The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-06-08


TO eat out there. They are .corn-fed"
people and are an everlasting proof
Of the quality Of their food.
UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE
DECALOGUE.
am surprised. however, that Sena-
tor Dolliyer, being the son Of a Metho-
dist clergyman, and having been
brought up in the fear and admonition
of the Lord, did not correct Senator
McLaurin of Mississippi the other day
when the latter offered what he called
the tenth commandment" as an
amendment TO the rate bill. There are
eight or nine ministers sons in the
Senate. A large majority Of the MEM
bers of that body We're taught the
Bible at home and in Sunday school
during their youth Senator Hale and
several others were Sunday school
teachers, and yet when the senator
from Missippi offered the following
amnedment
Remember the Sabbath day TO keep
it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and
do all thy work. and said it was The
tenth commandment, everybody &C
cepted this statement as correct Mr..
Rayner suggested that the tenth COM
| mandment applies only to per-
sons; that it did not apply TO corpora
| tons; but Mr. McLaurin explained
! that no corporation can run its
| trains on the Sabbath day without the
services of its son, or its daughter, or
its manserya1t, or sas maidservant. -
| its cattle, and hence the amendment
! was germane to the bill.
Senator Clark of Wyoming woke up
during the debate and inquired whether
| Senator McLaurin's proposition was
directed at the rate bill, "or does the
senator propose it as an amendment
! to the tenth commandment
Mr.. McLaurin rebuked him by saying
that he ought TO know better than to
ask such a question.
The reason | ask is because a part
of the commandments is being read
on the democratic side of this cham
ber," said Mr.. Clark.
IF that side of the chamber is to
get any of the benefits of the scripture
at all it must be read from this side. ,
retorted Mr.. McLaurin, and then he
went on to explain that he wanted a
law to compel everybody who worked
a
day. THAT is what the Almighty
through Moses commanded" he said.
land | will give Moses a fair chance
in this"
But the Senate rejected the tenth
commandment instantly, without a
call of the roll. Senator McLaurin was
the only man on either side who
voted for it.
There are five times more Bibles
sold in the trade every year than copies
of any other book. When a popular
novel runs up into an edition of 100, ,000
or 10000 copies it is considered a tre-
mendous success, but nearly hall a
million copies of the Bible are sold
every year If you will inquire at any
of the department stores the clerks
in charge of the book counters VIII
tell you that the Bible is the best SELL
er they have And you hear funny
mistakes about scriptural history made
in Congress and elsewhere very often,
and the numbers of the command
ments and that sort of thing.
Some several years ago Senator Ed
munds moved that the Senate adjourn
over Ash Wednesday. There were scv-
eral dissenting voices, whereupOn Mr..
voorhees, of Indiana rose with great
dignity and in yer impressive
way reminded his colleagues that 1t
was their duty to suspend business on
the anniversary of the cruciixion of our
Lord" Nobody corrected him, and nalf
the senators did not notice the mis-
| take.
One evening last winter in the smok-
ing room of the residence of one OF the
most prominent members of the Senate
the conversation ran incidentally upon
! religious matters, and in SINE way
dispute arose as to the name Of one
of the apostles. 1t was then discover
ted that not one person present could
give the names of the twelve apostles
The party consisted of two cabinet Of
ficers, three senator's, one judge Of the
Supreme Court, who, by the way, IS
an elder of the Presbyterian Church,
and several other persons of like posi-
tiOn.
Speaking Of the rate bill, nobody
here has any expectation that the Sc
lection prohibiting railroad passes vii
remain in that measure. 1t is almoS'
certain to be stricken out in the con-
ference.