Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-01-12

doubt God and despse human ma
tufe." Had that cynic stood q few
wssks ago amid the tremblings OF
the Sicii'an earthquake. and behe d
= proud city crumbaed into dust by
invisl bis FORCES he would have made
a terri ned act Of faith In the omn,p-
otsncs OF God.
Had that cynic Surveyed the aw-
full devastation, and had he seen the
b'ecdins. ghastiy. distorted bodies
OF two hundred thousand yictims
imprsonsd in the burning ruins. he
would have cred out in an agony OF
tears: II pity human nature"
Could he have witnessed from
some retired point OF View. aaI an
philosophers love to AFFECT In slime
OF meditation, the splendid activi-
ties OF Russian. French and Eng
fish sailors, giving hep to the sur
vivors. even before the shaking OF
the earth had ceased. what would
have been his mental attitude? 3.
And oh. -cf ne were perched today
above the ruins OF Messfna hooking
seward for a Meet OF vessels home
ward bound but diverted from their
course by orders OF our sovereign
'citizens the president what would
be -he emouops D uek.ng at his Gym
- heart2 And Il thai feet steam
ing from Pore sasd under forced
'draught, the flag OF the United
States broken at the forepsak OF
each vessel. should plunge fearless
ly Through the now tortuous Straits
or Messina instead OF steaming joy
ously homeward to New York nar-
Dor. our cynfo must feel that his
creed 10 n blasphemy, and must re-
woke It for the cake OF amy spark OF
manhood yet within him. French
sailors, RUSS ans sailors. English
sailors 20 the work OF rescue, for
getting al national differences. Tend
'ng to afflicted italy the aid OF giants
in her titanic devastation. And
now. make way. for the serr,ed ranks
OF American jackes are on the
ground. their ships are in the des-
oiate harbor. their provisions are
Distributed broadcast among the Fam
ishfng Slosllans. American officers
sailors, marines, though homssick
after tle.r world-ancirc' ing voyaEe,
Will rot go home until they have
given comfor. to a stricken people.
Wives and mothers and sweethear-s
must walt at the home port while
their husbands and sons and lovers
are toiiing In the sweat Of the faces
around the ruins OF foreign CITY
TO answer the cry of distress. A
communion of hearts will answer
for lack of communion of tongue;
brawny arms whose strength up
holds our nation on land and on sea,
VIII carry the Italian cripple, the
homeless Italian babe to a place of
she.ter on our great cradles of the
Deep as tsnderly as any mother
might carry her invalid child, In
the presence OF this majestic sight.
fail down. o cync, on thy knees
and make this recantation. OF thy
blssphemy: Il believe In human
naturei'
Nothing has been preached 50
much from pulpits SD the fatherhood
OF Cod or from political platforms
as the brotherhood OF man. Most Of
as have listened 20 such 71arangues
from both departments of eloquence,
but perhaps our Theoretical views OF
tho proposition may not have suffer
ed serious change from the arga-
ments advanced I'm sermon or IN
lecture.
All the word over IL repeated
that best Of prayers. ''Our Father
who art in Heaven" In every Ian
guage where the sovereignty OF the
one sfne Col de proclaimed shiS
reverent saautation IS repeated from
the rising OF the sun, even to the
going down thereof. And yet, Il
has been The occasion of contempt
nous sneers from the inddsl who has
at times laughed derisiveiy to hear
the pateF znoster Of the Labns, the
our Father of the Anglo-Saxons
chan.ed above The gums OF rival
christian camps.
II God is our commons Fsther,
snd u Cog 10 love, and love Is char.
ity, why should the members OF the
great human family make war upon
each other, decimatfng each Others
ranks until the victorious comba-.
ant has created q solitude by hii
guns, and moekingy calls It peace
In view o. ever increasing armameha
on land and on sea between nations
calling themselves christians, had
ing the common Father through 8
common prayer, am inclined I'd
AK myself ~ hypocrisy 10 not tn,
diplomats feature OF the age. one
month ago II the combined fleets Of
Russo, England, France and Tn,
United States had cast anchor Il
the then untroublsd Straits OF Mes