Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
QUAKE VICTIMS CARELESS
Man Who Lives in Region Can't
Blame God, SAYS Minister.
LIKE GETTING BEFORE TRAIN
Rev. ". n. Housemsn Lfkens l4nly's
Sufferers 40 Men who ny WilfuI
Negligence Deprive selves
of Laws Redress.

Preaching q sermon on the subject Of the
Italy earthquake. Rev. Ralph H. HoussmHn
q CASTELAR, Street Presbyterian church
yesterday morning Hkened those people who
build their homes on the slopes Of belching
volcanoes or in the eEiOn often visited hy
such UatRst-uphes 10 the man who dis
putes 8 grade crossing with an express
train OF handles loose powder while smok-
Ing.
1t is o settled principle IN our courts
OF Justice that men contributing by wilfu
negligence 10 their own undOinE cannot re-
sort to the civil law for redress. Do SAID Rev.
Mr.. HousemHn. Nor can such man reason-
ably assign the results TO an act Of Goa
They must assign II TO their lack q pre-
caution. So long as men viii build upon the
slopes Of b~elching volcanoes or IN regions
where earthquake phenomena are al essen
tia1 part Of the eRrth'E development, the re-
suits are not wholly Of Gods providence.
bun Of mans folly.
But with no ~unkiudly thought OF child
ing the unfortunate creatures VINO were
Oh earJh's forbidden ground. let US turn TO
ourselves. A great spiritual lesson Is taught
as. Are We building character and eternal
hopes upon iInmuvsble fouudstiunse
This is not q runaway world. Amidst
TIE tAlNtllA AnU MFhLtTlluE mrTun In
earth's fierce forces successfully al work
moving down the race there is an over
whelming vitality Of life. Humanity lives
on under q Erent convoy, whose instruc-
tons vary. To all alike He offers leading
10 the leadRble and instruction TO ne teach
able. After the earthquake and after the
fire and after the pestilence and after the
flood Of great waters the still small voice
Of the Divine speaks to listening ears. OF
all this array Of divine permissinns Of
natural powers the quiet voice is the most
divine"
One of the T~nEnowhble Things.
'rw-hen such q frightful catastrophe as
that which occurred in Italy fRIls upon a
populuuE section, instinctively all who be-
lieve in a merciful Providence fly like
Mntun's angels. TO justify the ways Of
God 10 man Just Rs Of olds in orr Lords
life on earth. the fall Of the Tower OF
Sloan crushing out the lives Of all that
were within its walls caused deep search
I fnEs OF heart in the holy city. SO the dis
uussiun OF this great calamity calls FOR
editorial columns and sermons innumerable.
-BUt no mere man can justify 10 man
Z Gods permissions and executions. He uper-
ates in q realm beyond mans ability to
fully comprehend. To RnRlyze Gods mind
and motive, and loudly proclaim That God
must be bound by the reasoning Of the con
illusions reached Is TO assume mental acu-
men and eternal perspective utterly for
siEn to mans present endowment. Man is
not 10 let his head grow dizzy and his
heart hard by asking the why OF every
thing unusual TINT occurs. Some thinEF hold
within them explanations reserved for G
sphere other than the temporal and the
human. That man Is foolish who walks de.
HberRtely into B dreHry labyrinth Of dark.
ness without a clue TO lead him int IN,
light. But. on the other hand, there ar,
some practical morRlizings which sugges-
themselves by this calamity, and these ma
be helpfuny passed upon.
1T iE mistake 10 add one mans sorrovl
to that Of another. Il the 100000 who per
ished last Monday had died singly an,
scattered Throughout the earth, then dealt
would have no national OF historical sig
nificHnce. As many do die every three days
without belittling the poignant elements IL
this calamity II is evident 10 any mind tina
no one dying suffered meRsurRbly create.
! because thousands Of others were dying
AFuuies are personal not distriburivs. A
IN inuumerabls wrecks and holocauBts il Il
not perceptihly harder FOR any one 10 dh
because others are dying. Il is a mistake
then, 10 exaggerHte the Rgonies Of such
calamity by adding one mans REunies Il
] 1huse Of another"