The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-22
~ WuLIAM T. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
g,HERE Is always new man
IN r coming to the throne Ey-
erybody who reaches MID
die life can tell stories OF
great changes in famllles'
in business houses in pub
lie affairs, due to the death OF the GU
leaders and the advent of the new
The Manassehs and the Amons dle'
and their policies die with them Death
is the great readjuSter ot lie HERE
is an ecclesiastical politician, VINO as
pires to unusual power; but JUST as
everything seems to be ready ana cir
curnstances are favor5ng him, his
friends and lieutenants begin TO crop
OF. and he himself feels the premonl-
lions Of the palsy Of age creeping
upon him. Here is another man VINO
has toilsomely built up a structure OF
power but, 10, death removes MN as
he is about to enter into its enjoyment;
and new and better king takes MS
place.
In a word, nobody plans well for
life who does not take death INTO ac-
count That is why master builders
and world leaders, like Jesus, Buddha'
Confucius. Plato gather about them
disciples to carry on their work aLteI
they are gone. He is twice a leader
who leads the leaders q the future'
In the Orient I have talked with
of their country, and 1t is singular
how many of these men who watch
affairs from a distance, nave re-
marked that the most hopeful sign
on Great Britons political horizon IL
the organization of the Boy Scouts
They see that more irc portant than
Dreadnaughts or imperial policies are
the men who will run the nation Wis
er, and really more powerful than
Manasseh or Anon were the patlenI
Z ~ rlrlT q
trained young Josiah in the ways OF
the Lord. There are many great tasks
confronting the modern man, but none
so great as that of training the chill
dren who are to be the men and
women of tomorrow.
Japan's Great Failure.
ANYBODY who looks about him may
see in the life of today clear illus
trations of the same great teachings
as are set forth in the Bible history.
Other nations than the Jews are SET
for examples of the outworklng OF
Gods universal laws. THIS message OF
the familiar story of josiah is also
the message of Japan. Thai wonderful
nation is trusting to an imperial pro-
gram and a powerful army and navy
to make her great In stat ecra1t, trace
science and manufacture. she IS a 1or-
midable competitor of the older ma
lions No doubt she dreams the allur-
ing dream of the leadership of all the
Asiatic peoples conception worthy
of an Alexander or q Napoleon. 10
that magnificent end her policies
seem to be steadily directed
Rllt alas for her plans. She mas
failed to look to that most important
of all factors, the character OF her
people. So today she is confronted at
home by tide of socialism and even
anarchy that makes her thoughttul
men tremble for her throne; and
1900 her Individual citizens have
won for her a reputation which enec-
tually thwarts all the ambitions OF her
statesn en-. For reasons that cannot pc
gone into here, but which have TO DO
with personal character. she mas pc
come the most unpopular nation IN
the East If not in the world Her
peopIe are so greatly ddsiiked by other
Orientals that everybody who knows
conditions in Asia understands how
utterly impossible Of fulhllment are
her projects for a pan-Asiatic league.
Sober Chinese and Indians are asking
whether Japan is not a moral menace
to the East.
That one fact causes her political
aspirations to pale into inslgnlhcance
and it is all because the boys and
girls of this nation, which has a claim
upon the sympathy of the whole OF
Cfristendom have not learned those
lessons of character which have their
root in vital religion. 1t is real states
the character of the country's youth.
One difference between statesmen and
politicians is that the former project
policies for the far future, while the
latter are concerned only with the ad-
vantages of the moment to themselves
and their constituents. One is eager to
create a nation, while the other is in
tent on carrying an election. Obvi-
ouslv whoever would do permane nt
service for the country or the race,
must plan to serve youth. 1t Is states
manlike, it is patriotic, to look to
schools and clubs and Sunday schools,
and sports and diversions Of the boys
and girls. The commonplace woman
who is giving her best effort to teach
q Sunday school class may be doing
more for the country than the noisiest
politician in her community Remem-
Der Josiahs mother.
The Ups and Downs of History.
A ziz-zag line represents the history
of Judah Sometimes it had an up
ward trend and sometimes a down
ward On the whole, its progress was
probably upward although this may
seem too optimistic a view to some
students of the Book. The present
lesson, at any rate, is concerned with
an upward tendency. Manasseh had
done evil most of his life. and his
son Anon had followed the example
set by his father during the greater
part of his career. Now comes Josiah,
following in the footsteps of neither
of these imm ediate ance stors, but in
those Of his great forebear. David.
Back of diplomacy there is always a
man; so that what is proclaimed as
the policy of a nation may re the idea
Of some quite unknown worker in the
government service. Back of the boy
is the mother. Also the teacher and
friend and example. What do we see
when We look upon a boy? Is it not
Ta Of al fe &c Ie
and training? The child reveals the
parents. He is the sum of his hered-
fly, training and environment. Josiah
represented the forces that dominated
in his early life-and God. When one
considers the great responsibilities in
- Il l. L.