The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-09-01

son. But this is the
place to remind #& ##
ourselves that JUS a&aas3E Nc ~
tice as an ideal, DIR. Foreman
and democracy as
a means of reaching that ideal,
were not born yesterday.
Labor Day will recall the
great services rendered to de-
mocracy by the organized
workers OF the world, for ex-
ample, in the push they have
given to free and universal ed
ucation. But democracy is older
than the labor movement, II
older than July 4. 1776, Is older
than the Magma Charta, II old
or than the Roman empire, In
which one Of many notices was
"Let justice be done even II
the sky caves in!"
Justice and democracy 60 back
70 the ancient Hebrews, the people
who wrote the Old Testament. It
was written In their laws, preached
by their prophets. sung In their
Psalms. But Of course they did not
invent 1t. They proclaimed it; but
justice Is older than the human
race. The whole Bible and not only
the Old Testament teaches that JUS
tice is rooted in the nature of God
himself. No unjust person can be
called godly.
Songs of Justice
NUR Psalms for this week give
~ us some valuable light on what
justice Is. Some people think that
IL everybody were rich, that would
be justice. Psalm 10 shows how
foolish that notion is. 1t says In al
most so many words, "You can't
take 1t with you"
Riches do not spell happiness.
Making everybody rich might
mean making many people
miserable. Money by itself does
not cure the ills Of life, 1t may
make them worse or even
create new mes. Many q fam
lily in the upper brackets" has
troubles that would vanish u
they had less money.
Psalms u and 50 give us more
positive suggestions. Psalm n sees
II as the kings main duty to judge
the people with Righteousness and
Justice. The king was the govern
ment. in those days; he was the
executive and the legislative and
the judicial branch Of government
all rolled into one. In modern
terms, the business Of government
is something more than furnishing
police to lock up and punish wrongs
after they have been done.
The welfare Of the people Is the
concern Of government. When pub
Lie officials take any other view O
their Job, they are off the beam
In a democracy. the government II
the people, that is to say. ourselves
II things are bad we are to blame
for It; IL they are going to be an.
better. we shall have to work fol
II. Every appeal to a king. in thu
Old Testament, when TRANSLATED
into terms Of a democratic coun
try. means an appeal to the PEG
pie.
The Little People
JUSTICE always has to be con
cerned with the little people.
was true in the simple little worl'
of the ancient Hebrews, it is jus
as true In our global compile,
world. that the strong viii Away
exploit the weak If there is not
hand to stop them.
God is always for the ''poor,"
the "children of the needy"
and he is always against the
"oppressor." In ancient Israel
the oppressor was usually the
big landowner who treated his
slaves with cruelty or under
paid his workers. Nowadays
the onpressor is any expioiter.
n man or group of men who
Will use power 60 squeeze out
or crash down the little man.
But justice is positive. not negs
tive, prevention and not cure only
Concern for social justice include
taking care of people laid low b
an epidemic or made homeless b
fires; but it goes far beyond thi:
! II viii mean working for condition
i such that no one will be forced I
live in unsanitary firetraps.
Downright by the InternstiOnat Coul
ell Of Religious Education on behalf
| 30 Protest mt denominations. Release
~ WNu Features.
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