The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-03-21
Light On the Race Problem.

practical way, grows out of the fact
that we have so many men and women
who are profoundly ignorant of the
whole subject. These people are vain,
self willed, self-con ceited, as ambitious
to fill large space in the public eye as
cock robin, and rush to the front as
writer's and speakers to tell us all about
it, when, in fact, they know nothing OF
value OH the subject. How can man
explain anything he does not know? 1t
is like the fool who attempted to-
squeeze blood out of a turnip. Our
race problem is like Tennyson's Brook,
it will go on forever az long AS the
white and black people occupy the
same territory. And the man or woman
who has not gone deep enough into the
subject to SEE this is blind and can not
look beyond his nose. He is merely
Juggling with words to mislead and
deceive others for his own profit. Sol
ONION described this whole class of
people three thousand years ago by
asking one short question, "Seest thou
man wise in his own conceit? There
is more hope of a fool than of him."
But unless you belong to that little
class Of honest and simple minded men
who seek the truth for its own sake,
and who always speak the truth from
an honest heart because they love truth
above all things else, you will not care
much how or by whom the race prob
lem was forced on the country in its
present form. Not forgetting the duties
you owe to God and man YOU will con-
stantly strive to keep the peace between
the two races until the Judge of all the
earth in His great Plan of the Ages
shall say it is enough. To perpetuate
in power corrupt political party the
people of the United States have DELHI
erately chosen the road that leads
through anarchy and military despot-
ism down to national death. Let them
follow their own chosen road until the
great clock of time strikes the hour Of
their judgment. Let all the world see
their madness and folly, and let IA wiser,
purer and better people rise up to fill
their place.
Let us draw one illustration from
history to show the far-reaching and
destructive effect of race hatred. About
three thousand years ago on the death
of David his son Solomon mounted the
throne and his vanity pulled him up to
such an extent he decided to make Pal
estine the greatest power in all the
world. But the Mormon devil entered
into him and he erected a seraglio and
proceeded to put 700 wives in it. We all
know what vast sum of money il
would require to satisfy all these wo-
men, and Solomon taxed the people
down to the starvation point to get the
money. So at his death, when the
people met at Shechem to crown his
son Rehoboam in his stead, they de-
manded that the tariff should be revis-
ed and reduced. He told them to come
back in three days and he would give
them an answer. On their return he
said, "My father scourged you with
whips, but will scourge you with
scorpions, and my little finger shall be
thicker than my fathers loins!" To
this brutal defiance JeroboRm, the son
of Nebat, answered for the people, ste
your tents, 0 Israel, and they mar CHI
ed away to Samaria and organized an
independent nation. From that day
forward both nations cherished dead
ly race problem. But follow them on
for thousand years further and see
the "Man Of Sorrows" acquainted
with grief as he staggers through the
dust and heat to a seat on the curb OF
Jacobs well. While waiting for his
travelling companions to return from
Sychar with noon-day lunch q woman
comes up with water pot and the Di.
vine Teacher asks her for drink. See
the Samaritan fire as it flashes from
her eyes and the scornful curl of her
lips as she answers Him who spoke as
man never spake: " How is it that you
being Jew ask me who am a woman
of Samaria for drink ?" All, there il
is, race promblem thousand years
old. But go on year or so further
and see Caiaphas in his long robe
standing before PLATE having trained
mob of anarchists at his heels. Though
a heather idolater, Pilot said three
times, I find no fault in this man,
will scourge him and let him go. No,
said Caiaphas, and his gang of bowling
murderers, not him, but Barabbas. We
know BaraDbas; he was a robber and
committed murder in the streets of Je-
rHsalem. He is the man we want,
''birds of feather will flock together. "
But go on few years further and
turn your eyes in the direction of Cali
lee. Do you see that immense cloud
of dust that rises up and darkens the
sky? see the nodding plumes and
glittering helmets of the Roman co,
horts as they follow Vespasian and
Titus up to Jerusalem in obedience to
Gods great plan of the ages to solve
the long standing race problem between
the Jews and Samaritans? Did they
do itP Yes, and when Titus had com
pleted the work of demolition, not leav-
ing one stone of the temple on another.