The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-11-10
AHAB AND TIE VINEYARDs

| Columbia was very exaSperatlng-tha
bound to do as we say or you cannot dig
your canal" Such insolence was enough
to raise the ire of president, whose chief
characteristic is strenuosity. 1t seems to
have ''riled' his excellency and the ad-
ministration to such degree that they
hasten to endorse the once hated doctrine
of secession and to recognize the seeding
State before it knows it has set up on its
own hook. Indeed, so far as appearances
business and the strings are pulled i'll
America.
| Sundays Philadelphia Public Ledger
had the best editorial we have seen upon
the Panama incident. 1t is so good that
we give it in full as follows:
cit was no wonder that the King OF
Samaria was irritated by the conduct
of Naboth, owner of that vineyard
hard by the palace in Jezreel. 1t was
of the utmost Importance to the inter-
ests of civilization that control of it
should pass to Ahab. Naboth had held
it many years. What had he done to
improve it, to open it to the world, to
make it an instrument for the advance
ment of mankind? No one was so natur-
ally and deeply interested in that vine
yard as was the King of Samaria. It
was his conviction that the time had
come to carry out the gigantic project"
%Iax h. bod ohar hnl o,.1,r ~
"a project too great for individual or
corporate enterprise. 1t could only be
initiated and carried to a conclusion by
a government of great power and vast
resources
"Ahab had done all that generous King
could do. He had proposed to the Jez-
reelite a treaty with provisions of extra
ordinary liberality.' 1t was rejected unani-
mously and without consideration. Ahab
spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy
Vineyard, that / may have it for a gar
den Of herbs, because it is near to my
house; and 1 will give thee the
worth of it in money. And Naboth said
to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that 1
should give the inheritance of my fathers
unto thee. And Ahab came into his house
heavy and displeased, because of the word
w
to him: for he had said, l will not give
thee the inheritance of my fathers.
Fortunately, the cause of progress was
not so easily to be defeated. There were
shrewd counselors about Ahab. In what
followed the King himself took no hand
not he His attitude was correct. But
somehow an understanding was come to
with the elders and the mobiles OF Jezreel
No11 =
appears, had systematically neglected
their interests, and was very unworthy
person, anyhow-and carried him forth
out of the city and stoned him with stones
that he died.
"Then they sent word to the palace
that Naboth was stoned and dead, and
that the desired territory was In the
hands of men who realized how benefi-
cent were the intentions of the King.
Ahab, be it repeated, had maintained
studiously correct attitude up to this
point; technically he was justified, and
on large view he was acting IN &C
cordance with the interests ofehumanlty,
when he recognized the de facto state OF
affairs and prepared to respond to the
invitation Arise, take possession of the
vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreehte, which
he refused to give thee for money.
TT is true that Elijah, a prophet, had
some hard things to say about the trans
action, in the name of his God. The i'm
practical man was really harsh on the
subject; his language was most violent
and Objectionable; no newspaper today
could print it. And somehow the name
of Ahab has not come down the centuries
as synonym of honor. But he got the
vineyard"