The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-12-13
cORDELE'S PHARISEEISM.

Cordele has revived the asceticism
CT the early Puritans to make people
good by statutory laws. She has adop-
ed municipal force bill, hoping there
by to fill her church pews on Sunday.
IL is sort of compulsory educational
system for the grown people.
Certain austere forces got vigorous
~ behind the city authorities, and
they, in their full-blown official digni-
ty, in league with Beelzebub, re-es-
tablished the pharisaical Sabbath.
The ruling powers of Cordele said
o her people: Your righteousness
harsees, and our laws are so order
ed that you shall have full opportuni-
~ to excel them"
Now, dope is said to affect the nerv-
us system, and the Woodworking peo-
rle of Cordele needed nerve-rest, and
the decree went forth to imbibe no
dope on the Sabbath. Even news
boys were estopped from selling pa
lors, as their calls" disturbed the
sweet serenity of a Cordele Sabbath
The shoe-shines were forbidden to
shine shoes on the Sabbath day as the
shoes without polish we're more whole
some for piety on the Sabbath day
The auto travellers also fell under
The ban of official austerity. The news
came that automobile travel from the
North and from Chicago and Mime
sofa and Kansas would be unprece-
aented this winter, so that in order to
preserve Cordele Sabbath, it was de-
irable that these joy riders and in
\ estment-seekers defle not the high
ways through Cordele and the punish
nent is meted out to him who sells the
wayfaring man any gasoline. 1t de-
files the Sabbath. Let him seek other
routes.
All this make-believe piety in Cor
dele smacks so much of phariseeism.
Punctilious outward observance was
the religion of the pharisee. In tri-
fes the most minute eXactionS were
required, but in greater principles
the weightier matters-they were lack
ing. Moral prodery and pedentry,
which strained the wine before drink
ing it least a fly might have touched
it and made it unclean. raised no fuss
at all about swallowing the camel.
They we're zealots for words and
ceremonial forms, yet were spoken of
by Him who knew their hearts as
whited sepulchres and generation
CT vipers. Theirs was the religion of
the letter, yet they crucified the teach
or of tolerance. Oh, the sin of intol-
GRANGE!
There were great degrees of caste
in the phariseeism of old. The very
touch of pharisee of the lower grade
Of Levitical purity defled one of the
higher And they hated one who min
sled among publicans and sinners. But
Cordele has abolished caste. Her
I,lue laws apply alike to all
Among the pharisees of old it
was deflement to take food from
stranger; but Cordele permits the
stranger to buy lunch on the Sab
bath day, yet he cannot solace him
5 ell with 4 cigar. NO SMOKES dlIOWeu
TO be sold on Sunday. Like prahisee-
ism of old. Cordele is now under the
bondage of the letter of law, that her
spiritual growth may advance under
the ceremonial decree. The writer has
visited Cordele many times but did not
know it was so bad, and was surpris-
ed that resort is had to outward en-
forcement to bring about inward bet
terment Perhaps the Protestant Rab-
hi are now happy.
The reader before this has doubt
less recalled Charles Dickens Christ
mas Carol and that dialogue be-
tween the ghost and Scrooge.
why to a poor one most?' asked
Scrooge.
Because it needs it most"
Spirit" said Scrooge, after a mo-
ment's thought. 81 wonder you, OF all
beings in the many worlds about us,
should desire TO cramp those peoples