Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-09-24
THE SIGNS
OF THE TIMES

Editor News:
The signs of the times can be read
at every turn in our civilization. The
rapidly increasing wealth of our coun,
try under the reign of capitalism anG
its concentration in the hands of the
few is clearing the way for our down
fall as nation. The history of past
ages has proved that wealth is the
mother of luxury; luxury is the moth.
er of vice; vice is the mother Of polit-
ical corruption, which. if unchecked
ends in national death. This is the
brief story Of the ultimate curse Of
wealth under private ownership, and
II we are to predict the future by the
past and present. we would say that
disaster and death are not far distant,
unless we change the course of our &C.
tions and create new system of econ
omics by which our wealth will be
more equally distributed. Wealth is
one of the most deceitful things in our
life, 1t deceives the ones who possess
it, the ones who are in pursuit of it,
and those who never expect to enjoy
it. It's curses has drawn black mark
all thru the pages of human history,
from the earliest ages of man. The
God-inspired jeremiah long time
before Christ came uttered these
words, ''He that getteth riches and
not by rights, shall leave them in the
midst Of his days and at his end shall
be fool. !" These are sharp and pain
full words and have proved to be true
down to the present time. There are
many rich people that have gotten
their wealth honestly, but those peo-
Pile who have gotten it dishonesty
shall leave them in the midst Of their
day, saith the Lord. This ought to be
enough to discourage any man from
the pursuit Of wealth along an evil
path. Some Of those who have gotten
their riches not by right drop off sud
denly without days warning, while
sitting at the Office desk or walking on
the streets, and in countless other
ways. They are snatched from the
busy circles where they are playing
their part in the absorbing dream of
money getting. There is no encour-
agement whatever for man to gain
riches under an evil shadow when he
knows that at bis end he shall be
fool according to the estimate of the
divine wisdom. Such people are not
always considered to be fools by those
who survive them, but eternal Justice
holds the record of their folly and
places upon their wasted lives the
stamp of failure. In all ages the pass
ion of money getting has ruled in
countless breasts and has driven many
a poor soul to fearful wreck on the
shoals of greed. When Christ deliver
ed His holy doctrines to men he took
no uncertain stand on the question of
riches To the rich young ruler who
came to him Christ's final test of his
sincerity was the request that the
young man part with his worldly pos
sessions, and the young man of fine
moral character and good intentions
allowed himself to think more of his
riches than he did of Christ, so he |
went away sorrowful, clinging to the
chaff and refusing the wheat. Baby
Ion showed the picture of wealth, lux
ury, licentiousness and debauchery on |
one hand, and poverty, wretchedness |
and slavery on the other. The con-
trolling power became so degraded I'M
der these ruling evils that the whole |
kingdom became an easy prey to the |
powers that crushed her. Thus we
are following in the footsteps of
Rome, and our orators are comforting
the people with the thought that there
can be no danger as long as we are
christian nation. We answer by say
ing that when once the principles of
are ignored by the legis.
latures and congress of our country,
we are no longer the christian nation
that we ought to be. The only bright
lights of this country are the many
churches that are clinging to the plain
and simple teaching of Jesus Christ.
They are the salt of the nation and to
the last hour of our national existence
they will raise their protest against
The political corruption and the gener-
al dishonesty so prevalent among us.
Political corruption is on the increase
and you trace the whole situation
back to its origin you will find that
the possession of great wealth by a
limited number of people, and the
wild efforts of others to gain wealth is
The beginning of all the trouble. How
ong will we suffer under these threat
,ning conditions Shall we 60 to the
asst analysis and reap the last bitter
'ruit, or shall we welcome the light
If new order of things that would
establish safer equality between man
ind man, giving to all share of the
natural blessings of the earth and the
product of their toll. If such sys-
EN- is not established and our people
,lindly 60 on in their present course.
We will open our eyes when 1t is too
ate and the reaping time will be the