Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-06-11

on. The very ak that had been
whetted for another fell on the neck
of him who had prepared it. The
Reign of Terror finally gave way to
the Reign of Reason.
Those who in mad frenzy had
rushed like mad avalanche to the
conclusion that the law was thing
be despised came to their senses
and were among the first to invoke
the strong arm of the law to put an
end to the blind rage which they
themselves had inaugurated. 0 tenn
pora, o mores. Why should we not
learn our lesson from the written
pages of history rather than from
bitter experience? The very mob of
which one may be member tonight
may turn in all fury on that one in
the near future. A covenant with
hell will not stand. Why stand we
idle when by proper action we may
stay the hand which may save humil-.
iation, disgrace itself?
We cannot ease our consciences by
putting the responsibility on other
persons. God will hold US accounta-
! BILE for our sins of commission in
these trying times. The minister who
breaches 81 Sundays in the year on
Repentance for the Remission of
Sins, Justification by Faith" and
. other similar and important themes,
but never gives word in faver of
Law and Order is simply lodging
the issue. He is having more regard
for his personal safety than that
, which characterized the life of Christ
and his chosen disciples.
Petty politics, personal ambition,
the hope of preferment must give
way in the interest of unselfish SER
, vice in times like these. He who
will play hide and seek with the rab-
, Die while the Goddess of Liberty
. weeps, fails in the highest duty of
Christian citizenship.
The best friend the association has
is that one who is doing most to put
stop to night riding. Every asso-
, citation member, who has her cause
at heart, should do his utmost to put
} stop to lawlessness. Every good
citizen who is in or out of the assoc:-
! alton who has the welfarGOf this
section at heart should speak out in
no uncertain tones. 1t may be an
swered, Il cannot afford to take the
| risk of personal violence to myself. ,"
The response is that if the time has
come in your life that you must take
some chances of your personal safe
ty to do your full duty as a citizen,
then you must take them. What
need has this Commonwealth for you
in times of uninterrupted peace?
When the old Ship of State glides
: along smoothly, there is nothing for
J you to do but to stay aboard and en-
JOY her ease, comfort and protection.
1t is when there are breakers ahead,
when the storm is raging, then you
are expected to be brave and unself-
ish. In such times you as a good cit
izen are expected to take whatever
risks are necessary to do your full
duty in restoring law and order.
Neither can the excuse be made
that night riding was intended to
aid good cause. Can it aid a good
cause for farmer far remote from
protection to be dragged from his
bed in the dead hours of the night
and most cruelty beaten by a band
} of masked men? Can it aid good
cause for him to be forced to leave
his bed and come into the presence
of such masked and armed band
and there be threatened or maltreat-
ed in any way? Nothing can strike
terror so quickly into people as
such proceedings. Nothing can so
quickly depreciate values on proper
ty. Nothing can so quickly para
lyze the church, the Sunday-school,
fraternal orders or other agencies
for good in the rural community.
Think of man visiting his neighbor
during the week with sock leg pull
ed down over his face at the hour of
midnight and then on Sunday sitting
in his pew and singing Nearer My
! God to Thee" and God Be With You
Till We Meet Again." when in the