Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-22
REV. DIR. ROBERTS SCORES THE
THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION.
ut ENCOURAGES HYPOCRISY"
PRESIDENT CALLS PRAYER MEET
ING, PEOPLE ATTEND FOOTBALL.
DR.. Roberts Declares That He Will
Use Every Possible EndeavOr to
Secure the Communication of
the Sentence of q
Murderer.

81 deny the right of presidents and gov
errors to send the people to church once
each year to give thanks. The people deny
the right by ignoring the farcical exhorta-
TONS Proclamations do not make piety-
they do encourage hypocrisy and cant. As
often as the sad November days return, the
president, in the midst of cares, jealousies.
bargains and corruption, calls a national
prayer meeting, and the sovereign people
attend football games"
Thus began Rev. Mr.. ]. Z. Roberts, of the
Church of This World. at the Coates OPP
era house yesterday morning. The house
was filled almost to OVERLOOKING. Continu-
ing. Rev. Mr.. Roberts said:
II doubt IL the time ever existed justify
ing this custom. but if it did a new sun has
risen with healing on its wings. The con-
stitution of this country guarantees to
every man the right to worship God accord
ing to the dictates of his own conscience,
yet there is an organization at Washington
composed of religious zealots who would
have emblazoned on the stars and stripes
the cross. This government has no right
to pay chaplains, and / contend that church
property should be assessed. If in the levy
ing of taxes any exemptions are to be made
let 1t be the homes of the widows and the
orphans.
mo nation can render hanks to political
order, for gratitude is something that
springs from the heart. If the American
people ever again make the experiment of
sending a great man to the White House
We will see him pass November by. In
these proclamations three things are in
variably officially noted as reasons for the
giving of thanks
"Ffrst-That We are at peace with all the
world.
"~Second-That there is no pestilence
abroad in the land; and
"Third-That our labors have been re-
warded with an abundance of the things
of this world"
While We are at peace with all the
world. DR.. Roberts contended tina this was
due to the facs of the non-desirability of
war from a commercial standpoint and Of
the existence of modern men-of-war. Still
that We are not at war was something
which we could well be thankful for, he
said. As to the second reason for giving
thanks. as outlined in the official prociama-
lions, it did not exist.
rs there no pestilence in this country?
Is New Orleans not on our map? How
about the famine in India? Is it contend
ed that Providence is simply an American
product?"
That some individuals had cause for the
giving, Of thanks, he admitted. Some of
the things for which he gave thanks were
the facts that at last the dawn of a new
life was taking place in America; at last
the ScnOol mouse was coming TO be the
proudest thing beneath the country's flag;
society was fast changing it's attitude to-
ward the needy and the criminal; the lat
ter was to-day coming to be recognized as
one in whom there is something to be
cured IL possible and not a creature upon
whom society must wreak its vengeance.
Concluding. the attitude of this country
toward Cuba in its struggle for freedom
was deprecated. and he regretted the fact
that in the not far distant day. when the
banner of freedom waved over the little
island, the stars and stripes could not be
unfurled proudly with the boast that the
"so-called emblem of liberty had contrib
uted to the inevitable result
DIR. Roberts announced as his subject for
next Sunday morning and afternoon. 18th
Last Day on Earth of n Condemned Man"
iaiI of tbis comntv % M wbnre sim u e
black and whose life is soon to be taken.
Society shall not add the crime of murder
to its long list of wrongs If l can prevent
Il. 1 intend to purge my soul from the
commission of that wrong by doing what /
can to bring about the Communication of the
sentence"