Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-04-03
FORMER AUDUBON
MAN FILLS PULPIT
PROMINENT DEs MONIES ATTOR.
NEY MAKES SPLENDID AID.
DRESS AT Nj. f. CHURCH

Henry E. Sampson of Des Moines,
a former Audubon boy, and the son
of Mr.. and Mrs. c. H. Sampson, was
in the city Sunday and at the regular
hour of service filed the pulpit at
the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr..
Sampson has done considerable Y. M.
C. A. and other religious work dur
ing the past few years. Sunday he
spoke on the Methodist Centenary
and had for his subject "The Chris
tian Crusade for Democracy"
A large congregation greeted the
speaker and every word he uttered
was eagerly received. The address
was of such nature that many who
failed to hear him would be pleased
to know what he said. The follow
ing paragraphs from his address will
be Of interest:
1.-THE historian of the future will
record the fact that we are now pass
ing through crisis, in which democ-
racy is being put to the test.
Bismark once said, Build Ger
many into strong pillar; build jap
an into a strong pillar, and then
make of Russia and Siberia a great
arch resting upon these pillars and
you will have structure against
which the insanity of democracy can
beat out its brains
Such would have been the case,
had Bismark had his way, as Is
shown from the fact that the allied
armies were in more danger OF de-
feat from the German school system,
than from Germans guns. Provi-
4dence interfered with the plan of
Bismark when it placed western
Christian civilization in the Philip
pines near to japan, so that Japan
commenced turning toward democ-
, racy, thereby weakening the pillar.
Providence also interfered when 1t
kept Russia from establishing a
school system which would have
taught aristocracy-nOt democracy.
Bismark's plan failed, and the great
structure which he conceived, fell,
under the fire of the guns of the al
lied armies. and with the crash,
came tumbling down the thrones Of
twenty-five monarchs.
Today there is scarcely a country
where the citizen is the subject of an
absolute monarchy. The great war
has finished the fight between demo-
cracy and aristocracy; in the future
the contest will be between demo-
cracy and anarchy. Even now, con-
ditions in this country are pointing
in that direction.
The allied forces are now seeking
to further the cause of democracy,
but true democracy has never devel-
oped except where there was pure
s~Ao 1sfn ond alCn
free schools and free churches. The
Bible has been fundamental to our
nations life; the churches, the home
and the public schools have been the
corner stones of our liberty, and In
my Judgment. are essential to the es-
tablishment of any true democracy.
The allied armies have done much
toward furthering the cause of de-
mocracy, but there are things which
governments cannot dO-things
which armies have never attempted
to accomplish; you would not expect
any country to announce as its pol
icy the purpose of bringing about the
intellectual, physical and moral re-
construction Of any other nation;
governments cannot do the work in
volved in building up the spiritual
and moral forces within nation;
neither can it remove ignorance and
superstition. II belated people are
to sit around the peace table. they
should be educated and christianiz
ed.
The great obstacle of world dem
ocracy is ignorance and moral weak
ness on the part of multitudes. One
half the people of the world could
not read the Bible IL they had 1t;
two-thirds of the worlds population
have never heard of Jesus Christ.
Our own president has said that
religion is the only force in the
world that actually transforms the
life. This hour then, is Christian
ity's opportunity. Christianity and
education must precede, or at least
60 hand in hand with the govern
ment, in taking democratic institu-
tions, with all of their advantages to
the people of the world. Christian
ity, in this most critical hour of our
history, when democracy not only in
this country but throughout the
world, is being put to the test. must
be carried to the people of the
earth.
There Is but one institution in this
world that has program which will
bring about the necessary changes in
the intellectual and moral life Of the
people of his world; ana that institu'
ton is the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Methodist church has now an
opportunity unmatched in all the
centuries. to help reconstruct the
whole world on true Christian dem
ocratic basis"