The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-07-01
MEN 0F QUNKEHED CONSCIENCE NEEDED Interesting Sermon by Rev. MT. Lent of First Bap-
 tist Church. RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE Few Men Are Broadminded Enough to Stand so1idly
 on Right.
RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE

Notwithstanding the threatening weather yesterday large audience met at the First Baptist church and listened attentively to the sermon by pr. Frederick Lent, the able pastor, on the topic, "The value of a good man to his country" II. Kings, ii, F. My father, my father! The chariots of Is- rael and the horsemen thereof"
 He said: Elijah has been canonized and his festival falls on the 2Oth of July. We study his life to-day, how ever, because, remembering the heroes of our nation in the nearness of the an- niyersary celebration of the declaration of independence, we find in this prophet-statesman type of the men needed to uphold our liberties. He did his work, not by miracle and super natural means, but by force of stalwart moral character. Now, his time Is come to leave his land. He seeks that mysterious east Jordan region, the sepulchre of Moses. As Elisha and his master proceed, talking as they go, the fiery chariot and flaming steeds swing low, the whrlwind lifts the prophet in and Elisha, beholding, is left alone Tn his cry is finely expressed his feel ing for the man who was to him a father, and to Israel, as chariots and horsemen
 It is the estimate of the value of good man to his country Elijah's mor- al power, and hence his value to Is- rsel, lay in the simplicity of his faith. He feared God, but knew no other fear He was the personihed con science of Israel" Nurtured by soli- tude, he saw with clear moral vision and his life became a protest against the moral color-blindness of the exist ing civilization The danger of the time lay in the alliance of Israel by marriage and treaty with heather peo- pie, for that involved the syncretism of Baal-worshlp and the religion of Je- hovah. Elijah saw, as others did not, I,that between Baalism with it's cruel sensual, debasing tendencies, and the righteousness of Jehovah, there could be no friendship. It was confoundlng day with night, and black with white His value to Israel lay in his sharp, unerring sense of right and wrong, which made It forever afterward hn- possible to raise the question as to whether Baallsm should be the nation al religion.
 Here is our need--men of quickened conscience who can make no bargain with falsehood. Men who in conner cial life will not trade honor for gold, and in political life will not barter peoples rights. There are 80 few men who are broad minded enough to stand solidly on right. Men whosin states man like spirit will sink local and per- sonal interests In the common good.
 Here is a paragraph in the Charles ton News and Courier reprinted in the | Journal and Courier of June 24, 1907
 "The New Haven Journal and Courier is distressed about the political situa- ton in the state of Connecticut, It shudders to think what the historian of the future will make out of his study of the legislative journals of the pres cnt year. Connecticut seems to be un- der the domination of an utterly ire sponsible majority "do-nothing" leg 1 islature which has devoted most of it's time to the antagonism of attempted Improvements in the government of the commonwealth, but history repeats it. self, we are told, and the character of the Connecticut of this day appears to have not changed greatly since the time of Gouveneur Morris, who pro- vided in his will, written in 1760, 140 years ago, as follows:
 Tt is my desire that my son, Gouve- neur Morris, be given the best educa-
 tion that Is to be had in England or l America: but my express will and di-
 rections are, that he be never sent to the colony of Connecticut lest he should l imblbe in his youth that low craft and | cunning so incident to the people of
 that country which is so interwoven l in their constitution that all their art
 cannot disguise it from the world,
 though many of them under the sanc-
 tihed garb of religion have endeavored
 to impose themselves on the world for
 honest men, The future writer of the
 history of Connecticut with this chart clearly in his mind will not be greatly surprised at such excesses of stupidity and disloyalty to the best interests of
 the commonwealth that he may dis- cover in the records of the present | time.
 If this is true, we need the Same old
 Connecticut" changed by men who will so shape public opinion that 1t will be no longer possible for liquor and cor poration interests to trample on right and decency. Back of all effective le- gislation is the public. The good men