The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1911-04-07
REV. ". ". MITCHELL
Sounds Warning International DIS.
regard For Law.

uS9Us " s
Dear Sentinel:
An eminent Englishman, who had
travelled extensively in the United
States, being asked by his friend an
equally eminent American, with what
he was most forcibly impressed in
American life, answered very promptly,
1.-The universal disregard for law
The justice of the criticism must be
acknowledged for that there is an
alarming spirit of lawlessness prevail
ing our entire country no well informed
citizen can afford to deny. l will not
here speculate as to the causes produc-
ing this hurtful condition or attempt to
even indicate the limits it has reached;
but feeling that a bare statement of
the humiliating fact will startle all duly
thoughtful people into deep concern for
the moral, social and political future of
our distressed country and perhaps
move them to their greatest endeavor
for her relief: l write these lines, law
lessness in all forms should be vigor-
ously and relentlessly opposed by all
order-loving and l~aw-abiding citizens
in the press as well as in the pulpit and
in all public utterances.
John the Baptist was imprisoned and
finally beheaded for daring to speak
against Herod the tetrarch. We think
of this as a story out of the remote
past; but similar tragedies take place
today. and for reasons exactly similar,
still today corruption has its throne;
still ambitious and jealous women rule
beside the throne; still Salome's dance
moves weak men to evil; still the
prophet suffers who dares protest againt
popular and influential evil. True men
are not today beheaded for denouncing
wrong; but they are deprived of posi-
ton, of salary, of meal of sustenance
for themselves and their families,
cowed into silence, or made miserable
through the suffering of their children
and their wife; need we ask which
tragedy is the direst? Which makes
the man suffer most?
Herod and Herodias, SalOme and John
the Baptist are found today in every
city and sften in small towns and vii
lagos as we'll. In how many civic
Offices, university chairs, even relig
Gus schools and pastorates has the story
of John the Baptist been remasted il
different forms. And the duty to op'
pose la~ulessness, corrupt power, social
political and moral evil in all state
and all grades of human society still
remain. To every man in every age
according to his vision and according t
his position and influence, come tn
duty to create an atmosphere of publ
censure of well-known evil. To be silen
is to acquiescence in wrong. Men an
women make public sentiment. 1t ha
been said, that is ''the power OF tn
keys" call a thing wrong, brand it q
wrong, and n and later it
bound to disappear. Call . thing right
accept it, acquiescence in it and it be
comes fastened upon society. VIII
we bind on earth in this sense is boun
in heaven and what we loose on cart
is loosed in heaven. If public sent
ment condones loose living IN pulpit {
pew, corruption in high places, graz
in public Office, Incorporate habit!
gambling in any of its forms, gross
moderate, morals sink to the level "
condone. We are what we approv'
ID To be corrupt is evil, but to perm
g. corruption and approve it is to able
d in sin.
a Some one has said: To-day the chi
bearers Of the keys are the pulpit al
the press" To be a minister or edit
today, and to be true to God and ma
/, need men of heroic mold. To stal
alone with Cod always for the rig
- is not easy. Two very practical duti
:. may be mentioned.
=. The first is fol. congregation and co
~ %stituencies to sustain the minister
- reformer who dares oppose popular al
influential wrong. The second is +
those who would denounce evil to ner
themselves for the severest tests,
maintain their own integrity that tn
may be free to call right right a
wrong wrong. Simony, the obtainil
- of sacred Office or position of trust
- purchase, may be by purchased silen
At as we'll as by direct payment.