Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-04-28
MONT FREDERICK COUNTY, THURSDAY, APRIL 2S, 1904
encouragement to faraway nations lying in

encouragement to faraway nations lying in
darkness and distress.
When we come to speak of the new
American politics we invite the rdicule of
those who see in American politics at its
best only crude "shirt-sleeve diplomacy,
and at its worst contemplate system of
loot and graft. And the self-satisfied crit
les of our political life ignore their own in.
consistency in that they expect govern
ment which they take pains to tell us is
''only an experiment" to run with the
smoothness of an old governmental ma
chine. The man who is content to live in
a primitive cabin, subject to the limitations
of semi-barbaric life may have tranquil
ity and peace of a certain kind. but he
should be the last person to scotf at the
man who is battling against heavy odds
for better and more adequate accommoda-
tions. As a nation we are building the
better house. We nave found that it costs
labor and blood to secure the site for our
edifice, that our material, cut from the
forests of the Old World, is rough and un.
seasoned; that sometimes our workers fail
to enter unselfshv into the spirit of the
enterprise. We at times discover. too, that
we have not followed correctly the plan Of
the great architect, and then it becomes
necessary for lis to humble ourselves by
tearing down part of the structure. But,
after all, the building grows. and its pro-
portions already begin to challenge the ad.
miration of the world. The critic, as he
sits at the cabin door OF monarchy or aris-
tocracv. begins with vague alarm to con.
tast the cracked and crumhling walls and
the leaking thatch of his abode with the
rising mansion in the distance.
The nations social ideal makes ineXor.
able demands upon every citizen of the re-
pf
The matchless benefactions OF our men of
wealth. and the nations are asking why 1t
is that this unprecedented philanthropy. IS
so peculiarly American. 1t is due to the
imperative claims OF our social ideal. Pub
lie sentiment demands, and men of wealth
recognize the demand as just that private
wealth should be spent for the good OF the
nation and for the good of the race. The
educator feels the same pressure. lie hears
the voice of the people summonlng him to
a free search for truth. The true labor
leader recognizes the same stern call to ser
vice; so he becomes a mediator, an arb.
traitor between two great forces. The Old
story in the good Book tells us that
Babel mighty calamity befcll the race
that there the speech of mankind became
confused In this land of ours Babel Is re.
versed The nations are here assembled
to build The greater tower OF truth, ana
the confusion of the Babel tongues gives
place little by little to a new language, the
language of love, spoken by the toilng
millions, so ttat in sweeter, grandcr
sense than ever before it is to he true that
the whole earth shall be "of one language
and of one speech
ThaIcs of old. with so shadowv con-
ccption of God that we know not whether
to classify him as atheist or as thelst, yet
strangely conceived of deity as creating
the great world temple and so possessing
it as to reveal in its every part the pres
cncc of the Creator. The world OF our
time may seem strangely indifferent to
that presence of God which the seers ot
the race feel to he the most tremendous
fact of life But the world will not remain
forever content with mere things. he
time IS to come when the nations must feel
tho Divine Presence. When that time
come, the cry of the peoples will be,
"Whercw,th shall we come before, the
Lord?" God grant that in that solemn
day of the worlds supreme need it may he
granted unto us as the teacher OF the ma
tons to shout the great reply: "tle hath
showed YOU. O nations, what IS good ana
what doth the Lord require OF YOU but to
do Justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with your God