The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-15


r-ILEOPATR Is famous-or
90 infamous-in history as the
woman who led kings cap
tive to their ruin. Her in
80 fuence is said to have
changed the current of his
tory. More potent than Fgypt's beau
tiful queen, however in affecting the
fate Of nations has been the force
whom we sometimes person-fy as Ma
dame Grundy or Dame Fashion. That
tyrannous old lady has led kings ana
empires about as a society girl leads
poodle dog; and she is still in busi-
ness. The assigned story of the mis-
deeds and misery OF Manasseh, pc
cause he slavishly followed the days
vogue, may be interpreted by count
less instances from contemporary his
tory Madame Grundy is still the
worst woman in the world, and the
chief handmaiden of the EVIL One.
The tendency which gives power to
MISUNDERSTANDING is as cid as man,
and as young as last ye2-'s babe. The
greatest Of Hebrew seers discerned 1t
when he said, "all we like sheep have
gone astray." The manner rather than
the fact of the astrayness, is the point
of that observation. Men do not go
astray in purposeful, resolute self-di-
rection; rather, they wander like wit
less sheep, hocking stup4dly after any
wicked old bell-wether that chooses
TO Jump the fence into forbidden
fields. The Indian mothers who proud
" put gaudy, tinseled. shapeless imi-
tations Of European frocks upon their
little children are in the same class
with Manesseh, and with the sheep,
and with the boys who learn to smoke,
and with the man who buys an auto
mobile which he cannot afford; all are
Unfortunately following a fashion,
poor slaves of Madame GrUndy.
An UnlingIy King.
1t is the place of kings to lead
fashions, and not to follow them. So,
also, Of all royal men and women.
That is a hard truth to get into the
head Of the average person. Consider
the multitudes of persons who this
month are leaving comfortable homes
in order to endure the discomforts of
expensive summer resorts. simply be-
cause II is the fashion tC go away
from home for a vacation. Contem-
plate the weary women who strain
nerves and purses to wear the hats
and sleeves and skirts that Dame
Fashion arbitrarily prescribes. Behold
an entire nation like Japan, giving UP
its distinctive and beaut'fu' art, and
its very sense Of color, in order to
initiate western ways, so that 1t is
easier to buy gaudy German litho-
graphs in Toxic today than it is to
buy the traditional japanese prints.
Alas for the crowns that are flung
away! A single glance into the mir
rOr of cur times and practices makes
us more gentle with poor old Names
sch. Let US remember that he started
out a spoiled child, a victim of the
oriental harem system. Called to the
throne at IL. he was the prey Of
sycOphantS. fiatterers and courtiers.
Everybody blames the spoiled child,
why not pity him2 "The rich mans
son has not fair chance today"
declares J. Campbell White. Manasseh
was given a bad start. perhaps by
counsellors Of the Assyrian party.
Certainly, some evil genius was at his
side to teach him contempt for the
religion of his father; he thought
that Hezekiah was "an old fogy,"
SLOW" and behind the times" he
would be "up-to-date" and "in the
swim" Little he reckoned of the
maelstroms ahead.
A Long, Bad Career.
For So years this misguided man
was king Of Judah-the longest reign
in the nations history. He lived at
the time Of Assyria's greatest power,
and he was doubtless q vassal of
that world-empire, HIS father had
been a nOn-conformer; he himself was
a conformer and undid. so far as lay
in his power. Hezekiah's great work.
The latter sought to serve the living
God; his son sought to follow the As
syrian fashion. He did not want to rule
over a little one-hOrse peculiar"
kingdom; his ambition was to make
Judah as like as possible to Assyria-
In Japan today Manasseh would be
called "a high collar" or one who apes
foreign styles.
He enters that familiar arch-enenny
of the Jews, the denominations of the
nations" After all the past experience
Of the Chosen People, and the dramat-
than all the false gods, from the
drowning Of the Egyptians in the Red
sea to the mysterious defeat of the
Assyrians in Eezekiah's day, one
would suppose that the lesson of the
wickedness of idOlatry had been well
learned. But no, foolish Manasseh
must set up once more, even in the
temple itself, the idols which JehO-
Yah had so often caused to be over
thrown. With these went wicked prac-
tees which, happily. are not even I'M
derstood by Christian readers.
AS is generally the case, desertion
of the true God was followed by a re-
pudiation of the moral standards.
Witchcraft followed in the wake Of
idolatry. Justice disappeared and the
streets Of the city ran red with the
the king who should have been their
protector. The common welfare is
most secure where the laws of God
are best observed
The Turning of the Lane.
Everybody has observed that when
man goes wrong he is likely to GO
farthest wrong; the prodigal behaves
worse than the inhabitants Of 1.-The far
country" This son of a God-fearing
father outstripped the idolatrous AS
syrians in wickedness. In a factory
where many ignorant and evil men
worked the most corrupt and corrupt
ing was one Of the higher grade work
ers, the educated son of a Sunday
school superintendent. The awful rec
ord Of this king of Judah is thus
written: And Manasseh seduced Jul
dab and the inhabitants Of Jerusalem
so that they did evil more than die
the nation whom Jehovah destroyed
before the children of Israel"
Small wonder that the outraged Je-
hovah declared ssT will x.-ire Ta,,,ea