Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1907-05-16
p. G. COLLINS, Cashier.

The man who sells his neighbor
poison, be that poison arsenic or
whisky, is accessory before the fact
to a suicide. The employment of
children in factory and mining work
before their time is almost murder
in the first degree.
My friends, anything that tends to
destroy CT prematurely to curtail
human life is means to murder,
and the men who set into motion the
forces of unrighteousness that deal
and hasten death are criminals in
the sight of God, though the law may
never touch them. Far be it from
me to say that many of the men who
commit these indirect murders have
any real intention to cause misery
or to commit crime. But the truth
is that they are none the less cul-
pable. The one thing that is needed
is clear-cut vision of the meaning
OF the commandment which frames
our text. The need is for sharp and
unmistakeable definition of what it
is to kill. The eyes of men must be
opened to their personal responsible
ity for the outcome of their acts A
new realization Of the fullness of the
command Of Christ must infill every
human heart. Moral laziness must
give the way to moral clarity of Wis
ion. Spiritual Indifference must yield
the road to spiritual insight. The
Christ must come into all mems
| hearts, not in small measure, but
| with a fullness that shall leave no
! room for unrighteousness. We must
| train our minds to thOughtfulness
fOr ~, ~ toto off of
self. The money in our purses ought
it any tinge of blood. The health
and happiness of the man who tolls,
and bends weary back that we may
live in luxury, must be our care. The
! amelioration and betterment of the
life of all the world should be our
constant aim. AS Christian individ-
uals we should guard the life OF
| every human soul.
AS the right of the Individual to
slay his brother is denied by the
commandment, so also implicitly the
right of society to take human life
is questioned. The murderer is an
enemy to society, and for the best
welfare Of the many it is wisest to
keep him under guard. But the prin-
ciple of the lex talionis, the life ex-
acted for the life destroyed, is un-
Christian, and in the light of the
teachings of Jesus is unwarranted.
The State lowers itself and commits
zeal sin when it wreaks the penalty
of death upon the modern Cain. Ven
geance is the business of the Lord.
if indeed there be any such thing
The State has nothing to gain by the
sending of any soul to his last rest
The criminal has the right to death
not of the States making. The prin-
ciple of capital punishment is as vic
ious at bottom as is private murder
by the Individual, and is unwhole-
some in that it disregards the very
law of inalienable right to life thai
it essays to protect. s'Thou shalt not
KILL says the State, ''for if you do
and we can prove the case against
you, we will slay YOU" The incon'
} sistency of the situation should ap.
peal to everyone, but queerly enough
the very disciples Of that Christ who
said, Father, forgive" are among
J the loudest clamorers for the life o1
} the murderer.
But the greatest example of the
violation of this commandment is te
} be found in the actions of the Chris
| Cidn ndC1OuS Ol LO-udy. uSOI SCICdAAy
| Christian, we are, as segregated peo
pies, largely pagan. Praising Goo
as individuals and despising, most O
us, in our private lives un-Christia1
conduct and un-Christlike acts, W.
stand ready as members of grea
social body to sustain and to serv'
measures that are wholly corrupt ant
corrupting. Processing love TO
peacefulness and for the Prince o
II Peace, we pay without grumble .ou
military tithes Indeed, we may ofte1
see the spectacle of two mighty peo
! pies, each paying homage to the sam
! God, clutching each at the other,
) throat, the meanwhile each is ask1n
l God to give the enemy defeat. Al
too often we may see the armies an
5 the navies of a wealthy Christian
} nation full of power, menacing
$ weaker sister to collect money debt
t The nations of this day descend t
4 the decision by fisticuffs which al
S worthy men deny to be manly, or
g be of value to decide an issue.
!. The situation would be ludicrou
: were it not so lamentable.
e Christian men and Christian na
d tions have no communion with dis
!, loyalty to the Father. The individ
:, ual, the church, the peoples have n
|. call to kill. God gave us brains wit
: which to settle our difficulties l
), sober thoughtfulness. He gave U
!. our hands to help ourselves. not