The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-10-21
New York Times.1
Beecher to Young Men.


INTO PoLITIcs-THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS HE
HAS KNOWN 1.-THE IMPORTANCE STARTING
RIGHT NPoLITIcs-GETTYsBURG, LINCOLN, AND
HANCOCK.
Il have so long been in public life"
Mr.. Beecher said, ''and been privileged
to take an active part in national af-
fairs, outside Of parish lines, that |
need not apologize, being a clergy
man, for presiding at a political meet
ing. The peculiar relation of pastor
to his people makes it indispensable
that he should employ good judgment;
but to say that he should not take
part in politics is to say that he should
be debarred from his citizenship. He
has just as good right to speak as
anybody. lie preachers are disfran-
chised you make spiritual aristocra-
cy. Clergymen are simply men, citi-
zens; if you put them in class by
themselves you have created the obi
Gus hierarchy, not we. lie the minis
ter feels that he is called to speak, and
his parish want him to speak, it is no.
body else's business. | am happy to
preside over any body of young men,
especially here. | she'll count it an
evil day when a young man must
avoid politics. Under our govern
ment, woe be to the nation when any
class are taught to deride politics. |
say to every young man, if you take
no interest in public affairs, you are
not worthy Of the country. You
must give time, thought, investigation
to the subject. In the doing of this
it is for you to determine that it shall
be honorable. There is nothing no
bier than patriotism, the love of a
mans own country. We are to love
our God first, but next come our fel-
low men. We learn the higher love
through the education of the lower.
The man who does not read the news
paper is man who may be suspected
Of ignorance. There is vast amount
of trash in newspapers, but they grow
better and better every year. If a
man takes bad newspaper it is his
own fault, for he has his choice among
plenty of good ones Every young
man should read the newspaper.
in this great canvass | congratu-
late you, young men, that, so far, good
nature has prevailed. Although there
are cutting things said, the canvass is,
in the main, good natured. You need
not indulge in the dirty business of
defaming the characters of candidates
Nothing need be said against the
character of either Of the candidates.
| know there are men writing 1929 |
on the sidewalks with chalk. Why |
don't they get all the way down where
they belong-on their bellies? [
might be sold, but never so cheap as
for 1929. There isn't a man in all
Garfeld's county who would not
choose Mr.. Garfield for his executor.
He is as pure minded man as lives
upon the continent of America. |
have nothing to say Of Gen. Hancock
that is not good. He tried to serve
his country. Politicians have made
trouble in this country, and military
officers have settled them. There is
some doubt whether military man is
adapted to administer civil govern
ment. | never send my watch to the
tinsmith when it stops, though the
tinsmith is a very respectable man.
Gen. Grant, who is known to be my
favorite, was President twice, to say
nothing Of the future He made the
natural mistakes Of military man in
his first term. In his second term he
had learned his trade 1t is no small
matter for a young man to make up
his mind which side he shall join.
Both parties are attempting to do the |
best they know how for the public
good. They have different methods. |
But something more is necessary than
that aman should be honest. He may
be honest but go in the wrong direc-
ton. 1t makes great deal of differ
encc whether you join the Republican ]
party or the Democratic party. Both
have this common good between them,
that there shall be no North, no
South, no East, no West, but the
United States Of America. What we
need now IS a course that shall unite
the North and the South, and there
will never be perfect settled condi-
ton of the country till the settlement
is made on the ground that the Re-
publican party takes.
1t is more than forty years since |
began to act in public affairs. The
old Abolitionists cried cut for liberty.
| cried out for liberty, and got the
buffet and the black ball. In 1880
the South held balance of power.
/ No man could hold an office unless he
bowed the knee to slavery. For the