The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-14

perance Lesson.)
Pooling With the Forces.
He was only a heather king, and
not to be judged by the laws that
govern his present-day imitators; yet
Belshazzar, drunk. sported with the
symbols and the honor or the living
God; and so became one Of the tragic
coIlapses of the ages. There is hand
writing on the wall in this Lesson for
more than Babylon's dissolute ruler.
In the back of BelshazZar's head, as
in the background of all of his life
and surroundings, rested serene the
notion that he was better than other
men, and had special privileges which
did not belong to the common herd.
And. he really had. For he was king.
I'm those days, king-Tignt was SUI
preme might There was no higher
law than the will of the monarch.
In an Oriental Court.
AS we picture Belshazzar in his pal
ace at Babylon. surrounded by cour-
tiers and concubines. sycophants and
slaves, and all the lavishnesS and lux
ury of a voluptuous oriental court, we
wrong by nobody for him to go the
limit in self-indulgence. If he got
pleasure in seeing children beheaded,
he could order up a line of innocents
for the sword. There was no right or
virtue or sanctity beyond his reach:
the highest use of anything was to
crafty his royal desires and passions.
Naturally, life soon became a quest
for new sensations. Some clever cour-
tier probably suggested rnat it would
be good sport to call for the sacred
vessels from the Jerusalem temple of
those fanatical Jews, and use them for
the base purposes of a satuVnalia.
What was the honor of a strange God
when the kings within was concerned?
So the game was played with endless
ribaldry and merrimene; ana many
an impious and flattering pun about
the better use to which the golden
vessels were now being put, in that
they gave pleasure to Belshazzar.
When Shame and Sanctity Go.
There are no sanctities left inViolate,
and tha1e is no shame. when children
OF privilege go on debauch. Did you
ever see, as 1 have seen more than
alumni, celebrating in honor of their
alma mater? Personally. I have had
to look upon more bestia1 drunkenness
on the part of educated" young men
in and about college promises, than I
have ever seen at any one time in the
past ten years anywhere else in the
Notwithstanding the leave areas" of
the army in France. When your COL
lege student goes on spree he acts
like Belshazzar; for he thinks the
irresponsible.
This old BabyIonian idea of "spe-
cial privilege" is still prevalent today.
Movie stars and n1illionaireS, politi-
clans and patricians, often act as II
they were above the moral law. The
criminal court and the divorce courts
bear testimony to this; altho- only a
1.-THE of the offenders against the
moral and civil code are ever brought
to book Everybody close to the capt.
tails of government is familiar with
this conception on the part of pub
lie men, that they are immune from
the obligations that apply to ordinary
people. They are Belshazzar down to
date
What shall we say about this?
Nothing that is not clearly written
on the surface of the days lesson
whose attempts to fool with the
ence; whose undertakes to flout the
authority of the God of Sinai and of
Calvary; and whose considers himself
apart from and superior to the mass
of mankind, is due to have a terrible
reckoning with the Almighty.
There are no limits beyond which
the moral law does not run; the Ten
Commandments apply East of SueZ,'
kipling to the contrary notwithstand-
ing; as certain European nations and
individual are tearing to their bitter
cost. The Lord does not have all of
his reckonings as soon and as suddenly
as with Belshazzar; but he always has
them Can any thoughtful person d.
today from the conduct of yesterday
and today? There is more of cause
and effect to be read in our news
papers than the headline writer's seem
vism. for instance, have terminated
oftener at the top of society than at
the bottom.
"Weighed and Wanting
Daniel has been in the background
of my mind of late as have had
knowledge of certain recent condi-
lions in politics, education and re-
Iigion. Sturgeon used to tell of the
printer who made a typographical err
ror to the effect that IAN excellent
spine was in Daniel" instead of IAN
excellent spirit" 1 wish his spine and
his spirit were both in some public Of
ficials and educators and churchmen
whom I could name.
Recently high American officials
gave a dinner in Washington, at
tended by other higher officials, and
a large company of pressmen, at
which liquor. provided by the host,
flowed freely and unrebuked. How
some of those eminent custodianS of
law-observance could sit silent amid
the flowing alcoholic streams puzzles
me. Yet that instance is not I'M
typical of the Belshazzar ''above-the-
law attitude.
In Canada and the States there has
been an amazing deal of Official con-
across the border. Many men per-
sonally superior to brides have con-
doned this lawlessnesS, because they
themselves do not approve of the par
ticular laws that apply-forgettin
that disregard of any law on the part
of the high begets disregard of all law
on the Fart of the lowly. Personally
1 prefer the course OF that clergyman
as indiscreet as Daniel. who abruptly
left a banquet in Brooklyn at which
he was to speak because of the open
use of looze. A similar course has
been followed by the ex-Christian En-
deavorer. District Attorney Banton of
New York.
If there were more Daniels on the
faculties Of our big universities the
alumni reunions would not be the
=