The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1901-10-30
POLITICAL AWAKENING
is STRONGLY URGED.
EPISCOPAL BISHOP MAKES APPEAL IN
PASTORAL LETTER.
Dancer of Political Indifference and Law
lessness. Sunday Sports. NOta-
bIy Golf. Condemned

The pastoral letter Of the bishops of
the Protestant Episcopal church, issued
at the close Of the triennial convention
Just held at San Francisco. touches at
length upon social and political condi-
tions and says ia part:
Perhaps we may describe the chief
hindrance in the way of the kingdoms
advancement in cur time, as indeed it
has been in every period of the church's
history, as the zeitgeist, the spirit of
the age, the very atmosphere in which
we must have our life.
Because that spirit changes, because
that EMBEDDING atmosphere is different
now from any that before did encom-
pass Christian warriors, therefore it is
that the new dangers are apparent and
new methods of warfare must be EN-
plOyed.
But we must bid you note and strive
against the last and most evil result of
our age tendency in the reckless spirit
of individual license, the caricature and
contradiction of that ideal of personal
liberty which the church has created
and perpetuated among men.
The man who derides the revealed
foundation Of all ethical obligation is
the easy victim Of the devils deluson
that self interest is the sole motive OF
human action and self advancement
the only test of moral conduct.
And. finally. the defiant denial of the
God who ordaineth finds elimination
in the assertion that there shall be no
longer powers of human government
to whom in superstitious faith obedi-
ence has been rendered, and anarchy is
here as the legitimate offspring of I'M
belief
The crime at Buffalo a month ago.
by which the head Of our nation was
taken away, was but the natural fruit
of this tree of God defying denial. The
great and good president was slain by
the spirit of our age.
The citizen who first selfshly refuses
his civic duty and then in natural
descent along the easy path becomes
the giver of brides and the corrupter
Of his fellows is himself degraded more
and more in the process, and the bot
tom is found when civic rights and
civic righteousness are alike forgotten,
when duty to his neighbor demands
performance when protection to weak
ness. the equality of free men, the con-
servatOn of honesty, are no longer the
ends of government, but only the Sc
curing of peculiar privileges for class,
the comfortable enjoyment of protect
ed license, when duty to man is forgot
ten because duty to God is denied.
one other matter your bishops feel
called upon TO mention in this connec-
ton. and that is the growing disregard
Of the Sanctity of the Lords day.
That such disregard is increasing
among confessed disciples of the Lord
cannot be denied.
The luxurious Sunday evening ban
quet Of the rich and the pleasure low
ing is a dishonor to the risen Lord in
whose honor the church has set the
day apart and the appropriation OF It's
sacred hours for the accomplishment
of a long journey by the busy traveller
because the weeks hours are all too
few for his many engagements is
robbery of God. who from Sinai de-
manded conservation of our time to
his remembrance and worship and
placed the law OF the Sabbath in the
midst of the moral commandments of
perpetual obligation.
Far less worthy Of condemnation in
the eyes of the All Wise and All Mer-
cifuI. we can but believe, is the Sun
day outing of the perhaps overworked
artisan who from Monday morning
till Saturday night never sees his chill
dren save when they are asleep, and
yet we are persuaded that he may be
taught that fuller happiness shall be
his if he shall have led his children to
Gods house and worship before he
carries them to green fields and romp-
ing holiday.
But it is a shame, and only shame
because no excuse can be found for it
in the condition of our life, that golf
grounds shall be crowded on Sunday
afternoons; that servants shall be de-
MED their due and we'll earned rest
day: that the beasts in our stables
shall know no Sabbath because the
athletes, men and women, must be
driven in cushioned comfort to the
scene of their Sunday sports and. re-
turning, have their wearied frames
refreshed and Toasted.
Dizziness, loss of appetite. flatulency
ard nausea are ali connected with dys-