Newspapers / The Chatham Record (Pittsboro, … / June 9, 1915, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE CHATHAM RECORD ' H. A. London EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR Terms of Subscription $1.50 PER YEAR Strictly in Advance THE CHATHAM RECORD Rates of Advertising 4 One Square, one insertion - - $1.00 One Square, two insertions - $150 One Square, one month - - $2.50 For Larger Advertisements Liberal Contracts will be made. ' VOL. XXXVII. PITTSBORO, CHATHAM COUNTY, N. C, JUNE 9, 1915. NO. 44. m i l 1t 5f ff 5t W vX' w W' w wy W I ' IMPORTANT NEWS THE WORLD OVER Happenings of This and Other Matisss Fer Ssven Days Are Given. THE NEWS JITTHE SOUTH What Is Taking Place in the South land Will Be Found in Brief Paragraphs. European War A fierce battle is reported to be raging along the eastern battle front in Galicia between the Russians and Austro-Germans. The Muscovites are said to be in retreat. Submarines are reported to have sunk seven shipping vessels belonging to English, Danish, Norwegian and Portuguese concerns. Portugal is quite exercised over the war situation and the Lisbon press is urging severing relations with the German government. Hard fighting is reported along the western war front and Berlin asserts the British have been badly beaten at Givenchy, a village on the French frontier. An Amsterdam dispatch says Amer icans in Berlin have received warning to leave Germany immediately, as all relations between the imperial govern ment and the United States may be severed without further parley. Fierce struggles are still reported in eastern Austria along the Russian border in the desperate attempts of the Teutonic forces to retake Przemysl. Vienna dispatches disclaim the Ital ian successes reported from Rome. Despite the invasion of Austrian ter ritory, the Vienna war office says the enemy has made little headway and has wasted much ammunition. An agreement has been reached be tween Roumania and Bulgaria, it is reported by correspondents from Bu charest, and it is expected that the two Balkan nations will soon enter the war, Roumania against Austria and Bulgaria against Turkey. The Constantinople war office as serts that all reports of the progress of the allies in the Dardanelles are unfounded. An American woman, Mrs. Isabelle Wade of Chicago, has been arrested in Milan on the charge of being an accomplice of Bavarian officers who are accused of espionage. Parliament has conferred a long list of honors on many of the men prom inent in the present management of the war for England, among whom is Lord Kitchener, who received the knighthood of the Garter. Several oth ers have been raised to the peerage. The Turkish soldiers are reported to have repulsed the allied land forc es on the Gallipoli peninsula. The Moslems were highly praised for their valor by the French war office: Despite the claim that the Auatro- German forces are reported to have been repulsed in their attack to re capture Przemysl, advices state that the Teutons are pressing with great force on the fortress recently taken by the Russians. Roumania now breaks into the war game with threats to Austria, demand ing certain territory for remaining neutral. Berlin advices say it is unofficially reported that Germany does not in tend to recede in any particular in the argument with the United States, and that America has been accused in signed newspaper communications of taking the defensive in President Wilson's recent note. Speeches bitter with invective have been uttered in the reichstag denounc ing Italy as a traitor among nations San Marino, a tiny independent state on the Adriatic within the gen eral boundary line of ' Italy, is soon expected to declare itself at war with Austria as an ally of the Ital ian kingdom. The German imperial admiralty has officially told American Ambassador Gerard that the American merchant man, Gulflight, sunk in the English channel, May 1, was accidentally tor pedoed as the German . commander, "who fired the shot did not notice the American flag until after the unfor tunate order was given. Commenting upon Germany's reply to the United States, the British press states the kaiser's government is only running a bluff. Germany has sent her reply to the United States which is expected to precipitate trouble between the two nations. The German government contends it was justified in sinking the Lusitania inasmuch as the boat conveyed Canadian troops and war munitions. By imperial decree Germans are be ing deported from Japan, a Pacific steamship recently sailing with goodly number from Yokohoma. Domestic The Georgia 'pardon board heard the petitions from citizens of the state and nation for the commutation of the sentence of Leo Frank to life sentence. Former Governor Foss of Massachusetts was the chief spokes man for the petitioners. Solicitor General Dorsey did not appear to pro test against the petition, but made his . protest . by communication. A delegation of Cobb county citizens ap peared in a body to protest against commutation and a delegation from Columbus, Ga., appeared tor Frank. The Confederate Veterans, in ses sion at Richmond, enthusiastically cheered the name of President Wilson and pledged support to the chief ex ecutive in the present crisis. In his Memorial Day address under the shadow of Grant's tomb on the Hudson river in New York, Assistant Secretary of War Breckinridge declar ed the United States army was de ficient in case of war, compared to the European monarchies now at war. Ralph De Palma won the big 500- mile International Sweepstakes in the fifth annual internatinal automobile races at Indianapolis Memorial Day. Great crowds are in attendance at the Confederate Veterans reunion at Richmond, which may be the last of the kind ever held, it is said, on ac count of the advancing years of the veterans. Foreign General Carranza, first Constitution alist chieftain of Mexico, is reported to have interpreted President Wilson's note as most encouraging to his cause and warmly praises the president, who, he feels, does not imply he will resort to any, harsh action immedi ately. Baron Kato, Japanese foreign minis ter, declared in a speech in the diet that Japan had agreed with her allies, Russia, England, France, Servia and Italy, that none of these countries would act independently of each other in negotiating peace treaties. The Japanese ministry has been bitterly censured by the , Tokyo pop ulace for what it believes to have been back-stepping in its demands up on the Chinese republic. Tense feel ing prevails in the Nipponese capital. The Japanese imperial diet has vot ed to increase the island empire's standing army another 24,000 men. The previous diet was dissolved by the mikado last December for refus ing to uphold the program favoring military extension. The London Times is being prose cuted by the government on the charge of printing information that would be useful to England's enemies. The Times printed a public letter written by Major Richardson begging parliament to vote a conscription bill, which the government contends re veals the weakness of the British army to Germany and Austria. Washington President Wilson read his second note to Germany to the cabinet, all of the members of which approved his decision. Governor Whitman of New York, now attending the San Francisco ex positin, listened over the long dis tance telephone to the crying of his boby in the executive mansion at Al bany. Thirty-three Ohio school children in the state spelling bee at Columbus, spelled long and difficult words for a whole day without making a single blunder. President Wilson has sent a brief note to Germany, answering Herr von Jagow's recent unsatisfactory reply, stating the United States will not tol erate any lengthy discussion of the issues at stake, but will fight for the rights of humanity. President Wilson received Count von Bernstorff, German ambassador to the United States, in a private conference at the White House, arranged by re quest of the ambassador who is hope ful of a peaceful outcome of the pres ent crisis. It is reported in Washing ton's diplomatic circles that all the recent admonition of Count von Bern storff to the Berlin war office has been ignored by Baron von-Jagow. . Secretary - of the Treasury McAdoo has announced committees who will act permanently in the perfection of the Pan-American union, which will bring into closer association and ac cord hereafter the twenty-one repub lics of the western hemisphere. The secretary says all the financial insti tutions of the American republics are agreed on the unity policy. ' The Supreme court affirms the con stitutionality of the use of initials. President Wilson has issued his for mal warning to Generals Carranza, Villa, Zapata and other Mexican chief tains, that they must come to some agreement and form a government that may be recognized by the Unit ed States in a "very short time" or the United States will have to take steps to settle the dispute in that republic. . President Wilson is expected to no tify both General Carranza and Villa that the warring faction in Mexico must come to some concision which will make it possible for the United States to recognize a government in that republic which has now been in the throes of revolution for five years. The president states princi ple is no longer the object of the fight ing, but it has degenerated into mere ly a war to determine the supremacy of the , leaders. The German Catholic association of the United States in convention as sembled at Rochester, N. Y., conduct ed prayers for the guidance of Presi dent Wilson in the present crisis with Germany. Important decisions soon expected to be handed down by the United States Supreme court are a series in volving the constitutionality of the "grandfather clauses" in certain Southern states, - the International Harvester dissolution, the govern ment anthracite coal suit against the Lackawanna railroads and the treble damage suit of New York shippers against South African steamship lines. The United States Supreme court lias handed down a decision uphold ing the anti-college fraternity statute recently enacted by the Mississippi legislature. MAK E EFFORTS FOR PEACE IN MEXICO VI LLA-ZAPATA FACTIONS SEEK RECONCILIATION WITH CAR RANZA. NO OFFICIAL MESSAGES YET Red Cross Works Rapidly to Relieve Hungry Mexicans Boat Load of Supplies. Washington. Informal efforts as yet without official sanction are be ing made by Mexicans identified with the Villa-Zapata movement in Mexicco to bring about a reconciliation with the Carranza faction with the view of establishing a government that could claim recognition by the United States. Elisco Arredondo, Washington rep resentative of General Carrfanza, re ceived a message from a Carranza Consul on the border saying he had been approached by a Villa official, speaking presumably with authority, to learn what could be done to initiate peace negotiations. The mssage was forwarded without comment by Arre dondo to General Carranza at Vera Cruz. "I have nothing official and there fore can make no statement," said Arredondo. Enrique Liorente, agent here of the Villa-Zapata coalition, said he had no official advice that any peace par leys had begun and believed any pre liminaries in this connection would be arranged through his agency. He said he had received a telegram from Miguel Diaz Lombardo, Secretary of State of the Villa-Zapata government, in which the latter announced his de parture from Chihuahua for Leon to confer with General Villa on the gen eral situation. American Red Cross officials are rapidly putting into effect their plans for relieving starving Mexico non combatants. An army transport has just left Galveston, Texas, for Vera Cruz, with a large - consignment of corn and beans for Mexico City, ar rangements having been made for safe passage of supplies through the Car ranza lines. On its return trip the transport will bring back any Americans or other foreigners who . may have reached Vera Cruz from the interior and who desire to leave the country. Brig. Gen. Devol, genral manager of the Red Cross, left for the Texas border to direct the handling of relief supplies. 710 NEW RURAL ROUTES. Will Go Into Operation June 15 and Will Serve 82,390 Families. Washington. Establishment of 710 new rural mail delivery routes to serve 82,390 families and the exten sion of existing service to reach 5.460 additional families was announced by Postmaster General Burleson. Nearly all of the new routes will go into oper ation June 15. Enlargement and extension of the rural service was made possible, a Postoffice Department statement ex plains, by a readjustment in April and May, resulting in a reduction of oper ating expenses amounting to $511,262. Many routes have been consolidated with others, but it is said but few carriers will be dropped. Orders are now awaiting the Post master General's signature providing for new rural automobile service in many localities. People on these routes when living within a radius oi 25 miles will enjoy local rates. The first of the routes will go into opera tion August 1. . Passports Revoked. Berlin, via London. The passports) of two American citizens living set Dresden Leon Raines and Karl Recknagel have been ordered revok ed by the American embassy on in structions from the state department at Washington. The men, it is said, adversely criti cised the American government in the present crisis and declared in a news paper article that they were ashamed their citizenship. Obregon Claims Victory. Vera Cruz. Defeat of the forces of Generals Angeles and Villa, the cap ture of the town of Leon and of all of Villa's trains and artillery, is an nounced in a report of General Obre gon of the Carranza army received here. The report says: "I have achieved an important vic tory. After a five days battle Angeles and Villa with small groups of follow ers fied in different directions. Our forces are pursuing them north of Leon. All the enemy'." rains and ar tillery were captured." White Book in Demand. Washington. Many requests have been received by the state department for what has come to be known popu larly as the "White Book" of the Uni ted States. It is the first volume of a series of papers and notes comprising diplomatic correspondence" with bellig erent governments relating to neutral right and commerce. In it is printed the text of all telegrams which have passed "between the United States and ( foreign governments since the . out break of the war and general corre fpondence. NOTE S SENT TO MEXICAN LEADERS RY PRESIDENT MUST SET UP A; GOVERNMENT THAT CAN BE ACCORDED RECOGNITION. WOULD UNITE ALL FACTIONS Intervention Considered Possible ' If Hopeless Conditions Continue. Full Text of Note. Washington. In a statement to the American people President Wilson served notice on the factional leaders of Mexico that unless within "a very short time" they unite to set up a government which the world can recognize, the United States "will be constrained to decide what means bhould be employed by the United States in order to help Mexico save herself and serve her people." Message Goes Forward. President Wilson's warning to Mex ico that the United States cannot per mit present conditions to continue went forward by telegraph to Ameri can agents who will deliver it to the factional leaders, and was at the same time made public at the White House. The Message to Leaders. The statement, which goes to Car ranza, Villa, Zapata and Garza, the principal leaders, not as a diplomatic note from the United States but as a declaration of President Wilson's at titude expressed in a statement to the American people, is as follows: "More than two years of revolu tionary conditions have existed in Mexico. The purpose of the revolu tion was to rid Mexico of men who ignored the constitution' of the repub lic and used their power in contempt of the right of its people; and with these purposes the people of the Unit ed States instictively and generously sympathized. But the leaders of the revolution, in the very hour of their success have disagreed and turned their arms aaginst one another- "All professing the same objects, they are nevertheless unable or un willing to eo-operate. A central au thority at Mexico City is no sooner set up than it i3 undermined and its authority denied by. those who are ex pected to support it. Trouble Reviewed. "Mexico is apparently no nearer a solution of her tragical troubles than she was when the revolution was first kindled. And she has been swept by civil war as if by fire. Her crops are destroyed, her fields lie unseeded, her work cattle are confiscated for the use of the armed factions, her people flee to the mountains to escape being drawn into unavailing bloodshed, and no man seems to see or lead the way to peace and settled order. There is no proper protection either for her own citizens or for the citizens of other nations resident, and at work within her territory. Mexico is starv ing and without a government. Policy FranKiy Stated "It is time, therefore, that the gov ernment of the United States should frankJy State the policy which in these extraordinary circumstances it becomes its duty' to adopt. It must presently do what it has not hitherto done or felt at liberty to do lend its active moral support to some man or group of men, if such may be found, who can rally the suffering people of Mexico to their support in an effort to ignore, if they cannot unite, the warring factions of the country, re turn to the constitution of the people so long in abeyance, and set up a gov ernment at Mexico City which the great powers of , the world can recog nize and deal with, a government with whom" the program of the revolution will be a business and not merely a platform. "I therefore publicly and very sol emnly call upon the leaders of fac tions in Mexico to act, to act togeth er, and to act promply for the relief and redemption of their prostrate country. I feel it to be my duty to tell. them that, .If they cannot accom modate their differences and unite for this great purpose within a very short time, this government will be con strained to decide what means should be employed by the United States in order to help Mexico save herself and serve her people." Duty of United States v "In these circumstances the people and government of the United States cannot stand indifferently by and do nothing to serve her neighbor. They want nothing for themselves in Mexi co. Least of all do they desire to set tle her affairs for her, or claim any right to do so. But neither do they wish to see utter ruin come upon her and they deem it their duty as friends and neighbors to lend any aid they properly can to any instrumentality which promises to be effective in bringing about a settlement which will embody the real objects of the revolu tion constitutional government and the rights of the people. Patriotic Mexicans are sick at heart and cry out for peace, and for every self-sacrifice that may be necessary to procure it. Their people cry out for food and rt" presently hate as much es they fear every man, in their country or out of it, who stands between them and their daily bread. HUNDRED HENS EARN 3157 PROFIT STATE EXPERIMENT STATION CONDUCTS TEST TO DETER MINE RELATIVE PROFIT. DISPATCHES FROM RALEIGH Doings and Happenings That Mark the Progress of North Carolina Peo ple Gathered Around the State CoitoL Raleigh. How one hundred hens will pay for their upkeep and in a year bring a total profit of $157 is explained by the North Carolina Experiment sta tion after a test just completed on the Iredell Farm. The work was begun on April 2, 1914, with the object pri marily to determine what it would cost to keep a farm flock of hens a year and just what profit, if any, could be secured. During the year, the hens laid 8, 676 eggs or an aevrage of 86.7 eggs per hen. They were kept under actual farm conditions. All the surplus eggs were sold on the Statesville market at the price of twenty cents per dozen and when the increase in the flock is considered along with the value of the eggs, the profit of each hen amounted to $1.57. The hens consumed about four tons of food and increased in numbers to 189. Market prices of grain was charged against the hens and all expenses for upkeep were paid by the money received from the sale of the eggs. The tabulation shows the hundred hens bought for one dollar each. Corn cost $52.65; oats, $57-34; wheat, $25.86; incidental expenses, $5.30; extra feed for small chicks, $7.90; 704 eggs at twenty cents, $1.75; in terest on investment, at six per cent $12.00. On the credit side of the account comes the item of 189 hens valued at $1.00 each, $189.00; 120 chicks at ten cents each, $12.00; 77 fowls sold, $36.86; 49 fowls eaten, $144.60; four tons of manure, $24.00. All of this runs up a total expense of $272.80, and a total increase in value of $429.98 making a net gain of $157.18. Malaria in North Carolina. In its report on the prevalence of malaria in the United States the Unit ed States Health Service gives the figures for North Carolina: "The decease prevails mainly in the eastern half of the state, although cases were reported from 87 of the 100 counties in the state. The reports from the following counties were in the negative: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caswell, Clay, Jackson, Jones, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk Swain and Watauga. The total number of 88,357 cases of malarial fevers reported gives a ratio with the estimated population of 2, 339,452, of one case to 280 inhabitants in the 15.71 per cent of returns of all postal cards mailed. The mortality reports were obtained through the state health officer, W. S. Rankin, and prepared by T. B. Brown, chief clerk, State Board of Health of North Carolina, Raleigh. Mecklenburg had 78 white and 38 colored cases, 3 white and 5 colored persons died from it. Charters Granted During Past Week A charter was issued for the Meche Brodie Drug Company, Brevard, the capital being $10,000 authorized, and $5,000 subscribed by S. M. Macfie, M. P. Brodie and others for a general drug business. The Pinless Clothesline Company, Wilmington, capital $15,000 authoriz ed, and $1,000 subscribed by T. W. Callehanr Blanche Callehan and D. D. Walker for the manufacture and sale of a patent clothesline. The Chemical Lime Company, Naw bern, files an amendment to its char ter whereby the capital stock is re duced from $100,000 to $12,000, the stockholders being specified as CD. Lradham, F. M. Simmons, J. D. Har rior and L. I. Moore, each having $25,000. Inspecting Test Farms. Commissioner of Agriculture W. A. Graham and C. C. Wright, C. W. Mitchell, A. Cannon, R. L. Woodard of the State Board of Agriculture left recently for an official inspection of the new test farm, especially for the growing of bright tobacco in Granville county near Oxford. The Department Is making experiments in the growing of grains and other crops on this farm as well as tobacco. This is the sec ond season of the experimental effort there and developments are said to be very satisfactory. Sign Certificates For Attendance. The Whiteville, Columbus county, public school management tried out a novel scheme for inducing perfect attendance on the schools the past session by offering to furnish to all who made a perfect attendance rec ord for the term a certificate to that effect bearing the signature of the State Superintendent of Public In struction and the Governor. As a result Governor Craig and State Su perintendent Joyner have just been called upon to affix their signatures to 30 such certificates. Revenue Collections For May. The office of Collector A. D. Watts for the Western North Carolina dis trict, reports collections from, all sources to the amount of $743,419.04', for the month of May just closed. Col lections for the past month are slight ly under the month of April, about $3,500 less. However, , they exceed tnose of May, 1914, by over $150,000. The different sources from which the above revenues was derived is as follows: Lists, $13,459.42; special taxes, $392.36; tobacco, cigars, cigar ettes and snuff, $721,649.83; opium tax, $33.39; documentary and proprie tary stamps, $7,861.44; wine stamps $22.60. The internal revenue collections for the -eastern Carolina district dur ing May were $489,917,. compared with $425,578 during May, 1914. .The special war taxes for the district col lected during May aggregated $8,373, lists represented a revenue of $20,989 and the tobacco, cigar and cigarette taxes $459,988. Other receipts were from special taxes. The revenue from opium license and blanks amounted to $15,000. Treasury Funds of State Run Low. B. R. Lacy, State Treasurer, who has just returned from New York after scoring the financial feat of ne gotiating a loan of $75,000 to the state at three and a half per cent, says this money will be applied, $60,000 to the installation of waterworks for the State Hospital at Morganton and $15, 000 to permanent Improvements at the University of North Carolina. Treasurer Lacy says funds are just now the lowest in the State Treasury they have ever been before since he has been State Treasurer at this sea son of the year and attributes this condition to the failure of sheriffs of many of the counties to make pay ments and settlements of taxes as promptly as they should and usually do. He says that one of the most serious consequences is that hundreds of the most faithful and deserving school teachers, all to poorly paid at best, are thereby deprived of the pos sibility of receiving their salaries promptly and in full. Mr. Lacy also calls attention to the fact that he has found it necessary to so control the State Treasury's public school funds as they come in as that those counties In which the sheriffs make settlements of their taxes due the state shall have the preference as to the payment of the county proportion of the public school fund. In this way the prompt settle ment of state taxes by the sheriffs car ries with it an assurance of that coun ty receiving In the most prompt man ner possible its proportion of the school fund. Treasurer Lacy is just now sending out to the sheriffs the most urgent sort of letters appealing for settle ment of state taxes to relieve condi tions. Portrait of Yates Presented to State. There was a unique ceremony in the North Carolina Hall of History when there was presented to the state with due ceremony an oil painting of Maj. William J. Yates, for many years editor of The Democratic, a weekl newspaper of Charlotte, and a journal of great power and influence in its aay. i ne- presentation address was by Editor Edward E. Britton, of the Raleigh News and Observer, with sup plementary remarks by Mr. William J. Andrews, In which he declared, that in so doing he was honoring his grandfather's friend and welding anew the links in the chain of friend ship between the families wherein he is the third generation. In accepting the portrait for the state Col. Fred A. Olds, director of the Hall of History, stated that the painting will be placed "near thav of another of Governor Vance's most confidential and trusted advisors dur ing the war period. Rev. William E. Pell, the founder of The Raleigh Christian Advocate and also of The Raleigh Sentinel. "You may be as sured gentlemen, declared Colonel Olds, "that this portrait will always be treasured and will occupy a place ox honor in the Hall of History" Visit Artist In New York. Governor Craig and the members of the commission for the erection of the statute of Zebulon B. Vance in the Statuary Hall, Washington, for the state, are to go to New York this week for a special meeting in the studio of Artist Borglum to inspect the work of the artist as far as it has progressed in the preparation of the plaster cast Renewing Automobile Licenses. ' There are upwards of 16,320 state automobile licenses to be renewed by the secretary of state within the next few days, the new automobile license year beginning July 1. The mails are flooding the office now with these ap plications for new licenses and with the license fee checks that must ac company them. The gain in the num ber of automobiles in the state the past year has been about 5,000. The license tax on machines ranges from $5 to $15 according to horse-power. Motorcycles are decreasing. Connor Reports to Gen. Young. L'eut. Edward Connor of the United States Navy, has formally reported to Adjutant General Laurence W. Young of the North Carolina Guard as ready to take up his work as Inspector-in structor for the naval militia in this state, the divisions of which are- lo cated at Elizabeth City, Washington, Belhaven,. Hertford and Newbern. Lieutenant Connor will press the work of reorganizing tie North Carolina militia in conformity with the new Federal naval regulations that reduces the number of officers. - INIlTMTIONAL SUMfSOIOOL Lesson (By B. O. SELLERS, Acting Director of Sunday school Course of Moody Bible Institute, Chicago.) LESSON FOR JUNE 13 BLESSEDNESS OF FORGIVENESS. LESSON TEXT Psalm 32. GOLDEN TEXT Blessed la he whose transgression is forjdven. whose sin la covered Psalm S2:L This psalm is believed to have grown out of David's experience with Nathan (see Rom. 4:6-8). It is the second of the seven so-called "peni tential psalms" (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143). While it is sad, it is at the same time one of the -most Joyful of all psalms. It is the record of bitter sor- row and also of heartfelt praise, and is as vital in its message today as the day it was given to the world. I. The State or Condition of Happi ness. (1) What is happiness? vv. 1, 2. The blessed or happy man is the one whose sin is covered. God only can forgive sin and has plainly set before us his agency, viz., the shed blood. David as king enjoyed the pleasures of life, but he also knew the result of hidden sin, of sins covered. The Joy' of forgiveness Is offered to all who accept God's gift of justifica tion (Acts 10:43). The psalmist seems to multiply words. "Transgression means rebellion; "sin" to miss the mark (Rom. 3:23); "iniquity," to b crooked. When men try to cover sin we are expressly told the result (Prov. 88:13), but God literally takes away when he forgives and "covers" sin (John 1:29; Ps. 103:12; 85:2). Nei ther man or devil can uncover what he has covered. (2) Who Is unhappy? vv. 3, 4. Contrasted with the state or condition of happiness granted to the forgiven sinner is presented that cf those unforgiven. David kept silence without only to have a raging tempest within lips silent, bones "roaring." During the days of David's silence fol lowing his sinful act he was guilty of increased acts of sin and cruelty (2 Sam. 12:31). The origin of the word Selah is not known. It probably indi cated a musical interlude and in this psalm most appropriately and dramat ically appears. (3) How we may be happy, vv. 5, 6. All sin is uncovered to God. His all-seeing eye can pene trate man's futile endeavors to hide his- transgressions. The first step to forgiveness and to happiness is con fession of guilt. God's heavy hand wrought saving faith in David and such faith has as Its first condition confession, "I acknowledged my sin." Such confession is full and frank. Nothing is held back nor has It any element of hypocrisy, and It always secures results (I John 1:9; Luke 15: 20-23). The godly man, the man who Is the recipient of God's grace thus bestowed, prays in a time "when thou mayest be found," or (see margin) "in tbe time of finding out sin" (v. 6 R. V.). The prophet tells us that there is a time when we may not find God (Isa, 55:6) and Paul tells us when he may be found (II Cor. 6:2). II. How to Continue In the State of Being H?ppy. (1) Our security (v. 7). When men forgive they do not "cover." What God hides he forgets (Isa. 38:17; Micah 7:19). Our security, our "hid ing place" is Jehovah. Our preserver is Jehovah (Ps. 91:31; Isa. 32:1, 2). Jehovah preserves from trouble those whom he forgives (Ps. 34:19). Such men have a serenity, a "peace" even the "peace of God" which the sinner can never have (Isa. 26:3; Rom. 5:1; Phil. 4:7). (2) Our Instructor (vv. 8, 9). (a) Positively we have one who not only forgives and blots out the past but one who has promised to "instruct," to "teach" and to "guido." Nearly all believe that the introduc tion of the personal pronouns in verse 8 indicate that God Is speaking In response to David's appeal recorded In verse 6. Jehovah guides with his "eye upon" us (v. 8 R. V.) He instructs us by his spirit through his Word (Ps. 119:105; John 16:13). (b) Neg atively Some must needs be directed by "bit and bridle." Some have to learn through bitter experience. We have our choice. Those who will not listen to instruction are compared to the horse and the mule who "have no understanding." Even so they are more useful than those who wildly run after sin. Only thus can some ' "come near" (v. 9 R. V.) though that is better than not to be brought near at all. (3) Our faith (v. 9). What kind of a life will God's forgiven chil dren live? What Is one of the fore most characteristics of a happy life? Here is the answer, "He that trusteth ' In the Lord." This is the conclusion of the whole matter. Our only Joy is In the Lord "who , hath done marvelous things whereof we are glad." Christ Is the incarnate mercy and grace of God. In him, we have God's rorgiveness. He supplies our every need (Phil. 4:19). He pardons, heals, restores, di rects, gives power (Matt 28:18-20). Joy and impurity are never compan ions. Only the pure can purify. Only the healthy can heal. Only the right 2ous and free can pardon. "Rejoice in Jehovah! and leap for Joy, O righteous! and gladly shout all pe upright in heart." Maclaren. To shout a godly and acceptable shout demands that we be "upright la' heart."
The Chatham Record (Pittsboro, N.C.)
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June 9, 1915, edition 1
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