592 



GLEvVNINGS m BEE CFLTT'ftE. 



July 



iibout a sheep, if it slioulcl fall into a pit on 

 the Sal)batli day. The first commandment 

 is against idolatry. Did it ever occur to you, 

 dear reader, tliat we may be in danger of 

 worsliiping the Sabl)ath in a senseless way? 

 Jesus never laid down a law without sense. 

 Jn heatlien lands, where they are in the 

 darkness of superstition, tiiey have their 

 "taboos ;" that is, laws are laid down in a 

 Senseless way. Pliysicians used to doctor 

 people by giving them the liver of a fi'og or 

 a piece "of a serpent's skin; a cold in the 

 head was cured l)y kissing a mule's nose. 

 I'^rogs l)oiled in vinegar cured the toothache. 

 While enumerating these, I have wondered 

 if there were not some tincture of this taboo 

 of heathenism still lingering among us. 



Now, there is nothing about religion and 

 hothing in Christ's commands, tiiat is, in 

 any sliape or manner, the slightest akin to 

 such superstition, (iod surely never in- 

 tended to lay stress on somethiiig that had 

 not reason and sense back of it. (Jod must 

 be just, or he would not be God. Earthly 

 rulers may put burdensome commands upon 

 us, and may punish us for breaking such 

 laws; but (iod the Father never did. Is it 

 possible tliat a kind and just parent should 

 ever lay down laws for his children, simply 

 for the sake of punishing them when they 

 break his laws'? Surely not. 



A few days ago we were led to believe 

 that the Postofflce Department of the United 

 States had purposely made a ruling that 

 (lueen-bees might pass through the mails, 

 and that the ruling was to be literally car- 

 ried out. A (jueen could go, and nothing but 

 a (|ueen ; not even a single worker to go 

 along as company and to feed her. I said 

 at once tliat I did not believe it possible that 

 the men whom we have occupying high 

 offices could for a moment intend any such 

 ruling. If they did it would be something 

 like this : Suppose our great men at Wash- 

 ington should meet together in making laws 

 for Uncle Sam's subjects, and should dis- 

 course in this way: '• Oh, yes! there is tliat 

 miserable lot of bee-men who are petitioning 

 for the privilege of sending (jueen - bees 

 through the mails. Now we will just play 

 a trick on them. We will make a ruling, 

 permitting queen-bees only to pass through 

 the mails, and then we wfll instruct the 

 postmasters, through the Postal Guide, to 

 refuse every cage that has a worker-bee in 

 it. We will tell them to throw them out or 

 hold them until they starve to death. We 

 will destroy so much of their property in this 

 way that they will never want to come to 

 Washington again." Now, suppose they 

 laughed and jeered, and had a big time of it, to 

 think of the wail we would send up at the loss 

 of our property. Are we under such rule as 

 that? Why, to be sure, we are not. The 

 idea is ridiculous. Ancient kings may have 

 had the power, and possibly the inclination, 

 to grind down and harrass their subjects in 

 this kind of a way. But we are a Christian 

 nation; a just God rules over us; and the 

 thought that (Jod could lay down laws for 

 us, his children, in any such way, is to me 

 the worst kind of blasphemy. You will no- 

 tice on page .537 some remarks in regard to 

 this matter. To show you that my faith in 



this government and its postoffice officials 

 was not misplaced, I take pleasure in sub- 

 mitting the following : 



Post Office Df.pautmknt, ) 



(i(li(r of III,' (leu'l Supt. iif R'u Mail Sfiricr, '- 

 Washington, 1>. ("., .Time 20, IXHCi. ) 

 A. J. Codk, Emj., AdnciiltttraJ CiiUfiir, Midi. 



Sir:— Yours of .Tune 24th, regarding- a modifica- 

 tion of the postal reg-ulations aflinitting- queen-bees 

 to the mails, lias been received, and 1 am happy to 

 inlorm you that this regulation will be so modified 

 in the next monthly Postal Guide as to read, 

 "Queen-bees with necessary attendants." 



The question as to the dispatcli of (pieen-bees to 

 Canada has been referred to the Superintendent of 

 Foreign Mails. Yery respectfully, 



.7no. .Tameson, Gi'ul. Svpt. 

 You will notice that it was a prompt reply 

 to Prof. Cook's inquiry. 



Here is another, sent to the Hon. Edwin 

 Willits, President of the Agricultural Col- 

 lege, Michigan, which is interesting to us, 

 inasmuch as it also touches on tlie matter of 

 sending (pieens to Canada. It was sent to 

 me by the kindness of Prof. Cook : 



Post Office Department, ) 



Office of the Gen'l Supt. of R'l) Mail Service, - 

 Washington, U. C, .June 28, 188«. ) 

 Hon. Kdicin Wiilits, A ori cultural CoUeae. Mich. 



Sir:— T have the honor to acknowledge receipt 

 of yours of June 23d, regarding the admission ol' 

 queen-bees to the mails witli attendatitft. and 1 am 

 pleased to be able to inform you that the regula- 

 tion will bo modified in the next monthly Postal 

 Guide so as to read, "Queen-bees with necessary 

 attendants." 



In regard to forwarding (lueen-bces to Canada, 

 this ofliee, of course, has nothing to do. I see no 

 objection to the postmaster at the mailing office re- 

 ceiving them foi- such dispatch; and if the Canadi- 

 an authorities see fit to receive them, this office cer- 

 tainly has no objection. This question has been re- 

 ferred to the Superintendent of Foreign Mails. 

 Yery i-espectfullj', 



Jno. Jameson, Ueiil. Sujit. 



May God grant that peaceful and t^hris- 

 tianlike relations may exist between Canada 

 and the United States in the interchange of 

 queen-bees, as well as in every thing else ! 



Now, friends, do you not see what a sad 

 thing it is to lose faith in our own govern- 

 mentV and this includes faith in those who 

 occupy high official positions. And is it not, 

 too, a thousand times sadder to lose faith, 

 or to lack contidence in God, the great Fa- 

 ther of us aliV When we allow (un-selves to 

 believe for a moment that he has laid down 

 laws tor us that are not easily understood or 

 comprehended, and that terrible judgments 

 shall follow the consequences of even igno- 

 rant trangressions, do we not belittle our- 

 selves, and f(n'get the opening words of the 

 prayer the Savior gave us— our Father who 

 art in heaven? What is it, then, tlie Father 

 wants of us? Why, simply wliat is express- 

 ed so plainly in our little text— do justly, 

 love mercy, walk humbly before (Jod. Xevy 

 little question need arise in regard as to 

 what is doing justly. Where a man is not 

 straight and honest in deal, even a child, or 

 one of no education, will detect it. How 

 often we hear the words, "Is that fair or 

 Christianlike ? '^ and when the circumstanc- 



