The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-09-15
SMITH TALKS GOOD
STUFF ON CITIZENSHIP

Taking as his subject, Good Citi-
zenship in Anderson, Judge MendeI
L. Smith, presiding in geneE&i seS-
sions court here, spoke 10 large
congregation last n.gat at tae t'.rs5
Baptist church, and daring the morn
ing Sunday school hour spoke TO the
Baraca class of that church. which
was attended by members Of the Ma
irons class as well as by large nun!-
bers Of Daracas. Judge Smith made
a profound impression upon his near
ers.
Judge Smith was formerly q circus
Judge in South Carolina, but during
the World war he resigned his Judge
ship and was commissioned major
in the department of the Judge .Advo-
cate general of the United States
army. Although he has presided in
court here but a week, it is generally
conceded that the effect OF the
courts work in that time has been
marked, and will probably go g long
way toward remedying the condition
of lawlessness in this county.
In speaking before the Baraca
class yesterday morning at the First
Baptist church, Judge Smith brought
a forceful message to almost 200 OF
the. leading citizens Of this city, when
ne defined the greatest need of the
world today as genuine religion in
the lives and hearts of men and wo-
men," God in the community, in the
everyday life of the average citizen
in business, all of these, he declared
will go long way toward restoring
peace and prosperity.
Judge Smith referred eloquently to
the devotion to the Word of God OF
our forefathers, the last vestiges OF
which have almost lapsed into obscu-
ritv. and stated that it is need OF
such religion today that the world Is
begged in the quagmire of lawless-
ness and economic troubles:
World evangelization,' he declar-
ed. "is the duty of the United States
today" Judge Smith then asserted
that the world is no nearer peace TO-
dav. what with the inherited enmlSy
and the animosity existing in many
E,,ropean countries. "The duty of
the church is to teach the cardinal
principles Of religion. In it lies the
only hope"
As inxcusable as it is, and as hu-
initiating as it has been in the past,
he, declared in substance, there Is no
niace where religion is more needed
than in some of our churches. There
is no place where its absence is more
felt: nor its effectiveness more tell
ing"
Judge Smith then related an mel
dent wherein an individual was sue
inc railroad for the death OF
k;nsman. An old negro was on the
stand and testified that he waved MS
lantern at the coming automobile IN
which the victim was riding, and ne
had not needed him. Under cruel
ling cross-examination the old ne
pro's story was mistaken, and de-
fo,se counsel after the trial hao
nean concluded in favos of the rail-
road questioned the old negro, after
giving him SIC for his services.
"1Nere:.'ee ECU afraid asked 'ne
LAWYER of the old darky. {
.yass9h, Is 'fraid somebudy was
eoin' to ask ne if dat lantern was
lit
"The churches are waving rei'gi-
ors lanterns each day." declared
1ndcp Smith. ':but when they take
their place beside the tracks of po-
Itical md industrial evils to flag on
coming humanity, they fail because
taev arc waving q dark lantern; IN
i IS not the real flash Of true re-
ligion."
IuGes Smith profoundly impressed
his hearers with his mastery dis
course. and periodically n:zde cio-
ovent references 10 the Bible and
passages therein bearing upon the
condition Of the wor!G today.
. NJ. No. IN,-J