Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-04-21
KNEELING
AMONG
THE LILIES

|
lilies we count ourselves with the dem.
oeracy which Christ came to establish
among men. If we be sincere we must
utter at least brief prayer that the
men and women who toll and struggle
for existence may find fair recompense
for their efforts--and that the influence
Of this day may operate even in the
hearts of the trust magnates, who as.
sumo that because they monopolize the
wealth of the country they are the
trustees of God, divinely ordained to
administer that property according to
their own pleasure.
A great practical Importance at.
taches to this day and the reason for
and the manner Of its celebration. Ma.
ture has been bountiful, yet, because
of the greed of few powerful men,
the students of government are con.
fronted with the serious problem of de-
vising ways and means for the distri
button of that bounty, at least to the
extent that the many may live in com
fort even though the few flourish in
luxury.
1t has been written that, eff the
tender, profound and sympathizing love
praeticed and recommended by Jesus
were paramount in every heart, the
loftiest and most glorious idea of hu.
man society would be realized and lit.
tie be wanted to make this world a
kingdom of heaven.' 1t does not seem
possible for that profound love to be.
come paramount in every heart; yet
those who are willing to "live and let
live" will undertake to approach for
themselves, as nearly as possible, that
high aspiration; it will be no less
their duty to bring influence, through
just and wholesome laws of restraint
against men who recognize no other
law than their own in the accumula.
tion of property and in the contempla.
tion of the rights of others.
1t will be no easy task to preserve
Easter and similar days in a land
where the many sow while the few
reap; and those prelates who refrain
from crying out against the accumula
ton of wealth through unjust laws may
yet learn that it is difficult task to
preach of the risen Christ to hungry
men and women and to naked children |
There are men who hold no particular |
creed, but delight to revel in the elo-
lueace, the wisdom and the love of the |
Nazarene; there are men who, even
though outside of the church. under. |
lake in their own way with many
struggle and with an occasional tri
lmph, to follow Him who said, 81 am
he way, the truth and the life" Is
t not, then, the part of His more pre-.
entious champions to lend hand so
hat the justice for which Christ stood
'hall find reflection in the government
lnder which we live9
A Nebraska poet and one of the
weetest singers of all the poets of to.
lay, has written; "This Easter morn
ye stand mid lilies white while clear.
oned voices in the chancel sing the
Gloria in Excelsis,' peace to man.
And oft repeated downward floats to
IS the choral PRAYER in accents sweet
nd clear, 'Grant us Thy peace, oh
'hrist, grant us Thy peace. d" But
With all the songs and the prayers,
With all the ceremonies and the inspir.
ng efforts which this day recalls, with
Ill the love, with all the truth, with all
he example-with all the Christ
here is no peacel In this land we see
m the one hand powerful men accumu.
ating, through unjust laws and favor.
tism at the hands of government IS
representatives., millions upon millions
t wealth, while in spite of our boast
d prosperity the problem among the
masses Of obtaining fair recompense
or toll is becoming more and more diff.
ieult of solution.
Justice, the attribute of divine ma.
ure, must be more closely associated
With power, SO that ''whatever is JUS
ice may be power, and whatever is
bower may be justince." Some one
has said that justice is "the great and
imple principle which is the secret OF
success in all government, as essential
% the training of an infant, as to the /
control of mighty nation" And so
when il is apparent that those who toll
are being more and more denied the
Justice to which they are entitled, il
is fitting that on this Easter day OF
1906 men and women who bend the
knee in the presence of the risen Christ
shan nni fnr9af tha thf,... -. -