The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-08-11
world made a ridiculous spectacle OF

| uIIOSI Cuc iIlIuSIlCS VI WlllS. hOt
while drunk, committed the very low
est, beastly violation of the laws OF
decency. Solomon furnished plenty
of wine for the laborers in building
his temple. Do the ministers of our
church point out to US these discrep-
encies? Or do they in hyprocritical
solemnity attempt to show us that
everything about the Bible is abso-
lutte perfection? While David was a
man after Gods own heart, he would
not be my selection as a moral ex-
ample for my children to emulate. A
man who was willing to have a hus-
band murdered in order to obtain his
wife may be a fit king to. reign over
Gods chosen people. But I have
often wondered what the friends and
neighbors of poor Uriah thought OF
| David?
The very lowest curse of this world
is ignorance. Ignorance is the weeds
the thorns and thistles, the poison
vines, the serpents and reptiles that
sting and bite, the venomed insects
that crawl, destroy and kill. "There
is no darkness, but ignorance" OF
all the trees that have borne fruit
the very greatest of all is the tree Of
knowledge of Good and Evil" Let
US eat of it and become as gods
knowing good and evil. What is life
worth without knowledge of good and
evil? Ignorance is weakness, knowl-
edge is power. Ignorance is dark
ness, knowledge is light. Ignorance
is disease, weakness, sickness and
death. knowledge is happiness
health and strength.
aye shall not surely die; for Goo
doth know that in the day We eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be
opened; and we shall be as gods
knowing good and evil"
"And the Lord God said, Behold
the man is become as one of US, to
know good and evil" knowledge will
bring unity and solidarity, and in
unity and solidarity there will be
strength.
am tired of this nonsense OF
keeping my people in ignorance
keeping them in continual dissention
continually divided, following the
thousands that presume to lead. We
are forever preached to, to follow
the leader.
I despise followers; I detest lead
ers. We want representative men,
not leaders. We want men who pos
sess enough common sense to know
that the strength of our people lies
in knowledge and solidarity. In
churches there is too much preaching
and not enough deliberation; toe
much praying, not enough perform
ing; too much worship and not
enough work. Let us get together;
let us have knowledge; let us have
unity. Several days ago one of the
divine healers approached me telling
of his good work in his recent visits
to the county Jail and the states
prison and his preaching to the in.
mates. I wanted to know would ii
not have been better to have saved
them before they became inmates of
the Jail and penetentiary? Courts OF
justice are human institutions and
therefore possess the imperfections
of all human institutions. No one
will dispute the fact that thousands
of innocent persons have been &C.
cused, tried and convicted in courts
Today there are thousands of inno-
cent men languishing in the prisons
of the world. Thousands who have
been innocent have been accused
tried, condemned and executed
What consolation do the innocent
men in prison get from the preaching
of the gospel? How does he feel
when he is told that God is all wise
and all powerful, and yet has allowed
him to suffer, to sigh in prison years
and years for crime of which he
had no knowledge?
Innocence should be perfect
shield. Virtue should be draped in
silks and finery, decked in jewels and
precious stones. Honesty should be
the most profitable way, the only
road to happiness. Labor SHOULD live
in houses instead of huts and novels
Hatred and prejudice should have nc
place among men. I will follow nc
man; no man should follow me.
will be neither follower nor leader
But let US seek out the royal high
way to human happiness together
Let US after we have found it travel
on its lighted way arm in arm
When we have lost our way let each
and every one make effort to be a
pioneer, and when at last we have
found the way again let US arm in
arm 60. on.
aye shall know the truth and it
will make you Free" Let US learn
the truth, about politics, about re-
ligion, about music, about science,
about art, about economics, about
ethics. You see the field is so broad
no one can be a leader. The very
wisest is ignorant Of some things.
The most ignorant possess knowledge
of something. Let US get together;
let us use our hearts, our hands, and
most important of all, our brains.
Open our eyes and let the blessed
sunlight into the soul. Open our
ears and listen to the symphonies of
natures orchestra. Our nostrils
should inhale natures perfumes. And
yet after all. we must remember the
bfackness of night, the discords, the
stenches and bitterness these are to
nature.
Let us enjoy life and strive to
make others happy. Happiness is
the only good" We must learn that
mans humanity to man makes
countless millions mourn" We must
remember every book ever written,
no matter how sublime or how fool
ish, was written by man. Murder,
stealing and lying would be wrong
even if committed by god. Wrong
is wrong In the nature of things and
cannot be made right.
sssss* e