The Republican., 1922-07-20

the Matching of a dastardly plot
against his life. Power used for pub
lie good does not always run upon an
open road but it is the glory of such
that they can say with Kossuth, "My
hands are empty but they are clean"
THE TEST OF POWER
With the assumption of control of
an alien empire there would be tht
same condition that existed in Bel
gium during the German occupancy,
rany would oppose silently and some
openly the new government. And
German ingenuity was taxed to the
limit to run down the publishers of
that patriotic sheet that continued to
send out its issues thruout the war.
They failed in that as in many other
cases. Darius would find something
similar and the law was proposed
primarily as a test to loyalty that
would enable him to discover who was
traitorous to the new regime. With
the king as quasi-deity if not more
in the opinion of the times it would
be a shrewd appeal to the unsuspect-
ing ruler particularly as it seemed to
have the approval of. the entire body
of officials. Darius seems to have
been poor judge of men if he picked
such a rotten crowd with only one
honest one in the lot. Here lies some
thing of the peril of power in its ac-
ceptance of advice seemingly good but
holding within it a sinister joker. That
was the ruin of President Grant.
Then came its application and Daniel
faced it with full understanding of
its intent and the origin of it. Under
such circumstances should he not
have compromised and baffled the
conspirators by going to an inner
chamber? He had the power to do
it and could haYe laughed at them.
Most mems consciences would have
commended the move as a shrewd
matching of wits but not Daniels.
If he went down he would do it with
his flag up. He would dare lions
rather than have a shadow upon his
relation with God-better death than
the possible losing for an hour of
that dear intimacy so the windows
opened "as usual"
THE CONQUEST OF POWER
The trap was sprung and Daniel
was in it. More properly the king
was for he felt the bonds which
rested so lightly upon his Chief.
Power had conquered fear in Daniel.
Yet Darius would obey the law in
spite of his consciousness that he had
been duped into making it and that it
was for personal ends instead of for
the benefit of the state. AS an off
/ cial the law was to be obeyed. If we
could induce some Dariusas to immi-
CRATE to the U. s. we would hear less
of crime waves, bootlegging, Illinois
massacres and Georgia lynchings
So it was "Daniel to the lions" Then
there was a great night in the old
town. For the king it was one of un-
certainty, vague hope and sleepless
restlessness. Any man who has felt
the sting of having been tricked into
doing something he detested can
understand just why he had a bad
night. At the home of some one of
the conspirators there was a hilarious
gathering. Wine flowed freely, many
a jest went round about the "easy
king" and the religious fool,' and
they drank again to their own spoils
that were now assured. They had the
time of their lives. In the den was
the only sound sleeper among the
interested parties. Perfect love
casts out fear so the lions recognized
fearlessness and bowed to its sway.
God was there for no child of His is
ever deserted. Then came the morn
ing. Doubly sealed, by the conspir-
ators, might not rescue (for law
breakers do not trust lawkeepers) and
! by the king lest men might do what
the beasts would not, the door now
opened and the prime minister emer-
ges rejoicing in the God who keeps
His own. Nemesis stalked after the
tfeacherous crew who were wakened
from their drunken morning nap with
the same condemnation that they had
forced upon another. And real relig-
ion got a new impulse as it always
does from every bit of faithfulness
on the part of any believer.