The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-16
ny BEN NEWSOME

Key verse: "Who through faith su
ness, obtained promises, stopped
-
Dare to be a Daniel" sings a
favorite cong. Many Of us sing II that
do not pause to think about all that
may mean. We all admire the char
acter OF the man who dares to stick
TO the right In the face uf dangerous
opposition, personal harm or even
danger to life. Yet how few of US
have learned the lesson good enough
that we can put It In practice in our
daily life? II is one thing 20 approve
ot proper principles, but IL is quite
another to live those principles when
confronted with circumstances
where we can only keep the faith at
the cost OF great sacrifice. Many a
man has gone to congress with high
ideals and the greatest probity, even
boastlng that he would not be guilty
Of the questionable practices so Com-
mon in politics az to be scarcely
noticed by the general public. yet
when he came TO steadfastly stand
Ing up for righteousness day after
day In the face Of pressure" to COM
promise with his conscience and TO
do himself those doubtful things
which he criticised In others. has not
TO be a Daniel Daniel was one Of
the three men given power and au-
thority next 10 tho king over parts
OF great kingdom. All that was
was sked Of him ws TO subordinate
his religious convictions to the call
OF loyalty to royal degree, and
thereby strengthen himself with the
government Of which he was part II
was the old conflict between prin-
ciple and oxpediency. Most Of our
pOlitlcians-and a tremendous ma
jority Of private citi2ens-yield 10
eXpediency and wink at practices
which their best Judgment con-
demns and which their conscience
cannot Justify How different n
world would we have n there were
greater proportion of Daniels-men
who valued principle as supreme
over considerations Of eXpediency.
A God Fearing Politician,
There are true politicians as well
as false ones. Let us remember that
when We discuss political scheming
and trickery. Daniel was a true poll
itician who had won his way TO high
office on his merits and not by deceit
and trickery, and was trusting and
obeying God while he was seeking
20 serve the nation. Like some Of
whom we might name, he considered
that loyalty TO God and adherence to
right principles was the first essen
tial to good public service. lie be-
lieved too that service TO God re-
Quired him to be as good a politician
in the service OF a pagan King as
IL he had been an aid TO kings Of his
own faith. He demonstrated that Il
was not essential to be a pagan be-
cause his monarch and people knew
not Jehovah, in fact that this very
fact gave him opportunities TO dem
onstrate the benefits OF righteous
ness To kingdom where the true
God was not worshipped nor his will
considered in affairs OF state He
undertook an uphill Job but he
showed that II was not only possible
hut profitable to serve God conscien-
tiously among unhelievers. No man
can truly say that environment
shall dictate what his belief and
practice shall be in an urfriendly
atmosphere. He not only maintained
himself with honor and respect, but
he was trusted with great authority
and responsibility. Principle pays
best when expediency would sug-
gest a different course.
Commence nj Home.
tegrity in great places. but we large
iy have ourselves 20 blamo for this
condition. We have little right 70
complain OF breaches Of public trust
unless we as people pay more at
tention to directing our own motives
and springs Of action on the same
plane Of problty that we expect from
our elected representative. What
we need is not more people 10 con-
denim the acts and motives Of poll
tlcians and lawmakers, but men who
will consecrate their lives to politics
as n means OF serving their fellow
men and Kidding our politicians "r
corruption by the means OF n good
exa xample--people who are willing "a
face any cost for righteouness in
public affairs just as truely as those
who enter the ministry or the mis-
sion service. Let the reform be
from the bottom up. rather from the
top down, and It will prove more ef-