The broad ax., 1908-02-29

really believe that murder is nothing?
that treason is & thing to laugh
at?-that profanity is to be approved?
that viclOusness is to be commend
ed?-that coarsenes and vulgarity
from q pulpit are humorous utter
ances?-in short, do they approve the
utterances Of him who stands up in
the pulpit and speaks in favor Of those
very things that the laws of God and
man condemn and forbid?
Until Monday evening, it had never
been the fortune Of the writer to
hear blasphemy uttered from a pulpit
either in this or any other city. For
the first time that evening, it was
our fortune to hear murder glorifed
openly In q church. It was also our
first experience in hearing treason
beloved from the place where every
Sunday a disciple Of Christ who
came to earth, bearing the message,
Peace on earth, good will to men"
discourses upon the duties of Chris
tian.
We knew what Tillm&n would say.
Him we do not criticize, because he
but delivered the goods that he had
been asked to bring with him. He
did it. We went to hear him be-
cause of curiosity to know how a
Chautauqua audience would receive
his profanity, his coarse and brutal
remarks, his gloating over murder
committed and murder contemplated
and his thousandth time assertion of
his belief in those peculiarly South
ern phrases of treason; for which
millions Of lives and billions of
money were sacrificed, in order that
the Union might live.
Well, We know how it was received
by that Christian (God save the
mark audience. There is no deny
ing, that it comes as something Of a
shock to witness the spectacle of a
church audience applauding, In
church, the utterance Of things that
would be condemned in q dive.
To us a ehurch-while no more
than a mere building yet place
that is fragrant with those things we
love and revere. It is the place where
the mother who teaches the child at
her knee to say, Nov 1 lay me down
to sleep" goes to recruit her spiritual
strength and ask for the guidance of
God, that she may have wisdom to
teach her child to live an upright
life.
It is the place where we take upon
ourselves the vows Of matrimouy, and
It is the place where we hear the
minister Of Him who represents our
hope Of salvation, say softly, Man
that is born Of woman is Of few days
and fun Of trouble" and it is the
place from which many of us will
make our last earthly journey to
Gods acre" there to rest until in all
good time He who shall Judge the
quick and the dead, summons us to
Him If We have anything good about
Us, It is our love and reverence for
The Church that stands to represent
so much to an Of us.
Wen, when an audience Of Chris
tian people can do what that audi
enee did, at TiIlman's lecture in the
Centenary Church, We Deg1n 70 think
that home Is q pretty good place,
and that, after al, the morals Of the
sinful ones Of the world do not differ
much from the morals Of those who
profess to be followers Of the meek
ana lOwly Christ who taught that love
and Kindness are to be cultivated and
hate and murder are to be condemned.
Some people have no sentiment
about the matter Of a church and fts
Holiness. but then there are tno5e
who could make . melon patch on
their mothers grave and laugh about
4 Il they were reminded Of what
they had done. OF sucn We zre not
one.
Il don't mind teIIin' you that We
went there intendin' to KIM" -Ef the |
trath IL known, I'm under indictment !
for murdef1rT don't believe In the
FaEhefhood Of God and the brother
hood Of man. Il don't care what
he ConstItnfon says. Ne vfn nuIli'
y It In SPITE Of yodr's ~
And an cadence Of aRean hund !