Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-11-24
Calnnage
Sermon
by Rev.
Frank De Witt rslmnec. d. d.

Los hngeies' Sai., NOV 2O.--In reply
to the pessimists. the preacher in this
sermon turns the brighter side OF the
picture OF our national life and shows
us that we ought 10 be thankful that
we are living in times that have under.
gone vast Improvement since the good
old days. OF our gr1ndfathers. The
text is Psalm ~, g, There be many
that say, Who Will show us any good :"
The depreciators, the carpers. the
fault finders, the calamity howlers, the
pessimsts, who. Ike the blind fish of
Kentucky's Mammoth cave, cannot
see the light OF day, have an ancestral
record as old as the human race. They
belong especially to no one century or
generation. Their family connections
are not limited to the Caucasian race,
or to the Ethiopian, or to the Malay,
or to the red skinned American Indian.
or to the Mongolian or to the jaun.
diced faced Chlnaman. They are found
alike In the poor mans hut and the
rich mans palace, among the sailors
Ou SulpDOhiU dlil Nl4E tiilZenS OH luDu.
Like the Eskimos, they live among
the arctic icebergs. They thrive well
In the temperate zone They bask in
the boiling beat OF the tropics. They
are found among ali social classes Of
all nations Of all times.
Mythology placed representative OF
the class among the Greek gods on
Mount Olympus, His name was Mo-
mus, the god OF fault finding and
mockery. He took pleasure In finding
fault with men. He found fault with
the gods themselves. He criticised
Vulcan because after he had made
man he did not place # window in his
breast, so that mans thoughts could
be seen by the lossersby. He de-
nounced Minerva after she had built
house because she did not make the
house movable He found fault with
Neptune because H. did not place the
horns OF the beast lie had created
farther forward in his forehead, so
that lie could Aght better. He kept on
finding fault witt everybody and
everything until a. last the gods be-
came disguised and drove Menus out
OF heaven. because said they. heaven
can be no heaven v',h n chronic fault
finder around"
What the Grecian psychological gods
said In reference 10 heaven with a
Menus In II Is literally true. No soci-
ETY. on earth can be happy or content
ed with n chronio g~umbler around.
And yet. coming W To- the glorious cell
ebratlon OF our auiHmnal Thanksgiv-
Ing day Of 1901 W. ind our pessimistic
Momuses everyw GRO This Is the
time when we Gus to be making an
inventory OF all or blessings. instead
OF which these n ,iorn calamity howl
ers are making false collection of
misanthroplc statements. They arc
also making the pessimistic prophe
cies. Not on'y az they saying that the
world IS RoC 70 the dogs, hut they
Furthermore assert that II hae alrendy
gone TO the a17g why they say
1--WE have nothUg to be thankful for
this Thanksg giving day. "ris true there
IS more none the world, more than
Our social. civic and spiritual condi.
tons for the great mass of folks were
never at as low nbb ms they are today
who will SHOW us any good?" they cry
rs the calan'r. howlers OF my text
cried in Davi.5 time, thousands OF
years ago.
Modern Tim,s Versus Ancient.
Some OF thee modern fault finders
are trying t. make our times out to ~
much worse n were the ancient
times. will ok up their challenge
They ask, "Nrl will show us any
good" answer, II Will" And will
show that the church Of Jesus Christ
Is better today spiritually than the an
Client church. / VIII show that modern
governments ere better and the homes
are better and people in the mass are
higher toned r.orally and better. The
fact that loi If chronic croakers al
this Thanksgiving time are going
around finding 'ault with things does
not In the leaet prove that most peo
pie are poorly c.ad, poorly fed. poorly
housed and uUGer the merciless heels
of despotic tyrants. AS rule YOU
will find that { ose people who grum
bic the most have the least to grumblt
about
The Momus ~ political life declares
that there is nothing in our national
life to warrant thanksgiving. He says
Modern rulers md legislators are self.
ish oppressors hey do not govern by
Gods Golden Rule. but by force, The
code of civilized nations Is immoral
merciless and unjust. It connives al
tho crimes OF government and con
dones the theft Of a province. Strong
governments tn mpie upon the rights
of the weaker governments. Within
those governments one social class
places the yoke Of tyranny upon the
other social class. Within those gov
ernments laws are not equitable and
Just. We find that the poor man who
steals a loaf OF bread to avert starva'
ton is hustled Off to jail. as Jean Val
jean was sent 70 the galleys with q
twenty years sentence for stealing two
loaves Of bread to feed the gaunt and
haggard and starving children OF his
widowed sister. On the other hand. q
man like James Fisk, II he Is a big
enough scoundrel to steal a railroad
can defy justice. while millionaire
like Edward Stokes, who shoots 9
James Fisk, has no more to fear from
the galiows than leopard has who
.,or. . A>,c,~.s Ssvpp "No ..y th<