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    March 17, 1898

    “Editorial” American Sentinel 13, 11, p. 161.

    ATJ

    “JUDGE not, and ye shall not be judged.” “Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned.”AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.1

    EVERY Christian is called of God to be a reformer, but not one is called to reform any nation, community, or individual, by the power of legislatures or of courts.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.2

    THE church might lobby till doomsday to secure legislation in behalf of religious institutions, without ever convincing the world that there is such a thing as the power of godliness.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.3

    AMS regards religion, the majority in this world have always been on the wrong side. Hence the vote of the majority in a religious question is practically certain to be on the side of error.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.4

    MEN are not made good or bad by the government; but the government is made good or bad by the men who conduct it. Reform the men, and there will be no occasion for a reform in the government.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.5

    THE only government that is suited to a corrupt people is a despotism. When the American people become corrupt, a despotism must and will be set up over them. Despotism is the inevitable sequence of national corruption.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.6

    WHEN the “peace of God” rules in the heart, there is quiet in the soul; and that quietness is a hundred fold more essential to proper Sabbath observance than all the quiet that can be secured by Sunday laws. Without it, indeed, no real Sabbath observance is possible.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.7

    A SUNDAY law is a tax, demanding one seventh of all an individual’s time. And this time is money to the individual, but cannot possibly be such to the government which demands it. It is of all taxes the most absurd, useless, unwarranted, and unjust. God alone has the right to require one seventh of a person’s time, and he alone has a wise purpose in requiring it.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.8

    IT is very strange that a prayer-meeting or other religious service can be held in the church on any “week-day” evening without being at all disturbed by work and traffic, but cannot be held on Sunday without “great disturbance,” if there happens to be any work or traffic in the vicinity. One would think it was not possible to be religious except in the midst of absolute quiet.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.9

    “A Word More on the Flag Salute” American Sentinel 13, 11, pp. 161, 162.

    ATJ

    IN reply to a correspondent from Iowa, who writes us that many people object to the SENTINEL’S opposition to the flag salute on the ground that it would stifle patriotism, we take occasion to say a word more on the salute in its relation to patriotism.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.1

    The only salute we have specifically noticed is that used at Boulder, Col., which required the pupil to make a profession of allegiance to God. It was on this ground mainly that the SENTINEL opposed it.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.2

    The flag salute is used in many other States; and so far as we know, in no other does it contain any reference to God. Without this it is of course much less objectionable. But there are some principles which apply to these salutes in general, by which we think their character for good or evil must be determined. It is our aim to touch upon these in this article.AMS March 17, 1898, page 161.3

    In the first place, we think there is ample evidence that, in most cases, the flag salute is designed rather to foster militarism than patriotism. That the spirit of militarism is creeping into the public schools, cannot be denied. The “Boys’ Brigades” which are now so much “in evidence,” marching through the streets equipped with all the accouterments of war, demonstrate this. The spirit that glorifies war is the spirit of militarism.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.1

    But militarism is not patriotism. Militarism means despotism, patriotism—in this country at least—stands for the opposite of despotism. Militarism is the curse of Europe. And if it is ever set up here, it will be the curse of America. We do not want it, and no true patriot will encourage it.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.2

    And in the second place, there is no evidence that the flag salute is an incentive to patriotism. The salute is but a form, and you cannot get the spirit out of the form. A person can go to church, and sing, and pray, and talk; but this will not give him piety. These forms are but the means by which his religious fervor finds expression. In themselves they are useless. And just so as regards patriotism. If the individual has patriotism, saluting the flag may be a suitable means of expressing it. But unless he already has it, the salute is meaningless, like any other mere form. Patriotism is a spirit, and not a form.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.3

    We do not believe any person can be truly patriotic without being upright, honest, courageous,—in short, endowed with the virtues of manliness. Any person endowed with these virtues will be patriotic naturally. And we do not believe the country wants any “patriots” of a different stamp.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.4

    The burden of proof is upon those who have introduced the flag salute, to show that it is an agency of good and properly belongs where they have put it.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.5

    The SENTINEL does not stand along in opposition to this innovation. Whether it has the approval of the press generally or not, we do not know. But we do know that in at least one instance the secular press has condemned it. On this point we quote the words of the New York Journal, of January 24, with reference to the salute proposed for the schools of this State, which is as unobjectionable as any that we have seen. After stating the salute in detail, the Journal says:—AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.6

    “This seems to be another example—they are already innumerable—of the unfortunate tendency of well meaning persons to mistake flag idolatry for patriotism. It were better to teach frankly to the boy that the flag is now what his fathers made it, and will be what he and his fellows make it; that it waved over slavery until his fathers purged it of that stain; that it waves now over political corruption, judicial injustice, and industrial distress, and will continue to spread its folds over these evils unless he and his fellows with stout hearts, pure minds, and honest purpose toil in their youth and in their age to sweep away the abominations which have grown up under our flag as under others.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.7

    “There is a wide difference between flag patriotism and true patriotism. The latter includes reverence for the flag; the former is apt to include nothing else.”AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.8

    “Another Raid on the National Treasury” American Sentinel 13, 11, pp. 162, 163.

    ATJ

    THE old readers of the AMERICAN SENTINEL will well remember the campaign we made in 1890 and onward on the looting of the national treasury by the churches under cover of Indian schools. We gave from the public records the history of that raid from its inception. Those records show that the scheme was invented by the Catholics, who by easy persuasion and open invitation were joined by about fourteen professed Protestant denominations. These professed Protestant denominations soon found that they were being used by the Catholic organizations as cats-paws—that by means of them the Catholic organization was getting money from the public treasury, which without them she never could have got at all. They found too that the Catholic Church, which first got nearly as much as all of them put together, soon was getting twice as much as all of them together, and soon again was getting a greater proportion than that. Then the “Protestant” churches began to turn Protestant; quit receiving public money, and protested vigorously against that “raid on the public treasury” which they with Rome had been engaged in for years.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.1

    This protest, however late, accomplished much. Though it took years to accomplish it, that “raid on the treasury was finally stopped: after millions of dollars had been taken from the national treasury by these churches and devoted to their own church work in their own church schools. It was a direct support of churches by the national government. By taking the money of all the people and appropriating it to these churches, the United States Government was but compelling people to make contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which they do not believe, which our fathers declared to be “sinful and tyrannical.”AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.2

    In view of the foregoing sketch of some recent history the following from the Northwestern Christian Advocate, of February 23, 1898, is intensely suggestive and well worthy the most thoughtful consideration:—AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.3

    “Some Methodist Episcopal names which are precious in all branches of Methodism are on record as favoring the pending congressional claim of the Southern Methodist Church for damages. A prominent and eminent minister of the southern church, in a dinner-table speech to the Cincinnati Methodist Social union, which latter recently gave a reception to the Book Committee, said that he returned thanks for several things, among others ‘for the fact, he would call it a civil fact, that the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church had generously given their approval to the claim of the Southern Methodist Church, without which my church probably would not have received a much-needed appropriation’ from Congress. We quote these words as substantially verbatim, for they express just that which the speaker said. That speech made our episcopal indorsement a public fact, and we therefore ask no pardon for alluding to it, nor do we water time to say that our allusion is entirely respectful.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.4

    “We regret that our bishops have indorsed the claim, for the reason that it is excessive at a time when there is no just ground for any claim whatever, and because we are securely intrenched by facts that show that no Protestant church in this republic—the Southern Methodist Church not excepted—can afford to have that claim passed by the Senate, signed by the President and paid.AMS March 17, 1898, page 162.5

    “We have it from authorities that command national respect and confidence that hundreds of other claimants are behind this Southern Methodist bill for indemnity and damages. Millions of dollars’ worth of greedy clamor awaits this successful award. Among them are Roman Catholic claims that will open the eyes of this nation, but when it will be too late. Some Roman claims already have been granted, and some of our own churchmen declare that ‘it is right, therefore, that some of the public money should go to Protestants.’ Four of our eminent ministers recently have said just that to this writer.AMS March 17, 1898, page 163.1

    “The Methodist claim, as we firmly believe and have sound reason to hold, has been advanced and put through the House by the combined, massed, concentrated, and therefore irresistible influence of the friends of other claims already formulated and awaiting the ‘breaking of the jam,’ as pine-log herders say of their river work in the spring. We therefore do not marvel at the wonder and surprised gratitude of that same Cincinnati banquet speaker who emphasized his astonishment that a claim that had never been able to pass a Democratic Congress is now in such a gratifying position in a Republican Congress. We are inclined to congratulate the Democrats upon their worldly wisdom and traditional astuteness!AMS March 17, 1898, page 163.2

    “Any man can stake his reputation upon the prophecy that this claim, if matured and paid, will presently be followed by insistent other claims for large sums which will get through because the Nashville demand has manifested so much importunity for a third of a century. If it were possible for our own Methodist Episcopal Church to make some large claim, American and all other Jesuits and American politicians would support it; and for two reasons: 1. Because they would reap enduring gratitude from the largest church in the United States; and 2. Because the question of the precedent of a successful claim paid to the largest church in the republic would open the floodgates to the Roman greed which already has made New York City and other cities a very bonanza gold mine and replete and accessible treasury for the benefit of an unfillable maw. This historic Roman greed and its appetite for all that our national treasury can feed to it, is the correct, reasonable, and sufficient explanation to our Cincinnati banquet speaker why Republicans have done that which Democrats dared not.AMS March 17, 1898, page 163.3

    ... “Harpies, greedy seekers after federal gold and designing politicians are making cats’ paws of our Southern brethren. These latter condemn us for resisting their claim, alleging that we are ‘reactionist,’ are ‘unfraternal,’ and so on. For purposes in hand only, we must be entirely indifferent to that estimate, and we now return answer that we really honor them when we declare our belief that, if they properly weighed the facts sketched in this article, and shadowed in the entire series of this, our most recent opposition to their claim, they would refuse to accept its proceeds and would indignantly decline to be made a precedent whereby our national treasury will be looted to an extent that will make Methodism a reproach for two generations. Not for one moment have we resisted the claim for motives like those attributed to us. Our grounds for opposition are far better than that. It is the old Roman Catholic Indian school question over again. Protestants have decided to accept no more government Indian school money, because it is a block, inside the treasury, to hold open the door while greed fills its lustful hands.AMS March 17, 1898, page 163.4

    “This danger is real. The immense claims are formulated and await the golden hour in which mints will scarcely be able to coin money fast enough to pay constructive, excessive and outrageous damages to people whom the government has fostered and not harmed.”AMS March 17, 1898, page 163.5

    A. T. J.

    “Back Page” American Sentinel 13, 11, p. 177.

    ATJ

    GOD calls every person to be a Christian, and every Christian to be a missionary and reformer,—to “go about doing good,” to minister to those suffering from any need; to reform all that which has become marred and broken down by sin. For all this there is a world-wide opportunity to-day. Have you heard this call?AMS March 17, 1898, page 177.1

    WHILE science and civilization have done much to ameliorate the condition of the race, it is evident from the situation to-day that they have not kept pace with the power of human greed and selfishness to plunge the race into misery and woe. Selfishness finds some way to “get around” science and civilization every time. Never was there such need of the spirit of brotherly love.AMS March 17, 1898, page 177.2

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