unsuc
cessful men seldom like those who in
any department are successful. The
cry Is, He is a political accident" mr.
lie bought his way up" or 1T inst
happened so, and there is an jmno-
tient waiting for him to come down
more rapidly than he went up The
pest cure for such cynicism is PRAYER.
After We have risen from our knees we
VIII De wishing the official good in
stead OF evil. We will be honinp for
MIN benediction rather than maledic-
ton. II he makes a mistake we will
call 1t a mistake instead of maIfeas-
ance In office. And OH how much
napier we VIII be; for wishing one evil
is diabolic, but wishing one good is
sanity, is angelic. is God-like. When
the Lord drops man into DEPTHS he
yond which there is no lower deptb
ne allows him TO be put on an inyesti-
eating committee with the one hone of
finding something wrong. In general
assemblies of the Presbyterian Church
In conferences OF the Methodist Church
in conventions of the Episcopal Church
in House of Representatives and in
Senate of United States there are mon
always glad to be appointed an the
Committee OF Malodors, while there are
those who are glad to be put on tho
Committee of Eulosiums. After you
have prayed. in the words of nv text
for all that are in authority, you will
say, Brethren, Gentlemen. Mr.. Chair
man, excuse me from serving on the
Committee OF Malodors, for last night
just before | prayed for those i'm emf
nent position, / read that chapter in
Corinthians about charity which
"hopeth all things" and ''thinketh no
evil" The Committee OF MaIodors is
an important committee, but | here
now declare that those are incompe
tent for its work who have. not in
spirit of conventionality, but In spirit
of earnest importantly, prayed for
those in high position. / cannot helm
IL, but L do like st. Bernard better
than a bloodhound, and | would rather
be humming-bird among honeysuck-
les than a crow swooping upon field
carcasses."
Another reason why we should pray
for those in eminent place is because
they have much multiplied perplexi-
ties. This city at this time holds hun
dreds of men who are expectant of
preferment, and United States mail
bags, as never before, are full of appii-
cations. Let me say | have no SYM
pathy with either the uttered or print
ed sneer at what are called office
seekers" If | had not already re-
ceived appointment as Minister Pleni-
potentiary from the High Court of
Heayen-as every minister of the. Cos
pei has-and l had at my back fam
lily for whom / wished to achieve
livelihood, there is no employer whose
service | would sooner seek than city,