Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-04-20

are the men who are virtually responsible
for eliminate them, and there is moral
fire enough to burn from of the earth
| these pests of society.
Third, The fact that wrong comes in
pleasing shapes often quiets opposition
Fashionable vices that weaken bodies and
characters, and that require an extrava-
by what they please to call conservatism
gance which paralyzes benevolence, are
pleasant in their appearance, and 20 our
tongues are tied. 1t is the same With q
hundred other forms of sin. They are
well done, or successfully done, and we
give them nothing but smile.
Fourth, There is something that goes
wrongly by the name of charity which
MULES many blow. It takes on formal
expression, and becomes at last q sort OF
can't. 1t is sometimes ungenuine, and is
but cover of moral cowardice, or some
self-interest. But it is always the perver-
sion of noble name, for there is no ele-
ment of true manhood that can shield
wrong from the force of righteous anger.
FJh, If a man should be approached
| with hundred or a thousand dollars with
the request to be silent concerning, it he
| could not aid, certain scheme, he would
spurn the offer with indignation. And
yet men are silent, and silent because
| they are bribed. First of all is the social
bride; an evil is to be remedied, but be.
| fore the hand is raised, or q word spoken,
there comes the thought, know that
man who is identified with this thing, /
cannot strike that without striking him,
and shall not only lose his friendship,
which prize, but gain his ill will So a
man sells his birthright for the friendship
of men whose place he would not stand
in for any earthly consideration. We
allow this social bribe to cut off half the
rights of our moral manhood, and 20
about smiling on this thing and that,
giving tacit approval to villianous wrongs,
and to men whose crimes, if brought out
to the law, would put them under it's
severest penalties.
The whole temperance question lies
here. From every part of the country
without concerJ-there come appeals
to legislatures and to Congress, to control
the sale of intoxicants, as they control the
sale and use of dangerous explosives.
There is no community now, so sunken,
where majority of the people do not sec
that the free sale of rum is great evil.
The laws as yet find difficulty in reaching
and controlling the matter, but there
would be no difficulty if men acted &C.
cording to their moral instincts, regardless
of social influences. The time is coming
when he who sells rum to men for their
evident hurt, will be stamped with the
brand of social infany, and will crawl
and hide himself in dens of vice with the
other vermin that stink away from the
gaze of honest men.
Sixth, Another bribe is the business
bribe. Many a man, before he will pro-
nounce on the right or wrong of thing
asks what effect it is to have on his bust
ness or professional success. In many
an instance, the reason why more good is
not attained, is that the business men of
the community believe it is best to have
things just as they are. Commotion, es-
pecislly when it rouses passion, Is uode-
sirable. There are many exceptions to
this law and their power is vast. But
the exceptions are too few.
SeUenth, Another bribe, still, is the p0'
hticaL bride Evils which should be con-
demned are defended, and at last main
tanned, because "our party" is identified
with it, Love of party is good and ne
our Republic when love of party browns
Judgment and conscience. Bad men often
become party leaders, and so give currency
to bad schemes They should learn that
no endorsement on their part of the main
issue will give success for their vicious
plans The absence of individual judg-
ment has already led to grave results, and
there is now in connection with political
life an immeasurable extent of corruption.
1t is wide as the land and deep as the sea.
Our whole civil service is rotten. What
does it matter what the man who dis
tributes the letters or collects the revenue,
thinks of free trade or San Domingo or re-
construction? And yet these consider
ations, or others much worse, decide the
question Of who shall perform these duties.
Men buy these places by party service.
and the man who shows least honesty of
opinion or of action in reference to party
matters, is often the man that secures the
prize.
The President nor Congress will never
yield the power of appointment until the
people compel them. The power lies with
US and we must fight the evil regardless of
party allegiance, or il will be the destruc-
ton of our nation. 1t is fraught with
more danger to-day than reconstruction or
extension of territory.
What il the sum of the whole matter :?
There is a lack of neral constituencies
among us-a sensitiveness which makes
men start back with horror from the
stain of dishonor. There is lack
of genuine manliness which makes
shame worse than death. Let us make
this manliness our standard and let US
spurn dishonor as poison. Then we shall
be ready for the warfare upon which every
man must enter before he can round out
into perfectness his true manhood.
No man is what he should be until
those evils which poison society flee be-
fore him and hide themselves. When
brave men are true to their moral man
hood, those venomous things will sting
themselves to death in their dens and hid
ing places in rage and modification aud
the better days will come which we look
and long for.
o, nay hearers, let US speak or die. 1t
is better that we should not be-than that
being, we warp and deform our manhood
until neither angels nor men can know
that we have soul worth saving.
Troy Conference Appointments
Burlington District.