The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-11
BISHOP ADVISES USE 0F DICTIONARY
Says Bryan's Evolution Is GroundIess-Denounces
 Civic Righteousness
ENSLEY BIrREAU1 THE AGE-HERALD ! Ensley.S Ala Inn ID |

J
 Before an audience. composed of every protestant clergyman in Ensley, Bishop C. M Beckwith of the Epis- copal church delivered the principal address at the Kiwanis luncheon Thursday. The appearance of Bishop Beckwith before the Kiwanians, with the other clergymen as guests, ex- cited the interest of local residents and attendance records of the Xii wanis club were broken.
 President Turnipseed presided and after introducing all of the visiting ministers, the guest of honor was introduced by Clude W. Ennis, in a few brief references. Bishop Beck with started out by saying that there was no such thing as civic righteousness but that a man by his daily life may lengthen his shadow and contribute to the creation of wAlt Is termed civic righteousness. He said that the arguments of William J. Bryan as to evolution are worth less fnasmuch as there was no such thing as evolution but that evolution simply expressed the theory of one man.
 He suggested that the modernists and fundamentalists might do we'll to consult the dictionary occasionally to find out exactly what a word means. For instance he suggested that the correct definition of sycophant was simply a man who gathered figs, and that to call a man a fig gatherer was not insulting but to call one a syco- phant meant a fight. He also pointed out that a poltroon was man who had lost a thumb. But many, many have lost thumbs who would fight at the drop of the hat If called poltroon. He said the custom grew out of the old Romans fighting with spears and that if one cut off ones thumb one could not go to war. Hence a coward was a poltroon but a poltroon was one who had lost a thumb as many mechanics and other honorable men have.
 Commends Kiwanians.
 Bishop Beckwith told a story about a clergyman playing golf, who upon missing a stroke said with especially vehemence: Muscle Shoals, Muscle Shoals" and upon being asked what he meant said that was the biggest dam in the world but that a dam with only when one added the "N'' that the other meaning was conveyed.
 Speaking of the Kiwanis club, Bish- op Beckwith said that the men facing him had character and could do all they undertook provided their definition of "club" was something that cleaves and not a "club" that beats down. He said that the club idea may mean inclusiveness or ex- clusiveness but that the latter should not be the case with Kiwanians. He spoke of corporation and less picker ing. suggested that a town would prosper whose merchants did not offer "something just as good as the article wanted but delivered the real thing and spoke of the corporation obvious in Atlanta. He said that a proposition to build a ladder to the moon and develop real estate there would find no one to oppose 1t if offered In Att lanta by a citizen of that town. He recommended to the community a spirit of inclusiveness and co-opera- ton to the end that enduring and lasting work might be accomplished
 The address of Bishop Beckwith was such as to call for the heartiest congratulations.
 Aside from this feature rosters of the club were presented'to each mem Der present with the compliments of D. P. Pnapp, Foster Hamilton, Dray- ton Trucks. John Angwin and Dan J. Duffe. The luncheon was also fea- tured by a short address by Rev. w E. Wilson and Rev. l.. E. Brubaker.