Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-05-12

us, ! put my HhEtT upon your ups
MI say: "Stop. brother. Stop. sister!
silence. Judge not that ye be not
judged Let Gods lghtnings flash rs
they will. but leave TO him the right Of
Judgment. Let us first see that our
own city is cleanscd OF sin and not
talk 50 much about other cities sins"
Wouldst thou try to pluck the mote
ont of thy brothers eye and perceive
not the beam which Is sticking forth
put of thine own eyer
Can we explain why certain people
In San Francisco have 10 suffer as they
doI Here we can see the flames. like
demons. leaping from business block to
business block. Millions upon millions
of dollars worth of property have been
destroyed Now the flames are head
ing toward the churches and the resi-
dental districts. The dynamite Is ex-
ploded. The guns are trained up the
walls. As the cowboy upon western
prairie fights lire with fire, SO here the
brave men are fighting demolition with
demolition. Still onward and onward
move the flames. Then Paul Reveres
ride everywhere, crying: Run for
your lives. Run. Run. Run" oh"
but some man says. Il cannot run. l
have an aged and sick mother here.
must take her along" Who Is she? IL
she Christian: Yes" answers the
man. For years and years she has
been an ardent follower of Jesus
Christ" Together we help her along.
After awhile she completely gives out.
Water! Water she cries. Give
me watcr.' There is no water. A
dcathly pallor overspreads her features.
We get her out upon the hlllsldes. but
no sooner Is she laid down upon the
ground than she brcathes her last.
Why Is all thisi Why Why did st.
Mury's hospital go. ana st. Patrick's
church and the First VI hodist church
20. and scores OF institu ms of mercy
all 20 up in flames: VII. re so many
men who have always tr~i TO follow
Jesus and have always given TO God
their money now left pennilessi Why
does God here seem 10 strike the just
and the unjust unlike? ] cannot say.
do not know. | can give no rational
reason any more than | can tell you
why God came into your home and
took your young wife from your side
and left you with three motherless lit
tie children TO rear. Why" Is a poor
word to ask ut this time. Ali that we
can do Is TO say: God Is good. All
things are working together for good
TO them that love God" Therefore II
IS only the glorious word OF faith"
which will bridge over us this awful
chasm of despair. Faith. faith. faith.
Let US have faith In good God and
leave the explanations TO him for the
light of heaven. Earth can never ex-
plain this tragedy.
The whole World Kin.
But there is still another lesson. This
tragedy. as no other tragedy during the
past century. has proved how much
the American people are akin ana how
much they are willing TO help each
other. God hath made Of one blood
all nations to dwell upon the face Of
the earth" But. though we may all be
of one blood. yet no power on earth
will make us call ench other brother
so appropriately as when the heavy
hand of trouble Is laid upon brothers
heart
know many people may not agree
with me. They affirm that this Is a
mean and contemplate world and that
human heart is not In sympathy with
human heart, but the actions OF the
American people toward suffering san
Francisco give that statement the lie.
No sooner did Los Angeles and the
! other cities hear what had happened
to their sister, san Francisco. than the
money began 10 flow in streams. Doc
tors and nurses volunteered their serv-
Ices for help. Schools were closed to
send the children home for clothing and
food to be expressed TO San Francisco
ut once Churches We're turned into re-
ceivirg stations for goods. The rail-
roads said. We will carry the refugees
free" The express companies snid. I'VE
will carry the breadstuffs free" The
great dry goods stores said. You can
come and buy your goods ut cost
price" And what Los Angeles was do
Ing Boston and New York and Phila-
delphia and pittsburg and Milwaukee
and Denver aud New Orleans and all
the other American cities are doing.
Another Lesson.
But | learn from the awful catastro-
phc another lesson. II Is this: Men
aud women seem To be blind TO the
ever present signs OF danger. Because
the tragedies of the past. like the light
nings. have struck right and left and
hit everywhere. except at their own
lives. they seem 10 feel that they them
selves are impervlous to dangers aud
will never Ice smitten down. They
think. because they live In San Fran
cisco. an earthquake will never jolt
them into ruins. as Pompeii and Her
culaneam were destroyed. They think,
because they live on Long Island. they
can never lie submerged as was Gal
weston. They think, because they live
In 81. Louis. cyclone can never de-
stroy them. as Louisville, Ky. and
Gainesville. Ga. were destroyed. oh.
YES. they can think OF earthquakes and