The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-21
CBy william T. Ellis.)

(By William T. Ellis.)
The notion that sin is not sin in a
great man is one Of the most dangerous
faIlacies of the times. OF late it has
received many severe jolts, and voices
are everywhere being raised for the pun
ishment of the richest and most power
full lawbreakers.> 1t has recently come
out that two noted prisoners of thu
American government have been only
nominally such; they have lived in COM
Portable apartments, instead of In COM
mon cells; they have been permitted to
go driving daily. to attend baseball
games. and to have free intercourse
with their friends. A notorious murder
er in a New York jail is permitted to
purchase many special privileges by his
wealth
This is scandaIous, ana rank injustice.
OF course Yet this sort of thing, which
Is now coming to the light as never be-
fore, marks all lands and all ages Inc
rich and the powerful have not oeen
held rigdly to account as have the poor
and the weak. Mans law is inequitaole;
human justice is not blind. A Well
known English weekly has long main
tanned a column OF parallel citations or
the INEQUALITIES of current adminigtra-
ton of the law. All these fragrant vio-
lations OF the spirit of justice are pelnS
resented today at never before, because
of the worlds quicxened conscience and
keener sense Of right.
A Law-GiverSs Ofense.
At this particular moment 1t is whole
some and opportune that such a large
percentage Of English-speaking people,
especially of those of teachable years,
should be called to consider Sunday
school lesson dealing with the sin of
the greatest figure in the worlds his
tory prior to the beginning OF the CHRIS
tian era, and admittedly one of the
greatest characters of all time. Noses
was the deliVerer of Israel from Egypt.
He was the leader who brought IL up to
the borders of it's promised land. HIS
he CharaHt6r.
Upon the laws which he formulated
most of the civil codes of Christendom
are today based. In sheer greatness
Moses towers Mt. Everest
But he had slnned; and in punish
ment he was kept out of the promised
land The complaining of the Chill
dren of Israel had angered him, so
that he smote the rock at Meribah
twice. in heat and with scornful
speech when hidden by Jehovah to
draw water for the thirsty. AS the
one hundred and third psalm has it.
They angered him also at the waters OF
So that it went Ill with Moses for their
Because they were rebellious against
And he spake unadvisedly with his lips"
The great commentator, Alexander
Maelaren. touching upon the ex-
clusion of Moses from Canaan for an
exhibition of hasty temper, we'll OBJ
serves: People say. "A heavy penalty
for a small offense.' Yes; but an Of
Tense of Moses could not be a small
offense. Noblesse oblige! The high
er a man rises in communion with
God and the more glorious the mes
sage and Office which are put into his
hands the more intolerable in him is
the slightest detection from the
lofuest level A splash of mud. that
clothes. stains the white satin of a
bride or the embroidered garment of
a noble. And so a little sin done by a
loftily endowed and inspired man
ceases to be small"
Trouble From the Tongue.
The loosely-wagging tongues that
are causing half the worlds misery
should be admonished by this tragic |
story. 1t was simply for speaking un- |
advisedly with his lips that Moses was
punished. One would be false to the
needs of the times who failed to stress |
right here. The tongue is the most
wicked member of the body. 1t COM |
mits more crimes, and worse, than the |
mailed fist The pistols and daggers |
and poisons of all the worlds assas- !
sins do not infiict the injury upon |
humankind that is wrought by idle |
and malicious tongues.
Mr.. Responsibility excuses his fits of
temper. with their harsh speech. as
merely his way" That way shut |
Moses out of the promised land. Mrs. |
Society thinks it clever to say cruel |
things about her neighbors: there is
more malice in polished drawing room
gossip than in back fence billingsgate.
Both wreck lives and break hearts. |
Mean words, suspicious words, gossip
ing words. may all properly be ex-
coriated from the mountain top
whence Moses looked. with longing
would never press; all because he in
dulged moments anger and hot
speech. What a suggestion of the
Canaans out of which we are all kept
by the offenses of that unruly evil
The Passing of a Great Man.
The newspapers death-roll of the
mighty seems to have been tragically |
long of late. Many editorials, anent |
the recent death OF two patriarchal
southern members Of the nited States |
senate, have pictured the nobility of a |
long life lived for the service OF ones |
country. The passing of such makes |
agination. More than once have
heard a certain editor of a great daily |
say that to his mind, the most pathetic /
figure in history Is this man Moses,
who, having licked those miserable
beggars of Israelites into something
like shane as a nation. and having
borne all the burdens. should within
sight OF the goal have TO lie down alone
and die.
Always awe-inspiring, death became
mysteriOuSly sublime in the case Of |
Moses, He had been a lonely man all
his. life-lonely amid a multitude. To
the last he walked a solitary way as
is the lot OF all great souls. Now his
lips still warm with a farewell song to
the people for whom he had spent his
life. and his counse1s and exhortations
for their welfare still echoing in the
air. he vigorously breasted the heights
of Mt. Nebo; for This eye was not dim,
nor his natural force abated;" that he
might, alone with the God whom he
had so often communed on the noun
tain top, catch a vision of the long de-
sired land Of promise. and then lie
down to the rest which he had so we'll
merited.