The Houston Post. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 264, Ed. 1 Friday, December 25, 1903 Page: 3 of 12
twelve pages : ill. ; page 24 x 20 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
(
r
R 25. ')
HOUSTON DAILY POST: FRIDAY MORNING DECEMBE
1903.
he Day We Commemorate
T OCAL MINISTERS TZXL HOW
"T CHRISTMAS.: SHOULD Bt
; OtStRVtD AS . AN LRA Of
i SItMTUAL THOUGHT and WHAT
TH ft OfLL Of HOUSTON
t
If !i 5
1101010510 All DA TODAY
' V !
4 SHOULD DO IN THE. WAY OT DISfLNSINQ CHARITY tad QOOQ
' CHLZ.R ASi Hfi WHOSE.' BIRTH ' WE CELEBRATE WOULD DO
Wt WISH ALL OUR
fRg-NPS AND PATRONS
v - Appropriate to the Opirlt of the day. The Pott prints below om able exprestiona
W ram the pent of a mtmben f Houston's prominent divines. . They emphaaiie in that
(liberal spirit that charaeterijas the ministry of Houston many timely suggestions at to
how Christmas should be observed as an era of spiritual thought ard what the people
Lof Houston should do in thf way of dispensing charity and good cheer as He whose
birth is celebrated would do.'
A Merry Christmas
GOD'S EMPHASIS UPON GIVING.
"f"
'r4 ( ' ' m- J-IT. K t' X
i RLV. WM. HAYNE LEAVELL TIRST fRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
(To the Editor of The Post "JJ
Uln response to your request for an article for your Christmas issue upon the sug-
A subject: "(low Christmas should be observed as an era of spiritual thought
land what .the people oi Houston should do in the way of dispensing charity and good
cheer as He whose birth is celebrated would do" I will submit certain thoughts that
offer themselves as appropriate to the season and which fit your suggestion. I am
sorry that I must jot them down in the hurry of the hour and under pressure from
many other things demanding attention at this time. I know of nothing more fitting
than the consideration of the matter of "giving" at this season when we are commemorating-
the entrance into this world of God's first Christmas gift the gift of His
only begotten Son and there are few exercises of the soul by which "an era of
spiritual thought" may be more effectively observed than the appropriate giving which
jahnost universally characterizes the celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ In
hutting proper emphasis upon the whole notion involved in giving we do well to re-
frnember that God gave his Son to the world because He loved the world and that
'Christ was not only given but gave Himself was a willing gift He "could consent or
refuse could liy down His life and take it up according to His own will. "He gave
iHis life a ranom for many" to purchase theirs from the thraldom of ain with a price
equal to a universal and infinite value the full price of redemption from the rower
wri the hurt of sin. Paul particularizes it thus "Who loved me and gave Himself for
toe a Particular each of us does well to remember always. From such considerations
we get at the duty and the spirit of giving. When Jesus once sent forth His disciples
endowed with certain delegated powers He admonished them not to be niggardly but
las they had freely received they must freely give. As a matter of fact God has always
'put hug emphasis upon giving giving freely largely regularly j has ever laid down
a law of beneficence fitted to man at every stage of his development. As our Sovereign
LordHe hadithis right. Then "giving is an act of homage to a king an expression
of gratitude fo a benefactor and an act of worship as well." Under the ancient
economy when man lived under rule and guidance waa a matter of detailed' instruc-
tion God required that every household should give one-tenth of all its "increase"
without first subtracting its maintenance and should give the "best" of thst increase
of erery kind. There must be no "chipped coin." Later He "whose birth is cele-
brated" read si larger significance into the duty of beneficence when He widened the
limits of the rule into the principle of law. Because of the light of the new dispensa-
tion winch enlightens us and teaches us how to worship with our substance as with
our hearts we have better opportunity and can be trusted to see and do our duty in the
larger way. Still the thing is not left at haphazard for the spirit and principle of
Igiving are indicated by the Gospel. As "stewards of God" we do not possess abso-
lutely but are trustees of another's wealth who are to render an account of our ad-
iministration of trust funds. So we must not only do the thing honestly but must allow
Him whose trustees we are to prescribe the spirit snd principle of our administration.
And as God loves a cheerful giver we must give not grudgingly and under pressure but
j cheerfully and lately according to His own example and method. The principle is
.prescribed even if (the rule of the tithe is superseded and prescribed in such fashion
'that we aa trustees can not take advantage of the absence of a prescribed percentage
land give lese than that is right. Every one must give as the Lord by His providence
ihas prospered him.' One can determine whether and how far the Lord has prospered
shim but the requirement is absolute and imperative that he must determine this by
principle and do it honestly before God ; and then he must fix the proportion eon-
wcientiously and intelligently and irrevocably devote that proportion to the service.
iThus there is no possibility of embarrassing a conscientious man he will give "aa the
Lord has prospered him." We must not put too much easy emphasis upon this view
Jof giving as a "privilege and not a duty" for it is both a privilege and a duty. How-
jever much emphasis we place upon giving as a privilege we must not take it from
the "duty" of giving; for as men are. the sense of duty will ever be more powerful in
securing obedience. A man may think he has the privilege of not availing himself of
jthe "privilege of giving" as so many actually do ; but duty allows no such eaay escape
'for when one faila to give aa God haa given him he violates a duty and knows it and
must bear the responsibility of his violation. The motive of giving should be love
"'for God so loved the world that He gave." "If I give all my goods to feed
'the poor and have not love it profiteth me nothing" however much it
nnsy profit them. The principle of giving is according to what God haa given and the
spirit of it ia that it be) none cheerfully and handsomely. And we will find that the
condition of all such giving ia usually sacrifice in some sort for sacrifice is the law of
love. If we sow sparingly we will reap sparingly all the more certainly in things of
the heart The spiritual value of a service of any sort is nearly always exactly meas-
ured by the sacrifice involved in it Having said these things it is scarcely needed
that I go further and aay anything as to "what the people of Houston should da in the
wy of dispensing charity and good cheer as He whose birth we celebrate would do"
for every one can easily find some good opportunity open which he can enter and do a
aervice of value and show that he is really animated by the spirit of the season. But I
will point out one way in which the people of Houston csn do a lasting service of far-
Teaching beneficence and do it too in that easiest and simplest way of doing good
by the mei giving of money. This is the service to which I refer : Build and equip a
proper place in which to house the operations of the Young Men's Christian Associa-
tion. I know of no other way in which our people can do for themselves their city
land the thousands of young men among us .a service that will be as large aa far-
teaching and aa permanent. On that the blessing of God and the blessings of the
coming time would abundantly rest'
M i '
IT IS NOT A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY.
RLV. EVANDER AMHONS TABLRNACLL BAPTIST CHURCH.
1o the Editor of The Post .
I think the sense if not the exact wording is expressed in the above lines that
The Houston Post gave me for a subject to write upon for its publication to be
known as the Christmas edition. It ia a eomnlim.nt fnr Th. Hntutmi PAat
daily as it is to ask a minister to write for its columns and I accept it aa a compli-
ment I do not wish to be coxcombical but I think it ia permissible to say a few
words about the day spoken of to be observed. It is sometimes argued that custom
makes a thing right but it is a false supposition that custom makes wrong right The
day called Christmas on the S5th of December ia not a religious holiday and has no
more saeredness attached to it than any other week-day. It ia not the birthday of
Christ for history does not reveal to us the day of his birth baptism or death. The
exact course of the Christmas Day ran not be traced but it was sometimes observed
on January 6 and sometimes festivities included many days and finally put on Decem-
ber aj. We are to observe only the first day of the week which .is the Christian's
Sundsy as a religious day. About the close of the Fourth century the Jjth of December
began to be celebrated by the Roman churches as a religious day for the birth of
Christ. Before that time it had been a day of festivity and afterward even down to
the present time many have so celebrated it. We should not attach nor even try to
attach any sacredeuss to the day. We should no more observe the a$th of December
as a religious holiday than the Fourth of July. Would Christ celebrate it aa a religious
day if He were here? No for He gave us the day to observe; other days were to be
spent in worling. The world carea nothing for Christmas aa a religious day but the
world does respect Sunday. Why respect the first day of the week and not Christmas
Because men know Sunday is God-appointed and Christmas is man-appointed. Now
. then observe Christmas as ether weck-daya by being law abiding citizens.
- '
GENUINE JOYS FO THOSE WHO DENY THEMSELVES
REV. TATHtR J. T. NICHOLSON SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH.
"A child shall lead them.? Such Was one of the works by which the world was
to know Its Savior. "A child is born to us" declared Isaiah "and the government shall
be on his shoulders." Without this child and his government Christmaa haa no meaning.
"Why is Christmaa of all the f casta of the year the greatest feast for children?"
I aaked the school children the other- day. "Because it is the feaat of the infant
Jesus" came the answer. "And what honor and glory do firecracker and distracting
noises that almost drive nervous and sickly people out of their senses give the infant
Jesus?". "None" again came the answer. Most people love children. God knew
men's liking and to win them all the more He condescended to appear to them as a
child. It waa the greatest manifestation of His love since creation and not mind or
heart or apirit alone but love alone can understand and feel and worship the mystery
of the cry of the infant God breaking the silence of the winter's midnight at Bethlehem.
His birth and its attending circumstances are a self-repeating sermon coming down the
centuries against the inveterate enemy of human peace happiness and contentment-
gilded pride. His crib is the antidote for our high-pressure civilisation and artificial
greatness. Hs life alone can purify our happiness and glorify our aorrow. The more
men consciously or unconsciously forget Him the more their intellects will be warped
and their heart corrupted. Before Hi coming there waa no more brotherhood of
man than there waa brotherhood oi the jackal and the tiger. Through Him men became
eons of God and brothers of one another. The more Christ and His life are ignored
the more loosely hang the links of brotherhood. The Star of Bethlehem is to humanity
what the North star is to the mariners Without it humanity must sail unguided through
the night of time buffeted by the storms) of human passions. Those are some of the
?" Z-s C"tm" u fe" of joy and especially joy for children. But there
are two kmda of joy material and piritnal. The first joy evoked by this birth was
piritual; putting aside his virgin mother and foster father it was the joy of the
angel tinging "Glory to God in the highest" The first message given to the world
after the infant birth waa "Glory to God." It would be interesting. K it were not
saddening to know how much spiritual I joy and "glory to God" takes the first place in
tht ! celebration of Christmaa nowadays! In our anxiety to pleaae the living we have
5fn -ilTif J0'" "'War spend day. and week thinking how wa
tTUAMTfj?JP- Bethlehem repeated. The few
0 the shepherd and th wfan and Simeon and Anna wcefniiTtheir Savior and
i ' J .. V'.-.
... Trr.t:r)vv.. :
THE MORNING AFTER THE VISIT OF SANTA aAUS.
think how they can best please God. The many are too busy thinking how they shall
pleaae themselves and their friends. It may be called blessed to give joy to others
but it can not be blessed while He who is the center of it all.nd ahould have the first
place in thought word and deed is forgotten or is smothered in the chaff of material
how. It is like throwing the good St Nicholas in the shsde by a superstitious worship
of Santa Claus. We have tried to make our school children realize that it is more
blessed to give than to receive and to make offerings out of their own resources and
individual allowances for children less favored whose tables may be bare and bodies
ill clad while millions revel in luxury. The genuine joys of Christmaa are only for
those who deny themselves for others aa the Divine Child of Bethlehem denied Him-
ad the splendors of heaven to bless and benefit mankind.
LOVE WAS BORN AT CHRISTMAS.
RLV. A. T. SANDLRSON CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
"Buttthe Star that shines in Bethlehem
1 Shines still and shall not cease;
And we listen still to the tidings
Of glory and of peace."
Though we do not know the exact date of the Savior's birth we may as well celel
brate Dncember 15 as any other date. Christmaa waa first officially adopted as a
Christian festival about the year A. D. 138. It was first celebrated however in the
year 08. Not until the Fifth century did the day of its celebration become permanently
fixed on December 15. Up to that time it had been irregularly observed at varioua
times of the year in December in April and in May but most frequently in January.
It ia a significant fact that no great battles were fought on Christmas Day. They have
occulted on the Jth and the 26th of December but the anniversary of the adopted day
of the advent of Peace on Earth has ever been observed by a cessation of hostilities.
The life pointed out by the Star of Bethlehem has been one of power and influnce
through the agea. The mind of Christ has not only entered the temple and made it a
house of prayer but has entered the temple of learning and aanctified it Human
wisdom bends before the child becomes childlike. I wonder if this is not the reason
11 become younger at the Christmaa tide? Self is forgotten and thia lets the tide of
happiness in. The secret of defying time and the passing of years is to preserve the
heart of childhood in spite of the coming of the silver locks and the furrowed brow
as long aa we can look out on the world through child eyes and retain the child's heart
of trust we can never grow old. What would Christmaa be without the children? I
am glad our Savior did not come into the world a full-grown man but came as a babe.
He came aa the deepest expression of God's love and every child in a home is a gift of
love its coming touches the fountain of the parent's life and the heart forgets itself
and goea out to another. It goes out to a life that ia helpless that needs protec-
tion. God's gift waa this gift of love sent to a helpless people. In celebrating the
Christmaa festivities shall we not remember the helpless with our gifts? We owe
our own happiness to the childhood heart within us which is renewed day by day
and kept youthful by the spirit of Him whose birth was heralded by the angelic
choir in the anthem "Peace on earth good will to men."
"Love came down at Christmaa ' 1
. Love all lovely love divine;
Love was born at Christmaa
Star and angels gave the sign.
1
"Love shall be our token.
Love be yours and love be mine
? Love to God and all men
Love the universal sign"
CHRISTMAS CHRONOLOGY.
A BRUTE IS SOUGHT
DALLAS COUNTY FARMERS
ARE MUCH INCENSED.
Sheriff It in the Field with a
Force of Deputies Negro
Trailed Toward Dallas.
First Shipment Are to Be Made
U Early in January Only Go to
Boll Weevil District.
BY RLV. JOHN L. QRt.CN METHODIST CHURCH.
The chronology of Christendom may not be correct In fact the exact date of
the Advent can not be positively known. From the earlier centuries the asth of
December hat been considered the anniversary of the Savior's birth. Ancient tradition
and the time-honored custom of Christmaa celebration give significance to this
eans This festival day is observed in honor of Christ's coming. As this yuletide
brina afresh to mind the greatest event in human history and reminds men of the
blessings consequent on the Lord's incarnation; the use made of the occasion the
manner of rejoicing ahould be in perfect keeping with the true meaning of thia glad
day. This would preclude excesses and all dissipations. It would make impossible
the reck lese rage expressed by the saucy saying: "Christmas cornea but' once a year."
Much of modern Christmaa celebration ia deprecated by good people. Christ is crowded
out as He waa on that first Christmas morn in the city of Bethlehem where "there
was no room for Him in the inn." The true apirit of this celebration should be in
sweet accord with the angel choir filling heaven and earth with glad acclaim
ascribing praise to God for blessings to men. Such a apirit would actuate our Uvea
making them fruitful of good work. Dependent children and neglected poor would
be mad special object of our liberality and benefkense
(Houston Post Special.)
Dallas axas December 24. The south-
ern part oT Dallas county la Intensely
aroused over the criminal assault made
on a white woman near Hutchlna last
night the occurrence of which was brief-
ly reported In The Poet of today.
Between I and o'clock last night an
unknown negro assaulted Mrs. Hubert
Rnyce the wife of a prosperous farmer.
Mrs. Royce waa alttlng In an open door-
way reading when the negro attacked
her. She waa unable to Identify him.
exoept by feeling the stub of a finger
on her wrist when he grappled her.
The farmers are much incensed over
the outrage and there la an organised
movement to capture the guilty person.
Sheriff Johnson with Deputy Sheriffs
Witt Seals Brlttaln and Heddlrlc are
on the ground with bloodhuunda at-
tempting to find a trace of the negro
who waa tracked to the Houston and
Texas Central railroad where the offi-
cers could find no other trace of hlra.
It Is believed that he disappeared In the
direction of Dallas where he hoped to
hide. .
When the assault occurred the hus-
band of Mrs. Royce was visiting another
farmer near by and when he returned he
found his wife unconacloua. Mr. Koyoe
Is about X years old and l.as a wide
circle of friends In the neighborhood In
which he resides.
The residents of Hutchlna declare that
the sheriff ahould turn over the negro
to them as soon as he Is caught. If ha
la captured In that vicinity It la doubt-
ful If lynching can be prevented.
TEXAS NEGRO KILLED.
Made an Attempt on a Louisiana
Marshal.
(Houston Post Special.)
Jennings. La.. December H Edward
Wallace a nesrro from Texas waa shot
and almost Instantly killed here last night
by City Marshal Judson Harris. Mr.
Harris entered the cell In which the ne-
gro waa confined for drunkennesa for the
purpose of securilur a large knife which
waa overlooked In the search made when
the negro waa Dlaoed under arrest As
soon as the cell waa ooened the negro
made a rush for Harris with the knife In
his hand. Harria at once sent a bullet
crashing throueh his brain. This Is the
second negro killed br the officers here
within the past month.
Suicide at Humble.
(Houston Post Special.)
Humble. Texas). December ti Mr.
Joshua Williams committed suicide trr
hooting himself with a B target rifle.
Ill health was the causa of the deed.
CASTOR I A
Par IbWu a&d Children.
Hi Kind Yu Kan Always Bcstfrt
m
Bear tha
Stgaatvwof
FREE COTTON SEED
DEPARTMENT DECIDED ON
DISTRIBUTION PLAN.
i Houston Post Bureau.
all Colorado Building
Washington December si.
Members of tha Texaa delegation have
been Informed by reprceentativee of tha
agricultural department aa to tha plana
that have been adopted for the distribu-
tion of tha early maturing cotton aeed
tiiat tha department will send out short-
ly after the first of the year. It la the
Intention of the officiate to get from saca
congressman who deserve some of these
seed by-reason of having a district that
la Infected with weevils a list of the
tarmera to whom he wants seed sent
These lists will be divided Into subdivi-
sions each county forming a separate
list When the department haa received
these lists the seed will be divided and
forwarded to each county alte where they
may be ordered by the representative. The
aeed wtll be distributed from there to tha
individuals whose names hare been fur-
nished to the department
'1 he seed will be sent to the various
place where they are required by aa-
press. Efforts were made by the con-
gressmen to have the poatofflo depart-
ment take charge of the aeed distribu-
tion but the postmaster general or has
representatives put a Mop to arrange-
ments of thia kind. Then It waa thought
that the express companlee might be got
ten by the agricultural department to
distribute the aeed. But the secretary of
agriculture vetoed thia course too and
adopted the plan outlined above.
The plan Is not disapproved by tha
Texan and it I expected to be Just aa
satisfactory aa any of the others that
were suggeeted. The distribution of tha
aeed la expected to commence about tha
Iitth of January and will be hurried with
ail the haste possible. As baa been told
in thia correspondence there will not
be enough of tb free seed to warrant
many farmer In tha expectation that
tney will be fortunate enough to get a
snare. The supply Is limited and there are
many eager congressmen to be needed.
But all of them will do the beat they
know how under the circumstance and
all of them hope to com out of the or-
deal with little criticism as possible.
The seed will. It la expected prove a
welcome preernt to all who are fortunalp
enough to get some of the supply. But
these wtll be limited In number and the
quantity they do receive will not be aut-
..clently large to plant mora than a
patch" of the staple.
OJk.m 'JL-T iJF. X .atV. . -Bamth
TmrailuWilrtC
X
i
i
t
t
i
t
t
WE WISH YOU A VERY
MERRY CHRISTMAS
C. L. & THEO. BERING
HARDWARE STORE
. MAIN STRttT AND CAPITOL AVLNUL
H
8
WL WISH OUR FMtNDS AND PATRONS
A MERRY CHRISTMAS
jj Jno. McClellan Go.
Thanks for Your Trade
r WT. WISH TOO
A MXRRY CHRISTMAS AND
HAPFY NEW YLAR
Wsvhwaavaaas- f
CGRUNOVALD
PUsKM Organ Musk and Moakal Instruments M 110 Mala 5 tree
A MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO Aa
MODEL LAUNDRY
HAMBURGER 4 DREYLLNG PROPS.
NEGROES IN THE NORTH.
Tb most approprUts pist ef thia I
candy at the T' .. .tun i 111
Trotibla Made in the' Republican
Party Ranks.
Bostosi Hasa December M. "Bon.
Ik" Allen who also adda to hs cogno-
men tha reveled nam of Benjamin
rranklln baa deelared himself In on tha
eungrosstonsl deal. "Ike who waa
burled beneath at.SM rote) at the city
election last week while running for
street commissioner on tha republican
ticket haa dust hi way out of tha drift
and haa asMouncad has candidacy for
congrss next year from tha Eleventh
district aaalnst Congressman J. A. Sulli-
van. Ha seem to have an antipathy for the
Bulllvana for his chief opponent for
street commissioner was A. J- Sullivan
and hi nomination papr erere filed
mainly to defeat BulUvan. Democrats are
rubbing their hands In glee at the pros-
pect of Allen butting" Into the con-
gressional nomination . and "queering"
the republloana.
SHERIFFS' DEPARTMENT
Wharton. Texaa. December at. Officers
look out for and arrest a light gtturer-
cak colored negro about t foot high;
haa a soar under left eye soar aoroe
back of nook and ha small mustache.
When last seen bad on a high hat pant
fraaalsd at the bottom and a patch on
each shoe over the small too; goea by the
name of Clarence Martin. I hold war-
rant for hla arrest. R. A Rich sheriff
Wharton county.
An Excellent Cough Medicine for
Children. '
Chamberlain's Oousth Remedy is a fa-
vorite with tha soothers of small chil-
dren. It oaa alwan a doooaded apoa
aa a quick eura for cmisrha. cold and
croup. It haa been the standard and
main reliance of thousands of snothen
for many years and never disappoints
them. It t pleasant to take which is
given to a small child. As i - . .
o.'t" e r r
VWtuvu
MIST18
GIFTS
Such u high cb nCTUkXS art always
kifhry appreciated by people oi food taste.
Artist oi national reputation whose wi
Is seen in the Icidinf art fallcries oi taxope
arc represented in the stock vnt otter yoav
JAS. BUTG
IC05-I008 Tim hj.
Boys' and Girls' Crescent t
Crawford Bicycles cash or
time f
Gentlemen's Nyacks nev
MARCH CULMC
Opera House -
I bv soma excellent
"film -
v '
V
I
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Houston Post. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 19, No. 264, Ed. 1 Friday, December 25, 1903, newspaper, December 25, 1903; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth602958/m1/3/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .