The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-13
A VOICE FROM THE CAPITAL.
rAIMAGE TAKEN TO TASK BY WASHINGTON
crrpGyMAN-coNGREssME NOT so BAD AS
THEY ARE PAINTED BY THE bhooAA1N

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES NoI oo Dali M
THEY ARE PAINTED BY THE BROOKLYN
ARTIST.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
WASHINGTON Jan. IL. 1879
The Rev. DIR. Wilson. pastor OF the Ninth street
Methodist Protestant) Church. preached sermon
to-day in which Mr.. Talmage was taken in hand for
his denuucations of Washington and its alleged gen.
eral badness After stating that it was rather
thankless duty to assail tia pulpit he said:-
We will consider first the general charge OF social
deoeneracy and corruption. Mr.. Talnlage's charge
is that socially Washington is always bad but nfty
per cent better when Congress is away. NOW, Is II
made to do duty in Hypothetical descrP-
ton of decentralization which does not ex'st
TO Washington il not the better it is assuredly not
nerceptply the worse for the annual assembling or
the nations chosen representatives, wnom u assumes
to be. i'll its many honored members tne so S..
come-men OF honor at home and abroad These
gentlemen. it is known are the promnens
professional and business members or the communi,
ties whence they come. Thee are the fathers and
sons of reputable homes, members OF CHRISTIAN con-
creations some of them. and whose presence here
E hailed with unfeigned pleasure in other reputable
Christian homes where they temporarily ABIDE.
A pEFgScE OF CONGRESSIONAL VIRTUE.
Arc these men social monsters. leprous fungu.
who make Washington nifty per cent worse
by their comingY Absurd! II Is perhaps giving
BILE of originating this suggestion. This Is the OLD
myth which prurient minds have seen fitting before
their lecherous gaze To- these many rexsrand ge
tleman of the much coveted honor OF origi-
mating this scandal b,sns,ross m Taserns gs
preacher cannot hold securely in his hands
Ne blame Mr.. Tamage for giving currency to
myth. for standing before his large congregation
and asserting truth what he might know wa: va:
false for not saying it was a lie Thou shalt not
bear false witness against tiny neighpor rs we ae
in the .'Cty Homes. for lying In the FAMILY circle
is the most contemplate and despicabe OF all pre-
l,.lI q, SArf ia Xar
homes i'm which these Congressman and their faini.
lies reside are models OF their Kind; that
very that mahs word Christian Families; that their
morals are irreproachabe. and that the dwellings, or
our Congressman. from glimpses we nave had WITHIN
are well ordered households. where inteiilsens9
and sobrety and social order reign. Would
any loving father debauch his family for
the Senatorial toga Would Congressional honors
be accepted as AN equivalent for chld's dishonor?
No mol These ''conscrtpt fathers. gathered from
the whole land, are large hearted men. competent
wlarlans of their own households, and men who.
as a class, are the peers OF any. OF any pro-
fession, in the land fair percentage we hope are
CHRISTIANS Sin deed and in TRUTH and still larger
proportion the husbands OF Christian mothers and
wives while others are men of the world. no better
and no worse than the class to which they
belong But this fact justify the assertion that
washingtons social morality improves fifty per cent
when they stay at home we prahu the asseruoh as
a cruel and malicious Islander.
rs rrrnr ToLIrIcAI. CORRUPTION AT THE cArrrAL'
Mr.. Talmage's assertion that Washington is tho
theatre political corruption Is based upon the idea
that government is only base scramble for oficia,
emoluments and honors. and that othc'
than selfish motives never occur To those wh1
are charged with the grave responsibilities pe
administering the affairs OF great nation. In the
nature of things there H. really less possibility OF cor.
ruption ut the capital than IN other cities Here all
sections and all interests meet and combine or
else meet in antagohstic competition. In the
former instance corruption II absurd. and in
the latter case impossible. That corrupt men find
their way hithcr none doubt But corrupt poll
tcians are most mischieyous when their influence IL
greatest, and not when IL IL weakest, and that
must be the forces-thoir own homes-which
sent these mschieyous proicctiles into our Congress
sional assemblies. We have faith in the intelli-
gence and integrity of the people. and cannot
receive but with large discount. those assertions
that. for partisan purposes brand nearly
every other Congressman as corrupt anu
vcnal sycophant, worse still, traitor To thoso
high and honorable trusts confdcd TO his care Mr
Talmaso knows very well that II H. simply iniposs,
bic for such men to become utterly debauchcu anu
long retain the confidence aud ruspec. ot
the men who have heapcd upon the'n
their undeserved honors. There IL assurcuy al emu
of imperfcction well as of perfection under INC
sun There il place ON earth wnere man
power OF mischief is more fully controlled than III
the Congress OF the United States.
The reverend gentleman warmly oeiehueu Mont
gomery Blair, who Mr. ralmagc had SAID was worse
than dead" He denied that washington was .
drunken city, and claimed that, while there IL
much inte,nueratcc In Washington, 1t ID not more
intcnperate than many other cities