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Show PRAYER WITHOUT , DECEPTION. When Mayor Charles H. Bartlett took the oath of office In Gloucester, Mass., Rev. Levi M. Powers, pastor of the Universalist church, asked blessings for the mayor and incoming councilmen, and then proceeded to pray as follows. "We pray for the voters of the city there are some too lazy to vote, but not too lazy to grumble bless them "We pray for the taxpayers who want good streets, good schools, good fire and police protection and good health officials, but who wish others to pay for their cost. "We pray for the business men whose, votes are always determined by the expectation of special favors for themselves bless them if You can. "We pray for those who believe that all laws should be enforced except the laws which they do not like, or which, if enforced, would trouble them. "We pray for the political managers who swap votes and sell out their friends and let their candidates go unopposed. un-opposed. "We pray for men -so mean that they are not willing to give their sisters sis-ters the same privileges they have themselves. "ve pray ror tne ministers u tner are any in this city, I do not believe there are who say what Is pleasant to hear rather than what is true "We pray for the lawyers to whom laws mean only a knowledge of the helping of those who wish to evade the law to do so safely, and to enable themselves and others to get something some-thing for nothing. "We wish that all these people might be blessed, but perhaps we ask too much, for we know that even You cannot bless them unless they mend their ways. It may be that the only thing You can do is to let them go to hell, where they belong. You know best " That prayer is a sermon on public abuses which is worthy of a place in the home scrap book. It Is a se vere rebuke of the Indifferent citizen, the scheming politician, the patronizing patroniz-ing minister, the unscrupulous lawyer. This Gloucester preacher has a keen appreciation of the difficult task the Lord would face, if He undertook tc so change the rules of justice, as to open wide the gates of the Pearly city to the offenders against the laws of man and the commandments given to Mosea. |
