The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1909-04-03

tend to destroy the majesty of the
civil law, to bring chaos and an
archy in social life. and to under
mine, if possible, the very founda-
tions of religious belief. What
shall those do who rejoice to see
law and order exist in the State, /
happiness and peace reign in the
home, and truth and righteousness
be crowned in the church?
l. In the first place the courts
must do their duty and enforce the
law; when the law is so honored
and nlagnified as to become a terror
to all evil-doers, regardless of per-
son, social standing, or otherwise.
there will be a change in public
morals. When men are taught
that there is mercy in justice by
the judiciary, lawlessness will be
restrained. The remark of Chief
Justice Hale is worthy of mention:
Whichever, as judge, | feel my
self swayed by mercy towards a
prisoner. let me remember that
there also is mercy due to my
country"
The ballot is a most powerful
factor in the publication of civic
life. More men of high moral
standard take part in the elections,
and men must be elected to office
who will see to it that justice will
be meted out to all. A greater re-
spect for the majesty of the law
must be engendered by the press,
by all the true and noble manhood
of our country. Let there be but
widespread sentiment engendered
all over the State, backed by the
best citizenship in it, demanding
that the laws must not be trailed
in the dust and criminals go unpun-
ished, and crime reign rampant,
and moral renovation will be
brought about that will work Won
ders.
2. In the second place, let US
realize the supreme Importance of
the home, remembering that the
home is the foundation not only of
the church, but of the State as we'll.
The security, peace and perpetui-
ty of government rests upon the
we'll ordered home. The destroyers
of our homes are the destroyers of
the State, and the schools of vice.
The enemies of the home, the sa-
loon, the club room, the gambling
places, are as we all know, the
enemies of good government.
Let the people who elect repre-
sentatives of state government seek
to have repealed the iniquitous
laws of divorce, and let there be
but one ground of separation. Too
much cannot be said of the supreme
Importance of Christian homes.
They are the holy safeguards and
Heavenly benisons Of blessings.
The homes are so many streams
pouring themselves into the great
current of moral social, and civil
| life. If the fountain is pure, the
stream is pure. If the Anglo Sax
on race is to continue with excep-
tional vigor it must continue by
reverencing God in the home. If
God answers prayer, what a power
of influence it makes for our fu-
ture we'll being, when the family
and thousands of families in the
State are daily petitioning the
Great God to guide our rulers, to
guide the people in choosing rulers,
to guide our legislators, to purify
our rulers and citizens and to bless
our country with rain and good
harvests, and spare our land from
famine, war, and pestilence and
anarchy. God bless our homes and
make them nurseries of piety and
schools of influence, from which
shall go forth men and women
whom the lust of gold cannot cor
rupt, and the temptations of satan
cannot assail.
| 8. A third cure lies in Evangeli-
aztion. The gospel Of the Son of
God is the effectual cure for law
lessness. Let one realize the good
ness and the severity of God. Let
him see the sinfulness of sin, and
the reality of HE'LL, let him have
the consciousness that the blood of
Jesus Christ and that alone can
save him from eternal death. Let
| these vast truths be begotten in the
soul by conversion, and we have
laid the basis of character which
will make one loyal to his God and
Iloyal to his country. The gospel,
after all, goes to the root of the
matter. 1t changes the fruit of
the tree by changing the tree itself.
| In the presence today of SO many
cults and creeds which have drifted
| far away from the faith once for
all delivered to the saints, let US
renew our belief in the absolute in
aspiration of this Bible, the Divine
revelation Of God to man. Let us
| be true to the old-time religion,
the precious faith of our fathers,
| in the hope Of which they have
j live. and in the comfort of which
| they have died. It comes down to
us as a precious heritage, purchas-
! led by the tears and blood of those
who have gone before. II we fear
God and are loyal to the teachings
Of the Scriptures, we shall also rev.
erence the laws and prove ourselves
good citizens. This only is the
/ hope Of our country.
n
II The contest in Beat 8 will be held