Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1911-05-18

favorably to the highwayman who
holds a gun on you and compels you to
deliver to him your money or life.
That you may save your life you glad
ly give up all your money. just so
with the landlord, he does not throw a
gun on you but centuries past it was
discovered to be much easier to own
the land and thereby make terms by
which you, Mr.. Renter, must absOl-
utely stand as fast as if looking into
the mouth of a cannon and deliver
half of your life to your landlord. AT
ter the highwayman has relieved you
of your money and spared your life
You feel ever so thankful and grateful
to him. Just so with the landlord,
with privilege granted by him to
you for working room on the earth,
which means life to you, you proceed
to work to live and he lives by rob-
bing you and you are glad to be rob
bed.
Our census report of 1900. haven't
the last one, says SO of every hundred
families are renters, that 80 per cent.
own their homes free, and Is per cent.
have theirs mortgaged. Am confident
our last census report will show a
greater percentage homeless.
Mr.. "Wild West" admits that from
bible history people have been fight
ing for the right to the soil. This will
ever be as long as few are allowed
to privately own it. The history of
other nations will be ours if we con-
tinue in their footsteps. When every
person is guaranteed a right to as
much of the soil as he can use, fight
ing for private ownership will forever
cease. Swords will be pruning hooks,
etc.
"The earth is the Lords and the
fullness thereof. What man ever had
a right to give title deed to it. That
man has never lived and unless this is
first shown, private ownership is
wrong and down goes any argument
in its favor, and with it rent.
| admit that private deeds to the
earth already exist. They exist just
as Diaz has held power over his sub
jects or'thirty odd years, that is, by
force against the will of the people.
All just governments should be only
the will or consent of a majority of
those governed. This has never been
and is as sure to be as God is. This is
but the evolution of society, working
out the will of God on earth, and all
the powers of hell can't stop it.
We have all shades of religion in
the Socialist party, and members
with none. We get our growth from
the democratic and republican par
ties, which have seen their day in
our country, and consequently we
have some of their religion. Social
ism has no religion. A man may be-
lieve this or that as to religion, and
be a good Socialist, but to my mind
no man can practice Socialism with
out advocating the things Christ
taught. Then 1 conclude Socialist
to be Christ like, whether Christian or
not.
Personally do not hold membership
in any ssctarian church, and have no
fight to make against any one who
does. l do confess. that so far as 1 am
concerned, l believe them to be
wrong, as believe the world, wor-
shipping the same God from the same
Bible, should belong to the same
church, and practice christianity, as
we'll as preach it.
l have observed wherever it has
been my lot to dwell, the leaders of
the different churches to be those
working the greatest graft and lead
ing and directing the votes of the
poorer class, even to their hurt.
Look around in your own town and
community and decide if this is not
true with respect to your own neigh
borhood, and quit cussing me because
i tell you the truth. 1t is not my pur
pose to disturb you religiously only to
cause you to see that religion which
does not extend to struggling broth
er, even to the farthermost parts of
the earth, is vain. A government
which makes the poor poorer as ours is
doing, and the rich richer, is forcing
great abyss between them, so that
she that would go hence cannot, is
wrong and should fall and will as sure
as anything can be.
The laws of our grand country today
are only the demands of what is
known through the great Press Asso-
citation as business" men, which to
me now means robber, thief and ex-
ploiter.
That the readers of the News may
get correct idea of what my position
with respect to churches are, append
some extracts taken from the resigna-
tion notice of Rev. W. Thurston
Brown. They are very fine reading to
me and I earnestly beg you read and
reread, as you will get great ideas as
to religion and life,
1.-The church has always bowed be-
fore authority without examining the