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December 24, 1913.
E D I T O R I A L
John W. Pritchard, Editor.
~*"rU.M-RULED POLITICS.
That either of the leading political parties
can be looked to as a friend of the Temperance
cause, has long since been a lost hope.
Nevertheless avc still find professing Christians
Avho vote the ticket of these parties
every year. If they do this under the delusion
that they may still be relied upon to favor
this cause, the utteratices of both the platforms
and tbe press of these parties should
serve to break the enchantment. We note
the following: "The Detiiocratic Party of Indiana
is now, as it has ahvays been, opposed
in principle to all sumptuary laws," (Indiana
Platform), "We therefore declare that the
prohibition, by Constitution or by general
law, of the manufacture and sale of vintts,
malt or spirituous licjuor Avould be a violation
of individual and personal rights, and contrary
to the principles of free government"
(Illinois Democratic Platform). Similar declarations
are found in the Democratic State
Platforms of Ncav Hampshire, Virginia,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas and CaHfornia.
Turning to the 'Republican press for evidence
of AAdiere that party stands on this
question, Ave read in the Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette that "the Republicans are done
with the Temperance question." The Brooklyn
Times declares that, "As Republicans, we
shall oppose prohibition to the end. The Republican
party is not, and cannot be made
a Prohibition party. We cannot and Avill not
accept their platform^ Let it be distinctly
understood that Ave have no terms to make
with prohibition, and that, as Republicans, we
shall oppose them tO' the end." And the
Chicago Tribune thus declares itself: "In
the great Western states the large majoirity
of the saloon keepers are Republicans, and
their patrons are largely Republicans. If
they are to be stigmatized as public enemies
and dealt Avith as such, the inevitable result
will be that they will find Avelcome shelter in
whisky Democratic party, and that the Republican
party Avill lose thousands of honorable
votes, the loss of Avhich cannot be-made
good." The brcAvers' interests are in no
more danger from the Republican than from
the Democirat;ic adminiatratioin.''' "P'rohibi-i
tion originated with the Democrats. They
passed the Maine law Avhich bas ahvays been
the mainstay and model of Prohibition legislation
elsewhere. The Democratic party is
A FAMILY PAPER.
identified much more than the Republican
Avith Prohibition policies.
Prohibition must
be prohibited in the Republican party."
Such
utterances as these recall to mind
the words of Jeremiah: "A Avonderful and
horrible thing is committed in the land. The
prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests
bear rtile by their means; and my people love
t'oi have it so: and Avhat Avill ye do in the
end
thereof?
REDEEMED TO RE RIGPFrEOUS,
W'e never realize how
highly God values
character, the character of fallil^le men in
this Avorld, until we see that the sacrifice of
his Son had for its special purpose the pr-jduction
of a righteous
whom he redeemed.
character in those
The Lord Jesus "bare
our sins in his own hody on the tree that Ave
Ihaving died unto sins, might live untjo righteousness,"
"Pie gave himself for us, that
he mig'ht redeem us fronr all iniquity, and
purify unto himself a people for his OAvn
possession, zealous of good
works." God's
people are saved to be saints, redeemed to
be righteous, helped to be holy.
is in order to sanctification.
Justification
Calvary, mighty
as it is, is not a terminal on God's road, but
a way station; the terminal is in the human
heart, in rig'hteous conduct, in holy living.
It is not so much that Christ Avill take his
people to heaven, it is of the first consequence
tjh'at h,e makes them fit to go there.
That this righteous character may be produced,
it is necessary that we he turned aAva)'
from sin in every form, that Ave be disconnected
with it, that we be dead to it. Living
in sin prevents the groAvth of a good character
for sin is the destruction of goodness,
Tesus, Avho Avas Avithout sin, is the model
character and to gain his character we must
be separate from sin as he was. But the
heart cannot live in vacancy and emptiness,
so we must at the same time cultivate righteousness
in heart and life. In order to make
this change complete and lasting we naust
hate sin and love righteousness.
The death of our Lord Jesus Christ inclines
us to righteousness because of his example.
Some consider this the Avhole purpose of the
life and death of our Lord, but Avhile this is'
not all, nor even the greatest part, of the
truth, it has so much importance that it is to'
be given a high place. His life shoAVs us
hoAV to live, and his death shows us hoAv to
die, a:nd not only so, but it also puts behind
this teaching the motive power of the most
inspiring example, "Follow me," says the
Master and immediately there comes an impulse
to arise, leave all and folloAV him,
^Tore important even than this example is
the poAver of Ch.rist's atonement in that it
frees us from the guilt of our sin and opens
the way to forgiveness. One can Avith courage
begin to run the race Avhen freed from
the burden of all his transgressions. How
could one, carrying all his sins, follow the
footsteps of the Saviour! But Avhen his
death atones for our sins and his life A\orks
out for us a perfect righteousness, Ave are
free to folloAV. his commands and the Avay is
open to strive for the righteous character.
Even then Ave should utterly fail and come
short, if his death had not secured for us
the work of the lioly Spirit, giving to us a
new heart. No matter hoAV inspiring is the
call of Christ, no matter hoAV free Ave may
be from guilt, aac have Avithin us, if it be
not changed, that Avhich effectually hinders
all efforts for a righteous character. An evil
heart, as long as it remains, in its natural
state, makes all things evil in us. So Christ
has in his death provided for us the mighty
power of the Spirit Avho will give us a new
heart and make it his dAvelling place, that
it may live and groAv and at last control the
Avhole man.
Then there is his place of power, secured
by his death, in Avhich he orders all things
for our Avelfare and gives blessings more
than can be numbered, all planned to produce
a godly character. It has been said that
"an honest man is the noblest work of God,"
and if he is honest toward himself, his fellow
men and his God, this is true, for the
Avisdom, faithfulness and love of God which
have their highest exemplification in the
sacrifice of his Son have for their purpose
the production of a righteous character in
tbe men of his choice.
THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINEERS.
Some months ago we received from Mrs.
M, J, Boyd, of Sparta, Illinois, a lengthy clipping
from' The American Magazine. The article
is the life story of a Southern mountaineer
Avho is remaking his |OAvn people. Emerson
Hough's story of "Burns of the Mountains"
is a gripping tale, J, A. Burns, of the
Cumberland Hills of Kentucky, is doing a
noble Avork. A college president Avifh only
seventeen months of school, a hundred-thousand-dollar
college started Avith a capital of
tAventy cents, is sugg'cstive of the things attained
by Burns of the Mottntains, Describing
the people among AA'hom i\Ir, Burns is
working-, Emerson Hough AA-rites: "They remained
of the old Covenanter type, dour, somber,
stark, lean and bold, difficult to be hurried
or herded. They have simply lived on,
sweetlv and graciously practising the ancient
laAvs of hospitality, sternh' adhering to their
ideas of personal honor, curiously urconventional,
curiously unchanged, r\Ioreover, they
are extremely godly folk, as much so as they
lA'ere in the old Scotch Highlands two hundred
vears ago. The raid is begun Avith praA'-
er, men slav each other AA'ith exceeding ric'ht-