The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-31
LIKENS ANCIENT HYPOCRISY
TO MODERN STATE EVILS.
Court of Herod to Present Condi.
tfOns i'm the Political World.

The Reverend Milton ]. Norton preached
last night in the Emmanuel Congregational
Church on 1.-THE Leaven of Herod." His
text was Mark viii. 10: Beware of the
leaven of Pharisees and of the leayen of
Herod." He said. in part:
THE Pharisees were the religionists. the
Herodians the politicians of their day. But
Jesus in our text was not telling his dis
clples to avoid politics any more than he
was telling them to avoid religion.
we know 1t was the kind of religion the
Phaiisees practiced which he was speaking
against. For "a pretense they made long
prayers. So also 1t was in politics, but the
Herodians' kind Of politics he referred to
When he said, Beware of the leaven of
Horod. Jesus once definitely refers to
Herod as that fox From this, and from
his career 1t Is evident tina. he was very
much like a certain prominent politician Of
tn!S city, OF whom an aCQuaintance said:
he is absolutely devoid of conscience
Naturally, the men who gathered about
him as his followers were Of like nature.
, SO we are not surprised to find them en-
deavoring to ensnare Jesus in his talk. And
the Scripture says, He, knowing their
hyposcrisy, said unto them, 'Why tempt We
me- me-;
There is an hypocrisy of the church and
there is an hypocrisy of the court and the
pupllc needs to be equally wary of both.
Let US now consider the modern Hero
dams and their hypocrisy.
THAT that Inscriptions and foxlike cum
ming which passed for statecraft with Herod
I'D Md not pass away with the passing Of
| juries.
In one report the jurors say: The tes-
timony We have heard has shown a state
of affairs most amazing. - We have lis
tened to the confessions of State Senators,
and were we at liberty to make known ali
1 t0eY have told the recital mn
and astound the citizens OF the State.
monopoly. upon Herodianisn. Like, priest,
l like people. 1t would be a serious charge
against s,,, our people to- say. like politicians.
Yet does not the philosophy which pre-
walls In political circles of this State and
hls city gen net e to and eayen business
ness houses are complaining'-I quote q
gentleman closely allied win the mercan-
tile life Of st. Louis-''that this Is too clean
city to do business In now; that in conse-
qusnce of the investigations they cannot
maks ANYTHING on city business.
Think Of the debauched condition of the
consclences OF business men when they can
bemoan the cleaning out of these Augean
stables. because they will lose some of the
prGhn.s II from nth the eorruPtion They would
ipal life continued than to have 1t brought
to light and stopped, because, forsooth, they
VIII ese busnl by Il the he cleaning up!
II
dition of the public conscience in this city
Is made when It is remarked that If Cir
cult Attorney Folk is nominated for Gov.
ernor the country districts will have to do
1t. One man with gubernatorial bee in
his bonnet says he Is mot candidate this
year because he does not care to run IN
against cyclone - :,
Where does he discover the signs of this
cyclone OF neral approval Of our champion
pion. has been cleaning? No, IN the BACK back
woods sections. The city,. as one puts III.
has still to depend upon the sun-kissed
fields and the wind-swept hills for bread
and men, - :. ~
'.That the leaven Of conscienceless and
unscrupuious cunning Is affecting all phases
OF life Is evident. -,
What Is the remedy?
First, warning. Beware said Jesus. of
the ieaven Of Herod! Neither man nor
angel can discern hypocrisy. the only evil
the Savior said, There 10 nothing covered
that shall not be revealed and certainly
We have seen the uncovering here going OF,
ad nauseam - - - ~.
.Then there Is need of strong. pos,tiye
teaching. This. too. was Christ.s method.
He met the interruptions greed and schem.
Ing of that day with this word: Seek frst
the kingdom OF God and his righteous
"A change in order to be permanent.
says a recent editorial in The Republic.
I must be based on conscience. actinr
through clearly conceived principle Crorn.
wells Old Ironsides,' whose enemies never
/ saw their backs, had the fear Of God IN
their hearts and made some conbcience ~
what they did! 7 had rather be = winnie
President Tor three years. said Mr.. Roooo.