The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-03-14
1.-The Philistine" Discussed.

pared for the Paris Post but it was refused bv that
paper and Mr.. Boyd has submitted it to The Scmitar
for publication For convenience it is divided into
two parts:
PART ONE
Editor of The Post Paris, Idaho: In your issue
for january I'd you quote, with hearty commenda-
ton, extracts from an article by Ebert Hubbard,
who is said to be lecturer The article from which
these extracts were taken was published you state
in '"The Philistine" and the extracts were intended
to be commendatory of Mormonism and its results.
Such praise is proper if it accords with the facts
and the undersigned certainly has desire to with
hold any commentator that is really due. But it
is cruel in proportion to their Importance to give
facts wrong significance, and to thereby enlist
them in the work of Misrepresentation. This is the
against which the prophet Isaiah warns us
when he says: "Woe unto them that call evil good,
and good evil that put darkness for light and light
for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet
for bitter Isaiah V, 2O). In such the evil
and the good the darkness and the light, the bitter
and the sweet, are all facts, but they mis-
represented as be made to appear the opposite of
that which they really are.
You call Mr.. Hubbard thinker and zone of
the brightest and most able writers of the age
we live in" Most of us expected to do little
thinking also, and we therefore prefer to measure
SO much approval We can do this by fair con-
sderaton of his statements instead of by your praise
of them
To begin with it is not to the credit of Mr. Hub
bard that his article is quoted from "The Philis-
tine" The writer does not remember to have seen
this magazine but the name Philistine tells its own
story. Although it only used originally as the
name of an ancient nation it has come to represent
the discreditable characteristics of that nation as
we'll Hence meanings which the dictionaries now
give the words "sordid, narrow minded ma
teralistc qualities in the sphere of religion,
stand for ungodliness
What is such approval worth? Nothing what
ever The meaning of the title of that magazine
either implies that its owner is ignorant OF 1t, or
that he himself is the "sordd, narrow minded, mate
realistic" person which the signifies A godly
person would not be likely to choose such title for
his magazine unless the choice made through
ignorance.
Christ would not permit evil spirits to testify to
his divinity Luke v, "a, 35 and 41) but the editor
of The Post is evidently thankful for all words of
praise for his religion, even when such words come
through a "sordd, narrow minded, materialistic
medium 1t is wisdom to suspect at once that there
is something wrong with course of belief and prac-
tce which is so heartily approved by those who are
SO confessedly "Philistines"
The brightness" of Mr.. Hubbard himself is also
IN question. Was it sign of brightness on his part
% say that "as special reward for well DOING God
promised him (Abraham) an extra wife or two!
Where does Mr.. Hubbard get that information? Let
is have chapter and verse, please Accredited rec
,rds do not show any such promise. Sarahs I'M
belief and Abrahams weakness evidently accounted
or those extra wives"
Was it a sign of discriminating brightness for Mr..
hubbard to class the Bible, the Book of Mormon