Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-02-24
l|57G1ze 4 POPULAR
K@sy 81 [?JyJ1[PD17

have lifted him above the general gen.
| der than there is in the moral aberra-
| ton of some lower instance Of human
depravity,
The converse of the proposition is,
perhaps, true An example of Christ
likeness is more emphasized when II
springs. like the lily. from the oo..e.
This is, by the way, where these ex-
amples generally do come from. The
humble minded, hard working. jealous
Christians usually come from the lower
and middle strata And the more cred
1t they, for 1t is harder to be Chris
tan in straitened circumstances, in
poverty and privation. than it is when
everything is smiling and pleasant.
All this is a prelude to brief
thought as to the probable cruelties of
the war in the far east. We wonder
what the Japanese will do. what the
Russians will do But what did we do
ourselves in the far east? We are
shocked that any persons reared in our
free ironment-sometimes too free
under the influence Of our institu-
tons, should be guilty, under whatso-
ever provocation, of torture.
What is the difference between Civ
ing q man the water cure" in the
Philippines and burning another man
at the stake in the United States? They
are both a part of he practice of the
ancient Spanish inquisition. Yet burn
ings at the stake in this country are so
common as not seriously to disturb our
equilibrium. There have been literally
hn-dreds of them since they grew fire.
0uent enough to attract the attention
OF the statisticia3s-less than one-tfth
of them for 1.-The crime against the
hearthstone," tool l am not defending
the criminal With every man | clam
or for the protection of womankind
and humanity, properly. too, and urge
the swift and salutary administration
of the law and the passage of adequate
law to fit the crime. But there the fell
practice stands; we burn at Tie stake;
we administer the water cure" A
preacher advocates lynching; his breth-
rem mildly censure him, in effect &C
quit him of wrongdoing! What more
or worse can Japan or Russia do?
shall go a step higher. These
things. infinitely worse in degree, are
, the outgrowth of the spirit shown by
those who stand before a trap and
shoot live birds for fun-the spirit of
cruelty, of disregard of life.
The utter absence of heart involved
in such performance, which in ghast-
" mockery is called sport. is evidence
of a brutality which only needs en-
couragement and the absence of re-
: straint to bring about other things.
: This shocks you. especially if you are
: guilty, but the final analysis of an APP
parently small action usually shocks
, us.
: | am not saying that the man who
: shoots live birds from a trap would
, burn another mn or give him the IVA
2 ter cure" No But do say that the
t willingness Aof men of high station,
nominalIy Christians. TO shoot live
q birds for run. and, what is more seri-
4 Gus, since it implies corruption at the
4 head and fount of the race, for women
e who pose as leaders of society to do so,
f as we are assured by uncontradicted
1 reports in the public press certain peo-
Y pie of fashion did in a Southern winter
/ resort within the last few months,
!, makes all things possible TO those less
0 blessed with advantages. l firmly de-
y clare that the spirit in a woman's
, breast which permits her to slaughter
$ a bird for ".un'' is the same which,
A when carried to its legitimate develop
e ment. burns and slaughters men here
Il and at the other end of the world.
The whole thing is disregard OF
Y law Not merely the law of the land
a which is copy. more or less imperfect
@ in accordance with human limitations
|. of the divine law, but disregard OF
e one of the greatest of the laws of God
q that law of life which is more com
e prehensive even than the precept
:. which says. Thou shalt not kill" for
f it is the law, uGwritten. but felt, which
v conserves the most precious gift of God
that mysterious thing we call life.
/ There may be justification for that
r form of murder which we call war
: sometimes think not-and it has beer
/ 40 ordered that we cannot live with
). out preying upon life in some way, but
!. for wanton. useless slaughter of any
d kind for so-called pleasure there car
= he no possible justification. Domitian
f the Roman emperor. impaling flies
l. upon a needle is as cruel as Nero, and
|, infinitely meaner.
:, Let us see before we condemn the
e warriors in the east and the fnobs In
e the United States how we are contrib
r. uting to this widespread disregard OF
:, the law of life, even for the meanest
t of Gods creatures. which brings about
e these terrible consequences.
l. Short Meter Sermons.
$ Talents never wear out
s Nothing can be saved by selfishness
n Creeds are but the clothes of RE
u Egion.
r The truth we live lifts to higher
= truth.
u The fear of God makes no maj
= afraid.
|. The faultless man is usually friend
q less.
IS The faith is dead that knows Ne
> change.
l. Truth has many robes, but only on
e face.