The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-06
MIR. DAvIDsoN's PROSPECTS.

MT DAflDSoN'S PROSPECTS.
OF course. the recently Reverend Mr.. David
son. the citizen who burned at the gate of
Jeffersons home the vestments he had used as
a clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
and his prayer-book along with the discarded
garment, and instantly reported the dramatic
performance to. all the newspapers. assumes the
purest. Hottest most altruistic OF motives That
is the habit OF most citizens whose Irregularities
eocentricties or unconventional methods bring
them into conflict with the constituted authori-
ties OF State or church 1t was an Arkansas
local newspaper that remarked of prominent
resident Of Its community, just deceased that
while president of the Yellvie National bank
he never had been able to account quite salts
faotorily for the funds of that defunct insti-
tuition, apd while It true that some OF his
habits and methods of life were not entirely in
accord with accepted standards, it was but right
to say that his heart beat ever warmly for his
native land. Possibly without direct or descrip-
tive application to this present the familiar
quotation that no thief eer felt the halter draw
with good opinion of the law might fit in a
general way most Of these violent and sudden
conversions to extreme democracy and interest
in the souls and welfare of the popuace and
rebellions against the established order Of
things, Colonel Muhall tells us HIS motive for
selling to the newspapers his letters to his en-
ployes and the story OF his alleged services as
lobbyist purely philanthropic, Every enter
prising purveyor OF patented medicine and In
fallible cure for everything goes into the adver
Using columns telling the public of the tyran-
MES, extortions and failures Of the medical
profession and his own discovery of the one
real remedy for human ills,
Tha effect Of Mr.. Davidson's spectacular re-
nunciation will be married somewhat In the
minds OF the observing and judieious by dis
covery Of the unfortunate fact that he was
under serious charges before his church for
certain deinquencies in connection with the
management OF the affairs of the church at
Buchanan. of which he was In charge as rector
and In fair way to be "out of job" as he
puts It. Yet he may gain a certain vogue. He
may draw" for time to the detriment Of the
local moving picture shows with their choicest
Wild West scenes. The newspapers will make
copy" OF him a few days. Some sensational
magazine may pay him fairly well for signed
article How | Bucked the Bishops or my
War with the Wardens OF the Church at Buch-
anan" or "The Erete Episcopal Church" or
Surplus and Surplice Gone Together" or some
thing of the kind Inevitably the forces of con-
servatism and real conservation and efficiency,
or order and decorum and established law move
over such people with the undisturbed majesty
and noiseless, resistless power of a glacier pass
ing over obstructing rocks, grinding and crush
ing them to smooth pebbles or disappearing dust
Mr.. Davidson will find himself in disconnected OBJ
SECURITY along with his protests and epigrams
and denunciations with his prayers to the shade
and invocations to the memory of Jefferson in
effective to rescue him.