Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-04
Iowa Newspapers
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SHAW AND SCRIPTURE.
lSioux City Journal.)


(Sioux City Journal)
Secretary Shaw has given much
thought TO scripture, for he is a
Methodist. For many years he was
in Sunday school work at Denison,
and this work greatly assisted in pre-
pairing him for the task to which he
was brought in 1896. The money
question on its sound side was diff
cult of calculation, but Mr.. Shaw,
brought to it the simplicity of his
life and the simplicity of speech with
which he was wont to enlighten the
understandings of children. He was
called to the governorship of his state,
and at the conclusion of that service
he was called by President Roosevelt
to the second office in his cabinet.
He has been charged with ambition
to be president of the United States;
not an unworthy ambition, as Impair
tial critics must agree. But his prior
call is to the presidency of the Car
negie Trust Company, In New York.
with salary equally good, IL that is
to be considered in tracing the line
Of duty Leslie Mortimer Shaw, from
the day he left his fathers roof in
the Green Mountain state, has been
led by an unseen hand in way he
knew not. There are parallels in
bible story, as no one knows better
than he. Perhaps New York will be
to him as Pisgah; but when the grave
is made for him, If he be a prophet
1t will not be In the land OF Moab
and in place hidden from the knowl-
edge Of men. There is some pathos,
IL one cares to look for 1t. in what
may be called his letter to the tribe
of Iowa. There are those who see in
it only the hand of Shaw, and moth
ing of divine guidance. Iowa is joined
to idols, and the scoffer rises UP on
every hand But the claim Of Shaw
is that he has been led; and this is
the sweet faith OF all the brethren
of the conference. To assail Shaw on
this score is to assail the church;
and that such assault is made is cal
culated to fix attention on the long,
dark exclamation point standing
against the blind perversity OF the
generation.
The retiring secretary has his own
consolations, supported by the strength
of his faith and dignified in the rec
ord of the Great Example. No doubt
the secretary has pondered well and
long upon the sixth chapter of Mark
and the fourth chapter of John:
l"For Jesus himself testified that a
prophet hath no honor in his own
country" Galilee was not the same
as Samaria. Maybe Iowa is like unto
Galilee and New York as to Samaria.
When Jesus got over into his own
country lie undertook to teach in the
synagog. Many heard him and were
astonished. rs not this the carpenter,
the son of Mary ~ they said. And
are not his sisters here with us? And
they were offended with him. He was
thinking too well OF himself What
wisdom is this which is given unto him,
that even such mighty works are
wrought by his hands?" He was treat
ed as an upstart. But Jesus said unto
them A prophet is not without honor,
except in his own country, and among
his own kin, and in his own house"
In modern phrase it has been observed
that no man can be hero to his valet.
But over in Samaria, Behold, there
cometh one of the rulers of the syna-
cog, Jarius by name; and when he saw
Him, he fell at His feet" In the pres
ent instance, 1t is the Carnegie Trust
company.
There are many instances like this
In the history of all time. II a prophet
is to get his just deserts he must cut
himself loose from home and kindred.
They remember what he was as a boy.
They know all his small faults, and
they say, els not this the carpenter, the
son Of Mary?" He is a commonplace
mortal. and il he has brought with him
a reputation the wise ones and the jeal-
GUS ones are sure it has been secured
at the expense of proper Intelligence
They are sure he could have achieved
nothing like fame If it had been known
that in his youth he showed a plane for
his daily bread, or tramped the coun-
tryside offering nursery stock to give
flower to his ambition to get thru col
lege. He should be the same fellow,
they say; and they say he would have
patches on his trousers to this day if
he had not plowed with his wits to the
confusion of the unwary.
All the same, the risk is taken to
send congratulations to the Samari-
tans. The secretary Is worth the mon
ey in the business of a great trust that
has been promised him. He may or
he may not be president of the United
States. If he attains that office he will
have to be called, and the Jordan may
roll forever between him and it, The
risk is also assumed Of sending con-
gratulations to Shaw ,himself-Shaw of
Iowa; the struggling Cornellite, the
peddler the teacher, the Denison law
yer and banker-the man called of
Roosevelt. There must be something
to him that is not common to his old
neighbors and to the passing throng in