Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-06-01

uiduh lis dppOI JiOucu Cup VI pUloOu.
Judea passed beyond the pale of hope
when Jesus died in agony. Bohemia
had no place for John Huss, nor Italy
for Savonavola. Rome's dead hand
crushed out every aspiration for liber-
ty. They reap the whirlwind today
while their churchly foe stands before
man and God founded upon forgeries,
always fighting for the lie and the op-
pressor, an upas tree under whose
shade die all who rest there,
Sometimes these men are "extrem-
ists"-that is the common reproach--
but they can scarcely be otherwise.
They carry Gods message, they are
Gods men. There is as little room
for them among the devotees Of self
and the devil as for Jesus at the inn
crowded with pilgrims. Such men
were the Abolitionists. Just judg-
ment places them among the prophets
OF God, for such they were and nothing
less.
Every age has its true prophe is.
One cannot be patient with the stupid
theory which declares John the Bap-
tist to be the last OF the prophets, in
every crisis and at all times some mes
senger speaks with his THUS saith
the Lord" God apparently ordains
one man to one work and he finds the
doing of it a lifelong task. Peter
breaches to the Jews especially, so
does James. Paul breaches to the
Gentiles; Calvin stands for the su-
premacy of God; Luther for mans
free access to God without paying toll
at the gates of Rome. The Revolu-
tion fathers stood for the political
freedom Of America, the Abolitionists
for the absolute freedom of man as
man. These men of one idea are al
ways prosecuted, but the wise nation
will hearken, for they are prophets.
There are such men today to whom
it is our duty to listen.
When in some papers, columns Of
abuse are printed which only a culti-
waited talent for mendacity could in
vent: when curses are heaped upon
some mans head; when the pulpit de-
nounces and all men culminaJe these
things prove only that the man is be-
ing baptized into the fellowship Of
martyrs. Pass these things by and
Judge HIM by his teaching and life.
From of old God has said to the men
of one idea, make thy brow brass aud
thy face as flint" and promised we'll
knowing their need, II will make thee
brazen pillar and fenced walls" In
this day pregnant for good and evil
this warning Is timely.
THE WAR has also settled for the
nation the grave question OF coD pro.
mise with evil in all matters of iht-
ness, of principle. 1t has not, OF
course, determined forever the path
which this people shall take, but 1t
HAS indicated unmistakably the right
path and the wrong path; 1t HAS es-
tabllshsd the truth that no problem
is solved until rightly solved; ii HAS
so made this truth apparent that fu-
ture trangression will be committed
in the face of verdict Of God written
In fire, sealed In blood and uttered by
the mouthings Of the gun, which
echoed around the world.
No problem of evil is ever settled by
compromise. Compromise Is the cul-
ture medium in which the devastat.
ing germs develop. The fathers OF the
Republic did perhaps as best they
could, confessedly not as best some OF
them knew. Jefferson trembled for
his country and not without cause. In
freeing themselves they did not all at.
tain to the highest conception of free.
dom. For reasons of political expe.
diency and industrial profit slavery
was left untouched, huge inconsist-
ency existing ever against an ideal
declaration OF the rights Of man.
In their place most men would have
done the same and he who has any
such compromise In private life oil
public relations had best be dumb
The penalty Of evil was for many
years postponed; not averted, and the
generation of the eos paid for theil
fathers sin. This truth has not
been lost to view but IL needs con
slant revival. People and statesmen
alike need to live 1t, for as the people
are so the administration is.
Men and nations soon forget these
things and when they are completely
forgotten the curse of God rests upon
farm ard city, upon sea and land; such
a moribund nation may maintain al
appearance of strength, which only
makes the greater crash when the
shock Of Judgment comes.
The Declaration OF Independence
| was fully consecrated by the War. II