Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-09-13
PASTORS ON THE CALAMITY.
Wholesome Words Spoken In Brattle.
boro Pulpits Sunday and Prayers
Offered for Presidents Recovery.

Recognition was made in the Brat
tleboro churches Sunday by the pas
tors of the calamity which had come
to the nation in the shooting of Presi-
dent Mckinley. Wholesome words
were spoken in reference to the crime
of anarchy, and prayers were offered
for the speedy restoration of the Presi-
dent to health.
At St. Michael's Roman Catholic
church the Rev. Father Cunningham
in his address to his people depre-
Gated the attack on the Presidents
life, and denounced the whole race of
professional agitators who go about
corrupting and inflaming weak-minded
men like the Presidents assassin.
They are not only enemies of govern
ment, law and order, he said, but of
religion itself They poison the minds
of the poor against the rich, and their
whole influence is bad. Their public
talk should be stopped, and their work
suppressed firmly and surely by the
strong hand of the law.
At the Unitarian church, the services
were from beginning to end intended
to be in harmony with the thought
with which all hearts were filled to
overlooking. Mr.. Osgood took as the
theme of his discourse the 46th Psalm,
often called Luther's Psalm. because
the great reformer was so cheered in
times of darkness and despair by its
hopeful words. Here the weakness of
man is contrasted with the almighty
| power of God. So, although the Presi-
! dent has been stricken down, we must
not falter, but remember that there is
| light beyond the shadow We sorrow
| at this terrible calamity; we have
| deep sympathy for those closely en-
circlng him whom we think of so
! tenderly today; yet we must not forget
| to place the injury where it is due.
| The curse of anarchy must be purged
| from out the borders of our country,
so that all, from the least unto the
! greatest, may live in perfect freedom
and safety. Such a resolve, if firmly
carried out, will be in accordance, not
only with humane Justice, but also
with that spirit of righteousness which
| is divine, and. which has had existence
from the foundation of the universe.
At the Universalist church, Rev. r.
| X. Marvin offered prayers for the re-
covery of President Mckinley, not only
! because he is our chief magistrate, not
! only because he once fought as a sol
der for the preservation of the Union,
not only because he is a statesman
who has guided our country with sur
! passing wisdom through a period of
storm and distress. but also because
| he is a man like unto us, our brother,
| and Christ and because he is a hus-
band so rarely tender and chvalrous
to one whose very life hangs on his
life.
Rev. r. F. Lowe, the Methodist pas
tor, said there is something wonder
fully moving in the spectacle of
seventy millions of people looking
| toward Buffalo in sympathy and pray
| er for the chief magistrate of the
| United States. 1t is doubtful whether
in any past time or in any country
except Great Britain under Victoria
would such an occurrence have caused
such a shock to such large number
of people. A tribute was paid to Mr..
McKinley's personal character and to
the sanitary effect upon morality of
the beautiful relation between him
self and his wife. Some remarks were
then made from the 18th chapter of
Romans on obedience to Civil Pow
err" While the New Testament does
not indicate the best form of govern
ment, it plainly teaches obedience to
the government that exists. Any gov
eminent is better than anarchy, and
If all acted in obedience to Rome I'M
| der the corrupt Nero, surely we ought
to do so in this free republic.
Rev. DR.. Marble at the Baptist
church took his text Sunday evening
from Ecclesiasties XII: IA. his subject
being The Day of Adversely" DR..
Marble said that the considerations
growing out of the calamity which had
impressed him most are not those
which have to do with individuals or
policies, but with humanity. He spoke
of the recognition of God in the first
outbursts of sorrow from Vice Presi-
dent Roosevelt, the Mexican minister
and multiutdes of others. Such ex-
pressions are prayers for help not
formulated, but none the less direct
and Ineligible.
Rev. E. T. Mathison, the Episcopal
rector, took for his text, Keep thy
heart with all diligence, for out of it
are the issues of life" In ancient life
the heart was considered the seat of
thought The text admonishes to keep
ones thoughts true. The lesson for
us from the great calamity to our
President is to guard our thoughts
and still more our words and acts with
all diligence, for from careless word
comes oftimes momentous conse-
quences. Whatever words spoken I'M
der political excitement take from the
dignity of the candidate who is to
rule, or derogate from the profound
sense of respect in which we hold his
Office is guilty only in less degree than
the man who, influenced and encour-
aged, goes forth to kill. The lesson
for us as a people, in pulpit, at the
editorial desk, and indeed in every
walk in life, is to learn to keep the
heart with all diligence, for out of it
are the momentous things, the issues
of life.
Rev. N. A. Wood, pastor of the Bap-
fist church in West Brattleboro, in his
prayer, deplored the shooting of the
President, and petitioned God to re-
store him to health and to guide. as in
the past, his administration of the af-
fairs of the government.
At the Congregational church in
West Brattleboro Friday evening,
when it was supposed that the Presi.
dent was dead, the pastor, Rev. L. M.
Keneston, read the first chapter of
the book of Joshua, and followed it by
a pathetic view of some of the incl
dents of the shooting of Lincoln and
Garfield, and called upon the people to
pray for Mrs. Mckinley, Vice Presi-