BOLIVAR
7
1
H
VOL. XXXIX-NO. 29.
BOLIVAR, TENNESSEE, FRIDAY, ARRIL 22, 1904.
SUBSCRIPTION: $1.00 Per Year
.D U 11 ill IrU 1 1X! .
ti5WS IN BRIEF.
Compiled from Various Sources.
FIFTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS.
(First Session.)
Senate The Culberson amendment to
e post office appropriation bill provld
K for a commission to investigate the
jst office department was before the
;nate, on the 11th. and after being ruled
it of order in modilied form, was pend
:g when the senate adjourned. Mr. Gor
ian made an earnest plea for an investi
ation, saying' the post office department
aa cast renectlons upon memoers o
mtrress and that a thorough examlna
on should b had Mr. Aldrich answered
lat the amendment finally modified
leant nothing; that if an investigation
as to be hart it should he a live one
House Tlio house passed the bill re
.orted bv the committee nn rivers and
arbors appropriating M.0"0,fti0 for the
proration or maintenance of channels,
r of other river and harbor .'mprove-
lents. Mr. Burton, chairman of the
ornmittee. in explaining the bill, urged
he adoption of settled principles wun
pganl to river and harbor work. Air.
'lark (Mo.) made a plea for the tmorove
nent of the Missouri river. Quite a larg
umber of bills of minor importance were
assert. At 5:0o o clock p. m. the House
idjourned.
Senate A sharp colloquy occurred in
he senate, on the 12th, between Senators
Viler and Hopkins, growing out of the
eading by Mr. Teller of a letter written
y the late ien. H. H. Thomas, of I hi
ago. attacking the civil service admin
strntion of the treasury department. The
ncioent occurred in connection witn trie
liscusslon of the post office appropriation
ill. That measure was under discussion
luring the first half of the session, and
vas passed, all amendments offered by
he democrats being voted down. The
ill providing a form of government for
he Panama canal zone was taken up,
ut debate on It had not been bogun
f."hen the senate adjourned Hous
The race question was again injected
nto the proceedings of the house of rep--esentatlves
when Mr. Scott (Kas.) de
ivered a long address, in which he re-
erred to his previous statement tnat l
was current in Kansas that ex-President
Cleveland had dined C. II. J. Taylor, a
Kansas negro politician. In a spirited
replv, Mr. Williams (Miss.), the minority
'eader. defended the attitude of the south
toward the negro.
Senate The senate, on the 13th. began
consideration of the bill providing for the
government or the Panama canal zone.
The greater part of the day was occupied
by Mr. Morgan, in support of amend
- ments offered by himself. None of them
were accepted, and the reading of the bill
was nearly half completed. Mr. Morgan
nttacked the new 1'anama canal company
and contended that the United States
snould proceed to carry into effect the
. provisions of the treaty with Panama, re
gardless of the demands of that company
House Under a special rule the
house devoted itself to consideration of a
bill amending the law relating to the
Philippine islands. The provision in the
bill in reference to the granting of rail
road franchises and the guaranteeing of
live per cent, on the cash capital actually
invested in such railroads was opposed
by Mr. Jones (Va.), who alleged that
British and Belgian capitalists were ready
to build the roar.s without such guaran
tee. At 5:30 p. m. the house adjourned.
Senate The senate devoted the entire
day, on the ltth, to consideration of the
bill for the government of the Panama
canal zone, and Mr. Morgan again occu
pied the floor most of the day. The dis
cussion related principally to details of
governing the canal, but some oonsinera
tion also was given to Mr. Hale s amend
. ment requiring the use of American bot
toms in tne snipment oi canai supplies
to the zone. Consideration of the bill
was not concluded when senate ad
journed House The house of repre
sentatives passed the Philiine bill, fol
lowing which there was an extended de
bate over a resolution to permit Col.
Thomas VW Symons. of the engineer
corps of the army, to serve on the ad
visory board of consulting engineers in
conection with internal improvements in
the state of New lork. The general de
fioiency bill was taken up, and Mr. Ham
ilton (M'ch.) discussed capital and labor,
while Mr. Cochran (Mo.) criticized the
usurpation of the legislative power by
11i.- executive." ami said that ex-Presi
dent Cleveland had given the most nota
b! instance of such usurpation in forcing
his financial policies on th people. He
declared Mr. C'eve'and had bon put
into exile, never cgain to b reinstated
in the confidence of the people. At 5:1C
p. m. house ad.iourned.
Fenate After a day devoted to routine
proceedings, the senate, on the 15th. was
treated to a spirited speech by Mr. lialley
just before adjournment, on the question
if civil service. The subject came up in
'onrection with n paragraph in the sun
dry civil appropriation bill. Mr. Bailey
jnnonreed in piain terms that he had no
fympathy with the lrridescent dream oi
civil service. He declared that each party
hou d control the patronage v.Iiiie in
pun tr, ami aov.ei nuns-ii a spoilsman.
The civil service appropriation bill was
taken up. and when the senate adjourne-l
about half of it had been read. At 5:-10
the senate adjourned House Consid
eration of the general deficiency bid was
resumed in the house, after a number of
minor bills had b-?en passed. The presi
dent's recent order regarding service pen
sions was attacked by Mr. Underwood
(A'a.). who contended that there was no
warrant in law for if. The president also
was criticised by Mr. Hay (Va.). because
of certain suspensions of the civil service
rules and regulations.
PERSONAL AND GENERAL.
The Chinese minister at Washington
lias entered anenergetic protest against
the treatment accorded prominent Chi
nese coming to this country in con
nection with the Louisiana Purchase
exposition, which amounts, in some
instances, to a pocitive - Insult to a
friendly power.
The Japanese consul in New York
city has made complaint to the govern
ment, at Washington, that tiie Hamburg-American
line steamer Patricia
took away in her cargo a quantity of
p.rms for the Russian government,
which are. contraband.
J. W. Hawkins, who was shot in a
street fight over poMtics on April 4 by
L. T. Russell, formerly editor of the
Lawton Democrat, at Lawton. Okla.,
died on the 12th. Hawkins was a na
tive of Georgia, 37 years of age, and
was a man of imposing figure, being
six feet seven itches tall. He was ser-teant-at-arms
of the house in the late
Oklahoma legislature.
Four hundred employes of the Lyon.
& Healy piano factory at Chicago quit
work on the 13th. The question of
"closed shop" is the sole Issue.
The front and side walls of the four
story brick building at Thirty-fifth
f-.treet and Eighth avenue. New York,
collapsed, on the 13th, and six men
were injured, one of them seriously.
The cause of the collapse has not been
explained.
The boiler of a Santa Ke encine
f landing in the yards at Florence. Kas.,
exploded, on the 13th. instantly killing
Emanuel Hahn, the fireman, and fatal
ly injuring William E. Moody, the en
gineer, both of Emporia.
Harry McAleer, who Is 1839 murdered
Frank Evans, a Horton (Kas.) man,
was arrested at Fort Scott, Kas., and
mace a full confession. Remorse of
conscience caused him to confess, he
said.
Secretary Taft returned to Washing
ton, ou the 14th, from a trip in the
we.:, and spent suni-j time with ;de
president at the White House. . ;
GOV. HUNT OF PORTO RICO
He Has Awlved in New York En
Route to Washington.
The (iovfrnor To lkm KnooornKl ntly
of the Present and Future Pros
pect of Porto Rleo.
New York, April 18. Gov. Hunt of
Porto Rico arrived here on the steamer
Ponce, from San Juan. He will re
main in the United States about two
wosks. GovHunt said he had not
heard of his appointment as judge of
the United States district court of Mon
tana and Wyoming, and would say
nothing about his intentions in regard
to the appointment. He will spend
considerable Time In Washington in
connection with his official du,ties, and
in any event will return to Port Rico
at the end of two weeks. Speaking of
conditions on the Island, Gov. Hunt
said: "Just at present a strong effort
is being made to promote a market in
the. United States for Porto Rico by
preparing for an extensive exhibit at
St. Louis. Coffee will be the feature
of the island's exhibit, though tobacco.
fruit and cotton will be well displayed
Americans are planting oranges quite
extensively. The groves are doing well,
and investors feel encouraged. Cotton
is attracting attention, too, and bids
fair to be very profitable. There are
no pests to endanger the cotton. Amer
ican capital is finding its way into
Porto Rico, and conditions are general
ly good in all respects. They will be
greatly improved, however, if we can
get better markets for coffee by se
curing reciprocal trade advantages with
Spain. This we hope may be done be
fore long.
"Public affairs are in excellent con
dition. It is probable that the value
of the exp'i- s of the current fiscal year
will exceed the imports by a million
dollars. Tradj with the United States
increases rapidly, and will continue to
grow as the su.sar, tobacco, fruit and
cotton are being extended."
WITH LARGE ATTENDANCE
Thirteenth Continental Conjures of
the InnhterN of the A merlcnii
Revolution in Washington.
Washington, April 18. The thir
teenth continental congress of the So
ciety of the Daughters of the Ameri
can Revolution convened here with
over 2,000 delegates, alternates and
visitors in attendance. Mrs. Chas. W.
Fairbanks, wife of the senior senator
from Indiana, presided. In her ad
dress of welcome Mrs. Fairbanks pic
tured the work of the society, re
counted the progress of the memorial
hall project and the plans for the dedi
cation of the hall at this meeting. Mrs.
Maria Purdy Peck, of Iowa, in re
sponding, referred to pionesr achieve
ments in the west and the importance
of the Louisiana Purchase and the
Lewis and Clark expedition, and re
gretted that no monument had ever
been reared to the memory of the au
thor of the Declaration of Independ
ence. The credentials committee re
ported a total of 40.20C members, 6S7
chapters. 30 national officers and 273
delegates.
AN AMICABLE AGREEMENT
The Miners nnd Operators of Ion a
Have Sigriieil n Two Year Aisrce
ment Worlc Resumed.
Des Moines, la., April IS. The coal
miners and operators have signed an
agreement, under the terms of which
Iowa mines will be operated for the
two years dating from April 1 last.
The scale was finally ratified by the
miners branch of the joint conference
by a vote of 133 to 119. The scale pro
vides for a reduction of five cents on
screened coal, three cents on mine run
coal, a minimum of $1.S0 for day la
borers working on top and of 5.55 per
cent, reduction for all other grades ol
labor, while the price of powder re
mains at 2 per keg. The scale Is
signed for two years, and is the first
bicnnal scale to be made in Iowa. The
miners have returned to work.
RACE RESENTMENT DIES OUT
The Knnsns City (Kas. Iliirh School
Reopened M'ithont the Nearnes
fleinr Molested.
Kansas City. Mo., April 18. Race
feeling in Kansas City. Kas., has ap
parently died out. When the high
school opened a squad of policemen
were drawn up in line in the main en
trance to see that the 80 colored pupils
were not molested by the 700 whites
Boys and girls of both races took "heir
accustomed places and uo sifrn of 1 fic
tion was displayed. The trouble grew
out of the murder, last week by a ne
gro, of a white boy, a freshman, and
the whites had declared the negroes
should never again enter the school.
Thought to Have Foundered.
Victoria, B. CL, April 18. It is feared
that the Victoria sealing schooners
Triumph and Diana have foundered at
sea. The nameboard of the Triumph
has been found at Qualslno sound, and
both schooners are considerably over
due at Clayoquot, where, they usually
land their catch of seals.
Snnken Submarine Raised.
London. April 18. The submarine
boat "A 1," which was run down by
the steamer Berwick Castle. March 18,
near the Nab lightship, resulting in
the loss of her crew, numbering 11
officers and men, has been raised.
Struck Over Matter of Hours.
Quincy, Mass.; April 18. Work In
the extensive yards of the Fore River
Ship & Engine Co. is tied up by a
strike of 2.G0O men over a question ol
hours.
m
RECOVERING
FROM
DEPRESSIOt
The Russian Authorities at St. Pe
tersburg Rallying From Their
Recent Shocks.
IMBUED WITH FEVERISH ENERGY,
GREATEST ACTIVITY PREVAILS.
the Disposition Still Manifest to
Scout Admiral Togo's ersiou of
the Petropavlovsk Disaster and
to Surround It "With Mystery nnd
I'ncertatnty.
St. Petersburg, April 18. The au
thorities here are recovering from the
depression which followed the last
week's disasters. They seem Imbued
with new and feverish en-rgy. The
greatest activity prevails. The public
Is more aroused than at any time since
the war began, and now is thirsting
for revenge. Crowds gather on the
streets. The Russ' extra bulletin
boards are constantly surrounded, al
though little fresh news is posted.
The vivid eye-witness pictures of the
torpedo boat fight and the Petro
pavlovsk disaster transmitted from a
Russian correspondent 's reprinted
here and is the talk of St. Petersburg
and of official and private circles, being
the first connected account published.
It. also contained the first definite in
formation that Vice-Admiral, Makaroff
was at his post on the bridge when the
explosion occurred. Besides, it put at
rest all doubts as to where the ship
was struck. She went down bow first,
as the Victoria did. and exactly as
Makaroff's own model did when, dur
ing a lecture which he delivered in
1894, he demonstrated the instability
of heavily armored ships and the im
possibility at the time of a disaster,
by collision mats or otherwise, cf re
storing the equilibrium of such steel
monsters.
The admiralty still lacks definite
data as to the cause ot the catastrophe,
although the talk of a boiler explosion
and submarine boats continues. The
public shows an indisposition to ac
cept Vice-Admiral Togo'? version that
Lis mines were responsible.
Members of the naval sti!T frankly
admit that they do not know the
cause of the disaster, but some of them
already are inclined to admit the prob
ability that the enemy's avowal is
true.
"Perhaps the mystery will be like
that of your Maine," said a member of
the naval staff to the eo? respondent.
"It will take an examination of the
hull to determine whether the explo
sion was inetrnal or external."
BV A Rl SSf )RRF.SlOMii:T.
Description of the Illoivinir In and
Sinklne of the let ropa lovsk.
St. Petersburg. April 18. In the
dramatic; description of the sinking of
the Petropavlovsk off Port Arthur,
wired from Liao Yang by a Russian
correspondent, a portion of the account
referring to the blowing up of the Pet
ropavlovsq was delayed. It is as fol
lows :
Moving a; reduced speed, the Pc.t-ropavlov-;k
came abreast of Electric
Cliff. The torpedo boats were entering
the harbor, when suddenly from the
Ftarbo-'irl side of the Petropavlovsk a
vhi'e l olr.ir.n shot up.
There was ;t aouble muffled explo
sion, and the v.i-.rship lecame covered
v.ith or&nge-cclored smoke. "They're
firing a l.r-jadsMe." cried a gunner
ftai.ding Leside me, but through my
binoculars I ?,a-od speechless and hor-ror-sti
icker.. I could see fragments of
wreckage falling from above the broken
rigging on the foremast and flames
shooting out.
"She's sinkirg! She's sinking!"
wailed someone beside me.
The Petropavlovsk began to settle
slowly by the head, keeling far over to
starboard until her rail was tinder wa
ter. Her bow had already disappeared,
and now the foremast was sinking. I
could still see the conning tower. Then
her . smokestacks disappeared. They
teemed to fall through the water, and
the sea began to engulf the mainmast.
Her -after turret, with Its guns point
ing skyward, quickly vanished; then
bet stern, with the port propeller still
reolvins- I could see figures desper
ately clutching at the slippery hull,
and tongues of flame. A last explosion,
and all v. as o?er. The flagship was no
more.
Boa's from the torpedo boat de
stroyer Gaydamak hurried to the scene
of the disaster. It was 40 minutes past
S in the morning.
JPAYESK RK.IOIC
It "Was Tempered With llourninR
For the Kallant Mnk.nrofl".
Ne-v Yort. April 18. The extreme
restraint of the Japanese rejocing over
the sinking of the Petropavlovsk is
marke.-Uy in contrast with the previous
exhibitions of public feeling, says a
World dispatch from Kobe.
T'ie Osaka Marich says:
''While the vmtion rejoices, the In
dividual mourns the death under such
circumstances of the distinguished and
gallant Makaroff."
There was a. "eat lantern procession
at Nagoya Setarday night. One thou-
sanrt white lanterns were carried in
tokens of mourning for the dead, and
those bearing tbe lanterns were pre
ceded by Lanncis inscribed "We sor
row n.nquencliably for the brave Rus
sian Makaroff."
The bands flayed funeral marches.
A meetitK' oi t.ose in the processior
was addressed ty military and civil
officers.
THE JAPAXKSE DO SOT LOOT.
The Mikado's Soldiers Setting m
Good Example to "World's Armies.
Seoul, Korea, March 18. A dispatch
from Ping Yang says, that the country
In the wake of the Japanese army Is
resuming Its normal conditions. The
majority of the inhabitants left their
homes before the troops arrived, but
are now returning. They have learned
that the Japanese soldiers treat the
people well, paying for their supplies,,
and are under strict discipline. Sev
eral thousand coolies are emplqyed
carrying rice to the front at more than
the customary wages. Altogether the
Japanese army Is giving an admira
ble exhibition of order and self-restraint.
There ia rio looting or rob
beries, although the soldiers' rations
are limited, and tbe country is full of
cattle, poultry and other provisior"
which might be taken. An engage
ment with the enemy is not expected
immediately.
Ileadtnar For lvi n-Cli ou .
Tien Tsin, April 18. From several
sources reports have been received here
raying that, a Japanese fleet of over
seventy transports is heading for Kin
Chou. north of Port Arthur.
FOR THE FAIR OPENING"
Tentative Arrangements For the
Ceremony at the White House
on Opening Day.
Washington, April 18. Tentative ar
rangements have been completed for
the ceremony at the White Hoise in
cident to the opening of the Louisiana
Purchase exposition at St. Louis. P. V.
DeGraw, the eastern press representa
tive of the exposition company, dis
cussed the subject with Secretary Loeb.
It. was decided that the ceremony
should take place in the east room of
the White House at one o'clock (east
ern standard time, on Saturday, April
r.0. The justices of the United States
supreme court, the members of the
diplomatic court, the president pro
tern, of the senate and the speaker of
the house, together with a few other
guests, will be invited to be present.
A special telegraph loop will be nyi
into the east room. This will afford a
direct wire with the exposition grounds
at St. Louis. Promptly at one o'clock
President Roosevelt will press the key
which will start the machinery of the
fair. He then will exchange with
President Francis of the exposition
company congratulatory messages. The
messages will be sent and received In
the White House by Capt. B. F. Mont
gomery, in charge of telegraph room
at the executive offices, while Mr. De
Graw will handle the St. Louis end of
the wire. The ceremony, while brief,
promises to be interesting and historic.
Killed hj HIk Four Train.
Bunker Hill. 111., April 18. Mrs.
Henrietta Wilhelmina Maxeiner, aged
08 years, was rn,n down and killed by
the Big Four fast, train while running
at the rate of 00 miles an hour, just
at the edge of town, Sunday morning.
Henry 11. .Smith.
Washington, April 18. Henry H.
Smith, former journal clerk of the
house, and a recognized authority on
parliamentary practice, died in Savan
nah, Ga.. Sunday, where he had gone
two weeks ago for medical treatment.
OTHERWISE UNNOTICED.
A new and valuable zinc discovery
has been made near Diamond, in the
vincinity oi Joplin, Mo.
The Louisiana boll weevil commis
sion says the application of paris green
will speedily exterminate the pest.
The French colonial treaty with
Great Britain, has a serious defect,
which may keep Newfoundland from
ratifying it.
A. L. Aylesworth, former secretary
of the Dawes commission, has been ap
pointed special agent of the general
land effice.
Maj. Hugh C. Dennis d?ed at St.
Louis of congestion of the brain, the
end being hastened, it is said, by Rial
to Grain Co. troubles.
Because of continued ill health Hen
ry Rust in has been compelled to resign
as chief electrical and mechanical en
gineer of the St. Louis World's fair.
Several Atlantic liners sailing with
in the past few days took away 127 de
ported immigrants, including 84 con
tract laborers, among whom were nine
cutlers.
A bomb was exploded, Sunday, In the
Plaza de los Morros at Barcelona,
Spain, causing intense excitement, as
King Alfonf.o and Premier Maura were
in the city.
Tom McGuire, the New York actor
manager, who recently had his tongue
amputated because of cancer, is learn
ing to talk again. He is just master
ing the alphabet.
The Czar Nicolas is said to have
wept on hearing of the destruction of
the Petropavlovsk. and to have blamed
Viceroy Alexieff for the ill-luck of Rus
sian arms.
A natural enemy of the cotton boll
weevil is being sought by gov
ment scientists who are making inves
tigations In the Andes mountains of
South America.
Senator Fairbanks declares that the
United States should take the lead In
the move for international arbitration.
He believes that the time is now ripe
for the movement.
The torpedo-boat destroyer Law
rence's stern "was damaged by the
steamer Robert -E. Lee at Memphis.
The Nashville is detained at Memphis
because of its inability to pass under
he bridge.
Gen. Peter Osterhaus a veteran of
tbe civil war, now living in Europe,
will visit the United States and the
orld'f fair, and will be the guest of
honcr at many functions urder the
auspices of G. A. R. posts.
THE GREAT
Jesus jHsv VanquUhed the Dvil tnd T Abl
- to rre From His Power.
Sermon by the "Highway
(Copjrigbl, 1904,
Chicago, Sunday, April 17, 1JHM
Text: "Then was brought unto Him one
possessed with a demon, blind and dumb:
and He healed him, insomuch that the
dumb man spake and saw." Matt. 12:22.
OMEWHERE
I n
Galilee where the
ministry of Jesus
had taken Him
was wrought the
incident so briefly
recorded in our
text. The man un
der cruel bond
age to Satan was
there, and to that
place the great De
liverer came and
performed His
migbty work. His
coming trans-
fnrmoi n lift. It made a dark and af
flicted home one of brightness and joy. It
brought gladness to the man's circle of
friends and it exerted its influ
ence upon the multitude that saw
and heard of the miracle. It is not
hard to picture that home before Jesus
came. There was sorrow there; there
was trouble there. The skeleton in the
closet was that demon-possessed man.
We do not know how long he had been
In that condition. We do not know
whether it was the son of aged par
ents or the father of the home. But
we do know that it was darkened by
a black shadow. Ah, how many such
homes there are! The fair-haired boy
has grown to manhood, and instead of
bringing gladness and pride to the
hearts of hi3 parents, he has yielded
himself to the evil influences about
him until at last he has become pos
sessed of a wicked and dissolute spirit.
Or it may be the husband and father
of the home has forgotten his sacred
marriage vows, he has stifled the finer,
nobler, manlier feel'ngs which came
when the first baby nestled in his arms
and seemed to crow with delight be
cause of its sense of security and pro
tection in his strong embrace, and as
a Tesult of nis wayward course, the in
dulgence of bis baser nature, the light
has gone out of his wife's eyes, the
bloom has left her cheeks, and instead
of the song upon the lips there are the
heavy heart and achrng head. Yea, and
aching and sore body and limbs, too,
perhaps, where the cruel blows have
fallen. And the children crouch and
tremble when they hear the heavy
tread of the father's feet. Ah. how
many, many, homes there are In this
fair land where the Devil has found
his abode in the father or son, and the
black shadow of sin has driven out all
the joy and gladness. Somewhere in
Galilee there was such a home. And
there are still such homes to-day
thousands and thousands, scattered
through city, town, village and ham
let. r H. WHAT a bondage Satan is able
i to lead into! Strand by strand he
forms the rope of habit until it is too
strong for any human will to break.
Link by link he forges the chain that
will drag the soul to hell if the power of
God is not invoked to break it. It has
been said that every home has its skele
ton. But however true or false that may
be. it. is true that sin and Satan are the
partners that have articulated every
bone in its hideous body. Certain it is
that God has no part in building the
dark closet and placing therein the hide
ous sorrow that blights the home. It is
the Devil's work. He blighted that Gali
leean home. He got such a hold upon
that man that he was made blind and
dumb. And the Devil is busy at his
wicked work to-day. He makes people
blind to everything that is good and true
and beautiful., He makes their lips
dumb so that no kindly word Is ever
spoken. From the testimony of the
Scriptures it would appear that there
was a special manifestation of the Dev
il's work at the time when God was so
wonderfully manifesting the light of His
Son to the world. It may be that we have
no such aggravated cases of the demon
possessed as those with which Jestts
came in contact. But be that as it may,
it is certain that the work of the Devil
remains to this day. But there are homes
where sin has wrought its terrible work;
where the Devil has taken possession of
some member of the home to such an ex
tent as to bring the dark shadow. And
when we speak of the Devil as taking
possession we do not roll upon him the
burden of responsibility and let the one
possessed go free of blame. Scripture
says of Judas, the betrayer: "After the
sop. then entered - Satan into him."
But Judas was responsible for permit
ting Satan to get into his heart. And
eo it is with people to-day. The Devil
does take possession, but it is only be
cause sin, sin, sin, has paved the way
over which he rides into full possession.
BLIND and dumb! Devilish blind
ness! Devilish dumbness! This
case was peculiar for that very rea
son. There were other blind per
sons brought to Jesus for healing.
There were those who were deaf
and dumb who were made to hear
and speak. But the blindness, the un
responsive ear and the palsied tongue
we not the direct and special work
of the Devil as in this case before us.
This man was blind and dumb because
the Devil was in full possession. It
was a condition for which the man
himself was undoubtedly responsible.
And for this reason there was seeming
ly the least right to expect compas
io& and Divine mercy. At least so
sight the friends ?nd relatives of thU
ttsa have reasoned. They might have
si - 1 1
T
DELIVERER
and Byway" Preacher.
by J. M. Edson.)
felt that it was easy to enlist the in
terest and sympathy of Jesus in sucn
cases as Jairus daughter, whose death
had brought such sorrow to that Jew
ish ruler's home, or the blind beggars
by the wayside, or the outcast lepers,
or the multitudes of others who were
sick or afflicted, but this man with
the devilish blindness and dumbness,
what right had he to come; what right
had he to expect the Lord to deliver
him from that for which he was direct
ly responsible? And how many, many
desperately needy ones such reasoning
keeps away from Jesus today men
and women who have sunk to the very
lowest depths of the Devil's dominion!
Step by step the downward path has
been traveled until the Devil has gained
complete and awful control over every
passion and desire of the body. Warn
ings have been unheeded. Pleading?
have exerted but a momentary influ
ence. Down. down, down, until
wrecked manhood or vomanhoocl re
veals the Devil's mark of complete
servitude. The case seems hopeless
Man can do nothing, and it does not
seem that God is able to do anything,
or willing to do anything, either. Drink
and gambling" and lust have been tin
bait which the Devil has used to lure
tcf ruin. Devil possession, to-day?
Yes! How else can you exrlain th-?
awful wretchedness of the drunkard's
home? Wife and children are nothing
when the appetite for drink is to be
satisfied. The demon-possessed mar
will take the bread from the helpless
babe's mouth; he will take the very
clothes from the backs of his wife and
children, to get drink.- Anything, if
only the desires and appetites can be
gratified. And deliverance seems hope
less. SO IT might have seemed to the friends
of this man about whom our text
tells. But a few days before this, Jesus
had delivered a demon-possessed man,
and perhaps they heard of the case and
were encouraged to believe that what
Jesus had done for another He could
do for this man. That Jesus did cast out
demons there can be no doubt. That He
is able to deliver from such possession
to-day is equally certain, as many living
witnesses are able to testify. The ene
mies of Jesus who wre not able to dis
pute the fact that demons were cast out
charged that He obtained this power
from the Devil himself. But Jesus went
on to show them in the verses which fol
low our text how very ridiculous their
claim was, giving us the figure cf the
strong man shut within the house with
his treasures, and the spoiler coming
and first binding the strong man and
then at hi3 leisure taking of all that
which he desired. The Devil was the
strong man, so strong that no human
power could escape him. Jesus was the
Deliverer who came and first met and
overcame and then bound the strong
man. and then spoiled him of his human
victims. Ah. what a picture of Jesus as
the great Deliverer we have here! With
the Devil conquered and his power lim
ited by the Almighty arm of Jesus, what
wonder is it that the demons should flee
from before Him? Why should we
marvel that Jesus was able to deliver
from the power of the Devil? The en
emy overcome is never feared. I remem
ber hearing my father tell of a deg he
owned in his boyhood days which was in
mortal fear of a neighb6r's dog. He
(the dog) would go far out of his way to
escape meeting his enemy. Eut one
eventful day chance brought the two
dogs together, ar:d before the fight ended
the dog of my father ras complete vic
tor. With canine pride the conqueror
led the whipped cur by the ear to his
home and dismissed him with a final
and warning nip. and ever after that my
father's dog, with seeming delight and
pride, stalked by the house of his old ene
my. Not afraid to meet him now be
cause he had completely overcome him.
And my father who before had feareci
the savage brute of the neighbor never
felt afraid when his own dog was with
him. Satan is a whipped cur. He is an
arrant coward. If he can catch his pcor
human victims alone he is brave and
j victorious. But when Jesus who has so
i splendidly and gloriously defeated him
! and destroyed his power comes, he fle-es
: before Him. He dare not meet Him. He
! must leave his human victims at the
j command of Jesus.
A' ND it was to this unfailing Conqueror;
this great Deliverer, that they
i brought this demon-possessed man.
! Doubtless he would not have come bim
! self. Perhaps he not only did not want to
! meet Jesus, but he feared to do so. But
his friends brought him. They real
ized his condition, even though he did
not. They wanted him set free from
the Devil, even though he was re
signed to the servitude. And so they
brought him. This was the first step
in the right direction. It was a blessed
thing for that man that he had friends
who were enough interested In him to
bring him. They had not cast him off
utterly. Perhaps they remembered
what he had been before the Devil had
gained such power over him. The wife
had clung faithfully to him. She would
not leave him. Perhaps her devotion
and her faith had encouraged the
friends to take up his case and lead
him to Jesus. Ah, how often the love
and faithfulness of a wife have fol
lowed the Devil-driven husband until
at last he has been brought to Jesus
and delivered! How often the way
ward and wicked son has been clung
to by the broken-hearted mother when
every other friend and relative has
turned away in disgust and discour
aged hopelessness! How her prayers
have followed him as he sunk lower
and lower in the Devil's power, until
at last he was brought to Jesus! Oh,
sorrowing one, whoever you may be.
despair not! Hope on! Pray on! It
is not the Lord's will that any should
perish. Jesus, the great Deliverer, 13
able to set free from the Devil's do
minion and power. That loved one,
that friend who is unsaved, who js liv
ing in sin. who is almost yielded to
Satan, may be brought to Jesus who is
able to deliver. Cease not in your ef
forts to bring that needy one into Je
sus' presence, where He may speak the
words that will give glorious and
blessed freedom.
m 4
'PHE friends in our text brought this
I poor demon-possessed man just as
he was. If they had waited to "put the
man on his feet," as they say to-day, so
that he would be presentable to Jesus,
they would have missed the Saviour and
lost the blessing. Many a modern-day
church, where Jesus is supposed to be.
would stand aghast were such cases as
that of this man brought there. It would
want the friends to wait until the demon
possessed man was temporarily deliv
ered, and then bring him in stylish
clothes and polite manners to join the
church. Many and many a man who has
been under the dominion of Satan and
fallen low in the depths of sin has been
straightened up by human friends and
encouraged to look within himself for
deliverance from the enemj' of his soul.
He is told to "keep straight and be a
man" so often that he begins to believe
he can. And perhaps after a time he
thinks he is good enough to join the
church, and join t'.ie church he does.
But at such deliverance the Devil laughs.
He knows he has a string tied to every
one who tries to do for himself what
Jesus only is able to do. The poor Devil
driven soul must come to Jesus' feet, just
as it is, if Jesus is to give deliverance.
And the friends of that demonized man
were wise in bringing him to Jesus with
all the horrible marks of sin upon him.
The churches ought not to be shocked or
scandalized if such cases come into their
midst. The missions in the slums of our
great cities furnish glorious examples
of how the drunken outcasts, the moral
lepers, steeped in sin and degradation,
are gathered in and brought to Jesus,
where His power delivers them from the
Devil that possessed them. The Pacific
Garden mission in Chicago and the Jerry
McAuley mission in New York city have
over and over again demonstrated how
the demon-possessed have been brought
just as they were, in their maudlin, be
sotted, dirty, foul, diseased condition
and been healed by Jesus. Lift the man
out of the gutter and bring him to Jesus.
No matter how desperate the case, if you
can enly bring the one suffering from
the dominion of Satan to the presence of
Jesus, He will give deliverance.
AND the reward of the efforts of
those friends was tbe immediate
and complete deliverance of this man
from the demon which bad possessed
him. Jesus did not send him away to
his home again and tell him to feel
sorry for a few days for his condition.
God only knows how he had been
troubled about it for years. He healed
him at once. And that is the way
Jesus always wants to do. Never need
1 a soul come to Him and go away again
without the blessing. No agonizing;
no days of darkness and doubt; no
days spent in desperate sliuggle to try
to win Jesus over to villingness to
give the needed deliverance. Poor
souls do go through such experiences,
but it is not Jesus' will that it should
be so. It is because human doubt de
lays the reception of the blessing
which Jesus is ready to give at once. If
those friends had gone to Jesus with,
the request that the following week at,
a certain hour, after theie had been a
certain amount of agonising and doubt
and darkness, He should heal this
man, I doubt whether he ever would
have been saved from his distressed
condition. But they came expecting
immediate relief, and thev received the
blessing at once.
THAT was a different home, you may
be sure, after that blessed, day of
healing. The home is always different
after Jesus has come into the life of
some one of its members. The dark
shadow and the sorrow are taken away.
The skeleton whichthe Devil has put
there, and whose bones rattle a hideous
death march day after day, Is thrust out
forever. What a home-coming that was
that day when that man. who had gone
forth Devil-blind and Devil-dumb, came
back seeing and speaking! He was led
out by friends, but he came back lead
ing the joyful company. And the influ
ence of a life delivered from the power
of Satan extends beyond the home and
the circle of friends. In the case before
us all the multitudes were amazed at
the transformation. And so it is always.
The multitude beholding the work of
God upon thejlfe of an individual is al
ways moved. In the village where that
man lived what a testimony to the grece
and power of God he must have be
come! So often Jesus had to send back
to the place from whence he had come
the man who had received the blessing,
in order that he might be the witness for
the Lord. It was so with the man of
Gadara, out of whom Jesus cast a legion
of devils. It was so with multitudes of
others whom Jesus healed and blessed,
and so it is generally with those to-day
who find deliverance through Chrht
Jesus. Their place of service is back
there in the home, with the friends, and
for the multitudes with whom they
come in contact. The great Deliverer
has come. He continues to break the
power of Satan. He will set you free.
He will open your eyes to see Him and
give you a tongue to talk with -and for
Him. Will you not let Him do this for
you now, this" very moment?
Take time to do well whatever you
undertake. United Presbyterian.