The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-03-20
Mailing Honest Politicians.

A great many people, both men ana women,
profess to have a perfect horror OF poliacs.
They look upon, the modes BY which govern, !.
ment is carried on as . game in the hands OF
shrewd, unscrupalous, daring men, VINO nave
lifSle regard for truth honesty, or the real pros
nerity it Of the country, but who are impeIled by
toyefo lucns, of position aud power. IL Is
common to hear politics spoken Of as Serbo.
nian bog, in which every man must be mired
who attempts to reach greatness through that
Now we hold, and we think the justice Of our
position can be established, that every man and
every woman in the republic is responsible to 9
greater or less extent for corrEftion In politics.
And more, that tits the duty of every indiyldF
aal to have hand in this matter of purifying
politics. How is it to be done7, In the frat
place. sIaying the ak at the root of the tree; :"
bv.beginning at the cradle to inculcate lessons
Of truth, honesty civil and social, and OF Chris.
tar charity, which IS Peace on earth and good
Rill to mel" It is common saying, We have
heard it Thousand times in Fourth OF July and
similar orations, that the Bible is the corner
stone of this Republic. We all believe this 10
be SO. but how do We act in reference to this
connection? How many parents, taking this
book as the rule of moral action, diligently in
ssruct their children in. Its teachings in order
that they may become good citizens. how
many take pains to. cultivate in their offspring
the love, for its. own intrinsic excellence, of
thatwhich is absolutely pure snd just and true?
How many teach them when tempted to go as
tray to reply, How can j. do this great wick
edness and sin against God 2" There is in seyr
ery mans house perfect antidote to this cor
ruption in politics which is so much pratGd
about. Did Joseph in Egypt attain and retain
his eminence at the Court of Pharaoh By briber
ry:and chicanery? His story IS full of lessons
Of political wisdom and sagacity, OF truth and
honesty, of high capacity and incorruptibie In
tegrity, of all the elements thas make Statesmen
creat.. Was III by triekery that Daniel became
third ruler in Belshazzar's kingdom, and first
of the three Presidents in the reign of Darius
The ignorance Of men and women and chill
dren, nominally Christian, of great many
characters and events portrayed. In the Sacred
Scriptures, isFsimply depiorable. You cannot
find carpenter without his rule in his pocket,
Won will never catch stone-nason without his
line or plumuaet, railroad contractor without
maps and charts somewhere about him, an ed;-
tor without his newspaper, but how often dove
meet men and women, nominally honest, about
whom we can find no trace of this absolute line
of moral action, this plummet Of Divine recti-
ttide, this title-deedto everlasting inheritance,
but must take it for granted that they have got
it slowed away III some secret pocket. AS long
as we have Government there must be men to
administer it. and it is for the interest of every
body chat these men be honest; it is in. the
power of every father and mother in the land
to Contribute to this result. see- ..i.5
Instead of keeping out Of politics let every
man act his part in it we'll and honestly, and
do what he can to make others conduct in the
/. same manner, let him train his sons to initiate
she demigods Of this nation-W Washington, and
jefferson, and Patrick Henry, and Chief Justice
Marshall, and John Jay-men whose social
and political lives were equally stainless.
Men and women of high virtue are no more
the result of an accident than the raising of
eighty bushels of shelled corn to the acre is an
accident. Miracles do not happen in this nine
teenth century. The seed that was sown in
good ground brought forth abundantly; that
ground had been carefully prepared; it was not
hard ike the wayside, weedy or without depth
of earth, but mellow, moist, pulverized, ard
fortified Thus with moral soil. Our greatest
eiyines, our noblest statesmen, our most emf
nent philosophers and scientists, are the bios
SONS Of generations of culture and intelligence,
Of morality and virtue. IS