Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-01

bltlOnS take definite form great
leaders in military. social and
| religious thought and effort are devel-
| oped: while temperance, virtue and cour-
! age are general.
| This is followed by golden age in
which the throne is occupied for half a
/ century or more by masterful men, who
are benevolent autOcrats, no matter what
the form of government may oe.
| And then the decline-a degenerate fool
on the throne, and the human fabric falls
apart, never again to assume the same
| form, proportion or power.
The history of Israel is no exception.
Out Of his Chaldean home God calls the
Semitic chieftain, Abraham. His chill
dren, driven by hunger to Egypt, come
forth after hundreds of years of exile. a
great theocracy. Under the inspired
! leadership of Moses their national social
and religious life assumes definite form
the geographical boundaries are fixed,
and after 400 years of varying fortune
! the golden age has come, and David,
warrior, poet. statesman, holds 1.-The high
bridge of the world exacting tribute
| from east and west alike.
His son Solomon, gifted and vOluptuous,
introduced a luxurious regime that Slapped
the national strength and reared a brood
of courtiers incapable of correct judg-
| ment because ignorant of those great
facts shat form the basis of correct judg-
ment. The decline of Israel began under
Solomon. the wise, and was given form
| under RehObOam. the fool.
Reared to luxury. power and arrogance,
RehobOam took the reins of state as
matter of course and sought his coro-
nation with ne thought of the sources
Of his wealth and power. the overtaxed
common people. Thus when JerObOam,
the son of Nebat. a brave, resourceful
man of the people. came at the head of
Magma Charta," he used the methods
of his wise father by asking three days
in which to consider their plea for the
Fighting of their wrongs. the Tightening
Of their burdens. then wrecked his hopes
and theirs by his folly. He took counsel
first with those wise old statesmen who
had foreseen the coming storm and hoped
for better things at his hands. With
matchless wisdom and tact they put
before him the situation, and in one
sentence give him an answer and a
prophecy as they advised him, IF thou
will be servant unto this people this
day and wilt serve them and answer
them and speak good words unto them
then they will be thy servants forever"
Disregarding alike the plea of the op-
pressed and the counsel of the wise. this
| royal fool turns to his boon companions.
foolish courtiers. reared like himself, to
/ their suicidal advice: Answer them.
! My little finger is thicker than my
| fathers lolns," and forgetting that to
be imperious one must be imperial-he
| cries: rMy father made your yoke heavy,
/ but / will add to your yoke. My father
| chastised you with whips, but 1 will
chas:ise you with scorpions
! And now the shout goes up: What por-
| ton have we In David?" The corona
! ton trumpets Of the northern tribes
break forth in the familiar retreat "Te
I your tents, o Israel"
i At the head of the ten tribes Jeroboam
| the son Of Nebat, leads all Israel, save
Judah and Benjamin, away from the
! standards of David to found kingdom
| in the north.
AS though to crown his folly with one
| supreme act. Rehoboam sends his hated
| tax gatherer Adoram to exact tribute
| from the rebellious tribes. They stone
| him to death and the coWardly Reno
boam flies to Jerusalem and only divine
intervention prevents disastrous war
| Thus In day the mighty fabric, build
| ed on the faith of Abraham, the holy zeal
of Moses and the vaIor and statecraft
of David. lies In ruins at the feet OF
Rehoboam the fool
'Old men for counsel and young men
for war" said the sage. Back OF the
political errors of history is always to be
found the folly born Of ignorance, avarice
i or luxurious vice. The graves of ma.
as rulers take counsel, wise and good
can national life and glory persist, fol
of nations. Of individuals, it may be
said: He that walketh with wise mei
shall be wise, but a companion Of fool.
shall be destroyed