Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-12-21
PURIFYING Politics,

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Purifying Politics.
The Nation is very much disturbed, as
are plenty of the rest of us, over the low
estate of politics and the low conditions to
which political leaders must stoop; and the
Nation looks around for a remedy. 1t finds
one source of the evil in the general apathy
which prevails: the most of the people are
apparently indifferent which way politics
90, so that they are not interfered WITH
And the only suggestion for help is one
which does not sound very clear or practi
cable-somcthing like this To take away
those elements in our administration of
government which attract knaves and bad
men. Now the two things to be gained in
political life are money and power. 1t is
but fair that men who serve the state should
be paid, and the same money which would
pay good man attracts a knave; while
the power is inseperable from the place.
1t is ali very well to cry and groan over
the government. 1t is no new thing. No |
one can find a better description of the
present order of things than was written |
some thousands of years ago by one of the |
Jewish prophets. Human nature is much |
the same in all ages, and "the former days |
were not better than these" Any time
these hundred years in our own country |
| you have only to change names and dates, |
and letters or articles will apply equally to
that day or to this. They bewail the de-
generacv Of the age, the failure of public
virtue and political honesty, the evtrava-
gance and luxury Of the age; and they
prophesy ruin.
We are not now on the inject fextrav-
agance. But that of politics touches Us
more nearly And this is the opinion we
have to express: that in a popular govern
ment, the administration as a rule is no
better and no worse than the people. If
the government is corrupt, the people are
corrupt. OF course there are exceptions
In the darkest days there is some light
Under the most wicked Jewish king, when
the people were utterly discouraged he was
told there was some thousand true men
But majorities rule, and with such a very
r wicked government there must be a very
; wicked people. That's Just where we are.
1t has become an axiom, that the govern
t ment cannot be better than the people, nor
| worse. OF course l state no new thing in
; all this. We never expect to state any
thing new The utmost we can do is to
t say thing as it has not been said during
the last week. Beyond that the mass of
: the people do not remember.
: l don't know how it is with you, but We
r consider ourselves in the very centre and
vortex of corruption. Put a man into our
T Legislature, or almost any public office and
:, it does not pay to be honest. 1t costs him
5 more to live than he honestly receives, and
n the temptation to ''do as Others do is ire
y mendous. If he merely stands firm he
d seems to be uttery useless. He is in hope
less minority any way, and honesty and
d straight forwardness stand no chance with
o knavery and bribery. SO he retires and a
/ bad man comes in his place, and the peo-
Is ple-dont care. If they did there would
l. be a reform.
If Now all attempts to reform these things
h by legislation seem to be utterly vain, be-
+ cause the very legislation is corrupt. By a
y desperate effort you succeed in putting good
d men into place of absolute power, and in
Is little time, as they pass out of office, bad
lie men will creep in, and what was in the be-
n ginning good thing, becomes a bad polit.
)r ical engine. So the wheel turns until ever
lie a vigilance committee, the last resort, may
- be a source of evil.
to There is not any real help for all this
n except to make men better Individually
y And when you try to think how to do it
he you go round and round in a circle. The
J. radical reformer had the best of it, who
t. was to begin by killing off all the bad PEG
t; pie over fourteen years of age, so as in
N measure to begin anew.
There would seem to be difficulties il
I'd the way of carrying out this plan. AnC
IS, l see no way but for christian people to 9,
ed to work more vigorously in the place whicl
a God has given them We need ever 5,
Is much work on the foundations, not only t
It, teach children in the Sunday schools, bu
cd to bring them into the christian life
nd And we need not stop here ON the spo
a quarreling among ourselves, and turn al
Is our energies against the god of this world
ne the spirit that worketh in the children c
disobedience There is no gain in winnin
people from one church to another. Nj
Beecher compares it aptly to bees stealth
7 honey from one hive to take it to another
nothing is gained to the owner of the hive,
a! The church must gain from the world
'i' the wicked must be changed and must BIZ
~ come good.
1t is Of no use saying we are weak. W
are compared to leaven; it does not loo
I'M like much, but it has power. And if W
% are faithful and true, there is power b'
-0 hind and within us, against which no wicl
60 edness can stand. So if the church wei
- holy and used her power, we might affe,
~ eUen politics! The god of this world ma
~ fight long and desperately, but he came
W prevail if we are in earnest.
'o 5 1t is all very well to obey the comman
90 "be not slothful in business" Men 10y
" to read that in the bible, and they "rur
@ in the way of that command, but the ''fe
W. vent in spirit, serving the Lord" why, Il
=, wy same zeal there would reform the worl
n :. and would reach even politics. Oh, tn
III christians knew their powell in 4
rance.