New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-15
CLEARING TIE FOUNTAIN.

CLEARING THE FOUNTAIN.
No man secures his home against tn
storm by regulating the weather vane
Public and political morality are not t.
be reformed by lectures to the agents O
the people, but must be brought. abou,
by change in the people themselves
The corrupt fountain sends out cor
rupt stream, and to purify the current il
is necessary to clean the source. We
may petition for regeneration until the
end OF time without getting it unless We
aid the spirit and manifest our WORTH.
ness of the gift. And when the fountain
head is pure, when regeneration has
been effected, when the people are bette,
than their agents, then we may expect a
return to the good old days when to be
an officer of the community was an honor,
because the community advanced none
but honorable men, atrts-@ afi
The. present demoralized condition of
our political service is the fault Of the
people themselves, and. not of their
agents, z One class of men shrink from
their public duties, another class is driven
from its obligations, and third class
recognizes no duty but to itself. The
FIRST class consists of men of culture, re-
inement, wealth, talent, observation, en-
ergy and spirit, who defend their abnega-
ton ofcthe franchise on the ground that
it is debased and demoralized by being
placed in the hands of men who sell their
votes for drink Of liquor. The second
class abstains because it is too timid to
stand upon its rights, when men equally
interested with itself are too proud to act
with it, and when its freedom of opinion and
openness of expression are abused by the
mob below. The third class always votes,
is seldom right, is not open to reason,
and more than all, is maddened by power
and angered by the contempt of its SELF
elected superiors. That is, the first class
is weak enough to think that it can neg
lect its gravest duties and yet be secure in
its rights and privileges, which are mat
tiers that another class envies and lusts
after as having been robbed from it, and
the third class is mad enough to suppose
that it can injure the higher orders Of
society without suffering additional degra-
dalton in-its own ranks No man in the
community can abdicate his watchfulness
over and interest in the health of the body
polite without paying the penalty of suf-
fering with the people whenever the. day
Of tribulation comes.
The reform that is needed is three-fold.
First, the people who despise politics for
its contamination by disreputable men
must change their tactics and act against
The vicious and depraved directly at the
ballot box, which is the only place where
hey can overcome the mastery which the
1issolute and ignorant have acquired over
society. Second, timid men, who are
ealous of the rich and afraid Of the
wicked, must let their jealousy get the
better Of their weakness in order that
hey may strike hands with the class
which is interested in destroying corrup-
ion out of politics. And, lastly, the
over orders, the bummers and repeaters,
must be taught, if their natures are capa-
Die Of instruction, that it is degrading
Tor them to be supporting public plum
1erers for positions of honor and trust
It is the most degrading act that man
AN commit, either by his actions or by
lis speech, to put forth an admitted
Znave as his representative. And yet
his is just what thousands Of people are
Icing when they allow rascals to be
lected to Office, either by their refusal to
70 to the polls or by their inaction at the
roper time.
There is not an interest in society but
hat should appreciate this evil and be
eeking for its correction. Every agency
apable of reforming abuses ought to be
in denouncing political
ebauchery. The church should not only
reach against it, but the ministers should
ollow their hearers and tell them of bad
len and bad measures. The Methodist
'hurch took hold of this question when
'alifornia was quite as thoroughly de-
loralized as Louisiana is, and her pull
its sounded the alarm in general and in
etail throughout the State until the peo-
lie rallied against the wickedness that ex-
ted in high places. There never was
,ch a crusade as the pulpit set afoot and
opt in motion against political profigacy
J that which the Methodists set on foot
California; and though all the religious
iss Nancies in the State were shocked
the novelty, the people accepted the
ork as one worthy of religious men and
omen. and as one that was especially '
ecoming for Christian pulpit to per-
rm. What better sermon can preacher !
,liver than one which warns his hearers 6
at their public duties are as sacred, and t
eir popular trusts as hallowed from
Dove, as are their private relations one 9
It'll another? siI.t $tS[E
And since the pulpit is the acknowl- t
lged adviser of the public conscience, G
I'd since the preachers are especially set i
'art to learn wisdom and to declare it, {
by may not the church join with the c
Tess in united and wide spread demand