The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-08-26
WHEN DEMOCRACY BEGAN.
son for August 81 is "Israel at
Mount Sinai" Exodus 10.

btiiotidNy . udy lS Coming over the
whole earth. 1t is sweeping forward
IN a tidal wave hat is engulfing even
The Oldest of the nations Of the East.
Ions accustomed to dependence and
lass distinction. In North America,
he Renaissance Of democracy is the
clearest political and social sign Of
the times.
II is timely to go back to the be-
Ginning of this movement, which is
now world-cOnquering. The present
sunday School lesson deals with the
birth of democracy. Amid the auto
sracies of the ancient. world, the He
brews were the first self-governIng
people.
one days study finds them drawn
mp in spectacular array before Mount
Sinai, to learn the lesson Of self-guv-
eminent, and the cardinal principles
thereof. There are few Old Tesla
ment episodes that link themselves
more opportunity with the mood of
the day than this one with Israil, new
~ delivered from Egypt, taking it's
iirSt lesson in national citizenship on
the plain of Sinai.
Before Democracy. TheOcracy.
The very first lesson of democracy
is Theocracy. There must be govern
ment by God before there can be self
government by man. Men " to
learn to be true to q sovereign Deity,
before they can be true to M an
other. 1t is not in the nature of self
ish men to rise to the heights of de-
moCracy,-which is the loftiest CON
ception of government ever enter
tained by mOrtal-unless he has first
come under the sway of divine Obedi-
ence. Man needs help from above
before he can be loyal to the sublime
un~selfishnesS which is at the root of
democracy. This new idea of a ma
lion was worthy to be born amid the
t%hunders of the mount.
Practical politics, and not senti-
mental piosity, leads us TO remind our
selves that democracy cannOt live
without religion. Every form of gov
eminent has its own peculiar dangers.
The menace of a democracy is irrev-
erance, which begets selfshness. No
people wholly dominated by material
iStic ideals can really fulfill the demo
ratio mission. This new spirit OF
hrotherly self-government, and of one
for all. and all for each, is really q
spiritual deal. The most direct ser
vice that anybody can render the
state is to keep alive the fires of vita
religion in the community. klpl1ns
sensed this when he cried to the BRIT
lSh nation.
Hold We the faith, the faith u faith
ers sealed us,
Whoring not with visions, OVer-WlS'
n over-stale,
Except you "a the Lord, single near
and single sword,
OF Nyur children in their bondag'
shall he ask them treble tale"
Principles Before Men.
One trouble with the Jewish exile
Was that they leaned too heavily o.
Moses. They regarded him as thei
deliverer and responsible leader. Up
on him hey imposed all the cares Q
he patriarch. Did water fall at Re
phidim? To Moses they carried thei
mumurings. Was Amalek to b
fought? To Moses they looked for de
liverance. Joshua might lead tn
lighting. but il was the uplifted hand
IL praying Moses that brought tn
victory. Well might Moses cry in vex
alton. like a mother distracted D.
noisy and unreasonable children
VIVA shall do with the p%eople?"
All the Sinai region, be it remem
hered. was known ground to Nose:
Here he had grazed the flocks OF nj
father-in-law, JethrO. A touching In
cident of the present story is IN
meeting of Moses with his father-ln
law. his wife n his two sons. A We
j. drawn over the reunion. but w
have a picture of Moses sitting unde
the tent, telling to Jethro the match
less story Of how Israel was deilVere
from Pharaoh's thrall. What a priv
iege to have heard that story hot frOI
the lips Of the principal actor IN II
We do not wonder that Jethro wa
convinced hat God was the 90
above all gods.
The wise old sheik, Jethro, saw {
once how personal was the leadershl
# Moses, and how dependent wel
the people upon him. He pointed OF
Ia his illustrious son-in-law that
was impracticab1e and inconslstel
With great 1andarShin for the TGSDOI
Slble head Of everything to be bul
dened with details. Moses simp
'ould not stand this strain. any mo-
than thousands of business men sfn(
nave been able to live under the sire
Il carrying all the petty cares or
lug business. Delegated responslpl
NY and authority is essential to SUI
cessful orga iiZation. SO Jethro coul
Selled Moses to organize the Peep
INTO thousands and hundreds and II
lies and tens, each with its W lea
tr. Only the most important que
lfnna n n