Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-15

ested in politics. They will tell yo,
that they dislike the double dealing o.
a politicians, or the abuse Of the news
popsrs, or the ignorance and selfishnes.
sof the Legislature, or the weakness OF
scnnnins or dishonesty of the officials
4. and that they prefer to keep out of an,
political business, even to the extent
Of not exercising their right to vote.
They seem to believe that by keeping
out" of politics they have avoided the
whole question Of government and can
70 about their business or pleasure
scot free.
LIVERY now and then when such a
thing as the French Revolution or
a5fhe Russian Revolution or the revolt
of an Irish faction or an Indian fac
ton or a Mexican faction occurs, it is
realized that however aloof in mind to
politics the persons on the spot may be.
they may, nevertheless. lose their pos.
sessions and eventually their lives be-
cause Of politics, and those who escape
temporarily endeavor before it is too
late to grasp the political reins in order
to avert II possible the final catastrophe
If dying for their country in spite of
themselves. Then. however, It is gen
orally too late. or at all events the
sreins arc apt to slip out OF their un-
accustomed fingers. 1t takes more than
y knowledge of history to be poll
tician, more than q critical observation
of the present. One must be something
Of q prophet. a seer. TO read in the
signs OF the times the dawn Of the
future.
am always surprised that in
Christian civilization SO little is en-.
ioiued in this matter on individual
Christians by religious teachers. Hu.
manly speaking. Christ died because OF
u political situation which lie alone OF
his countrymen saw and understood in
its entirety. :.
II He had NOT understood, He would
have been made King on the day OF
His triumphal entry int" Jerusalem.
And If the high priests had understood
.--humanly speaking again-thc cruci-
fxion could scarcely have taken place.
yXIE ARE taught great many vivid
w and poignant things about those
Anal DAYS of our Lord. but curiously
enough the human reason of Ills death
the political situation-is seldom
dwelt upon and little known to the rank
and file Of us. Yet unless we compre-
hend the situation. the political murder
that occurred Is incomprehensible ana
has in some lights almost the appear.
ance Of political suicide, instead OF
the thing il was, the completion OF n
great and godlike triumph over the
clashing will Of men.
The answer to the riddle OF evil de-
signs, the center of the web OF circum-
stance, was the cunning mind that ruled
Jerusalem in that dark year that was
to prove SO fateful for the Jewish race
] once found an old catch that was the
invention Of centuries later, but which
gave in q half dozen doggerel lines the
story Of the times supposedly from the
point of view Of the ordinary citizens OF
Jerusalem in the year OF Christ death:
'Iet Pilate tread us under his heel.
A Herod will give us the saive to
mend US.
Let Antipas use us to mount on stool,
Caiaphas will pull US from under
meath 1t.
II our lambs we bring for Caiaphas to
slaughter,
Annas will meet us behind the altar
DILATE was the Roman Governor OF
L Jerusalem. but there were many paid
informers both in Jerusalem and in
the court of the Emperor in Rome who
were employed by his rivals to report
against him to the Emperor. Any po-
litical disorder that was difficult to
suppress would inevitably cause his
downfall. The Hecods never ceased to
plot their return 70 the throne Of Je-
rusalem. and Herod Antipas. who was
ruler Of the nearby province Of Cali
L. ha,.n
rival except for his political mistake
in the execution of John the Baptist,
which had been very unpopular among
the Jews. Bad rs that had been, how
ever. Herod Antipas was still in some
quarters serious menace to Pilates
rule. Both represented Rome and
Roman rule, their fight was factional
fight within the party.
Pitted against them both was the
yiestly or native Jewish party, led by
the High Priests.
A 8 IS we'll known. since Aaron's time
"A the Office Of High Priest had been
hereditary, passing from father TO
eldest son, with only here and there Il
break. for over 1000 years. The ten
ure Of office had been a lii" one unless
the holder were iucapacitated. This
obtained until the Roman Emperor
broke that precedent, After his rule
was established. in order 10 know who
was High Priest one must turn to the
Roman records TO see whether a HerOd
or a Maccabee. the Roman Governor
OF Syria, or the Roman Procurator of
Judea ruled Jerusalem in the name of
the Caesar. Each Of those had his
favorite High Priest. After the HerodS
ceased to be kings in Jerusalem, for
instance, Quirinius, Governor of Syria
appointed Annas High Priest. but some
fourteen years later II new Procurator
of Judea, Valerius Gratius. was ap-
pointed from Rome. He deposed Annss
and appointed p High Priest Of the
same family in his stead. At the time
Of the death Of Christ, caiaphas, a
son -in-law Of Annas, was the nominal
holder of the Office and the legal figure
head Of the religious hierarchy Of tn
, Jews.
But there was a curious underSidc
to this, which the Roman officials
not change. Annas was still High
Y Priest In the eyes Of his countrymen,
and so had remained through the vicis-
situdes of nearly half century
though during that time five of hl>
near of kin had held successfully the
outward authority, 1t was Annas who
presided over the Sanhedrin, or Jewish
|. Council, and it was Annas whose tina
& DECISIONS were obeyed in the secre
councils of the political party that de
pended On the priests and Pharisee!
for Its perqulsites.