The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-20

members. One of the great factors il
the moral deterioration of the American
people has been the breaking down ant
overriding of the laws that govern society
/ advocate an aristocracy in society ant
in State. Not an aristocracy of wealth
nor blood, but an aristocracy of mora
arorth. I take the word, not in its per
versions and abuses, but in its origina
sense. 1t means government where tht
best, most moral and pure bear rule
Should not the purest, most cultured
most genteel in society make laws for the
government of the body? Should not
the most moral, most intelligent and mos
capable rule the Commonwealth 2 Tht
evils of the destruction of caste are far
reaching. Our children are brought W
to think one calling or condition as hon
orable as another. We allow them tt
associate with all people promiscuously
The moral sense in them, j. g., the chill.
dren, becomes blunted while it is imma
ture, and they will murs naturally glide
into vice and sin since we, by actions, a
least, tell them that one way of making
money is as honorable and respectable as
another. civil communications corrupt
good manners" He who associates with
the unchaste will himself, more than
likely, become unchaste too. He who
associates With thieves will have all the
germs of dishonesty within him put into
hot-bed and rapidly developed. He who
"puts the bottle to his neighbor's mouth, y
for living, will almost surely learn to
put that same bottle to his own mouth
We may palliate sin and gloze indecency
till we cease to condemn them in our own
hearts. You may allow profanity and
blasphemy to 60 unrebuked, till you
forget that it is as heinous in Gods sight
as dishonesty and adultery; but one is
Just as bad as the other. Let US not con-
done ofenses in any one, anywhere
neither in society or Church or State. II
we do, the moral recoil will be sad for
us, and God will visit the iniquity oi
these things on Cur children. Well did
the poet say:
'yice Is monster Of such hideous moin,
That TO be hated, needs but to be seen;
But seen too oft, familiar with the face,
wv SuuuACi suSA Pisyt luoh
Woe with the day when society OF
Church fold to their bosom the vile, the
sinful, the reprobate.
8. Reforms are also demanded in COM
mon honesty. The war, among the many
evils that it generated and developed,
produced the monsters, laziness and dis
honesty. For years men "drew rations'
and clothing, working one day in fifteen.
They learned to live without work.
Many of them are trying to do the same
thing yet. They say: "The world owes
me a living, and I intend to haze Il"
When hear man talk that way, and
live on in idleness, instinctively feel to
see if my pocket-book is safe. The
world owes no one living. The God OF
Nature has blessed men With strength
and intellect, and has ordained that in
dustry and economy shall not fail of their
reward; but healthy, strong beggar in
this land is an unmitigated nuisance.
To-day labor ranks higher than cotton or
corn or sugar or bacon or clothing. I'M
migration societies are encouraging labor
to come among US. Any man who will
can lease land and make himself farm.
These things being 30, laziness is crime,
and ought to be punished. The armies
of tramps that infest the land are but
ulcers on the surface of our demoralized
body polite. While the feeble, the
widows, the orphans and the helpless
are to be assisted, 1 do insist that it is q
sin to assist those who can work and
wont. There is no charity to God OF
nan in giving bushel of corn to man
who is able to work for it and yet is un.
willing to do il. Paul said: eff any
would not work, neither should he eat. y
70 Thes. 3:l0.) That doctrine sounds
healthy to me. 1t should be put into
practice rigidly. Laziness lives neal
neighbor to theft, for he who must eat
and won't work, and has no money to
buy with, must be sorely tempted to
break the eighth commandment. The
Prodigal Son deserves higher respect
than people are wont to give him. We
place his reformation at the point when
he was obliged to live on husks with the
swine, and since no one would give him
ANYTHING better, he decided to 60 back
and live on his old fathers bounty. No,
80. Go back to the time when the famine
arose, and he "bcgan to be in want"
Here was the crisis and point of turning.
Did he say, "the world owes me living
and I must get it somehow Did he
curl his nose at any rough or menial
work? Did he fear to soil his soft, "lily.
white" dainty hands? Did he sit still
and "wait for something to turn upi'
Did he turn tramp and make it his trade
to live off of others? No. He niethel
turned thief nor beggar. He took the
first work that came to hand. 1t was
base, low, degrading to Jewish sensibil-
ity, but it was honest. His manliness
comes out here: "Hc went and hired
himself to citizen of that country, and
he sent him into the fields to feed swine, u
and he uent. He was honest, and there
was help for him. If he had not been
manly enough and honest enough tc
work, he never would have found his
way back to his fathers house penitent
There is hope for man-a tramp-ii
there be manliness enough in him to in.
duce him to work. Let this be the true
test: eff any would not work, neither
should he eat" When all the men, and
women, too, who are able to work for 6
living, are induced by law or moral sua'
sion or necessity to go at it, you will see
moral resumption in honesty, industry
manliness and self-respect! SIN the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.
Too many people are trying to eat theil
bread in the sweat of other peoples
faces.
4. In the last place, there is need o.
reform in political and governmental
circles. The words statesman and poll.
tician ought to be made synonymous
We ought to elevate our purest and
ablest men to Office. 1t is sud com.
mentary on our government and people
that the men who will stoop to spend
money and encourage intemperance car
control more votes than the high.toned
sober, capable man. "Ask ye for the
old paths, where is the good way, and
walk therein" 1t was Henry Clay who
said, 81 would rather be right than Pres