Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-08-03
THE MONSTER SIN, PLAUSIBLE,
POTENT AND PESTIFEROUS.
Its TWO Hands Rotten with the Lep-
rosy OF Corruption.
SERMON PREACHED IN BROOKLYN TAB.
ERNAcLE ON SUNDAY, JUNE 18th,
ny REV. 7. DEWITT TALMAGE.
[FrOm Cincinnati Enquirer.l !

tabernacles of bribery"
The grandest of earthly sciences i
the science of politics. National order
National preservation, National de
fense, National morality, all swept b,
that circle. In that science Clarksol
and Golden and Brougham and OCon
nell and Sir Rowland Hill won thei
garlands on the other side the sea
while on this side we had our Wash
ington and our Adams, Benjamin f
Butler, Attorney General of New York
Theodore Frelinghuysen, Senator from
New Jersey John Mclean, Judge o
the Supreme Court from Ohio the
great expounder of Massachusetts ant
the great commoner of Kentucky,whilt
the scroll of great and honorable states
men now living is so long the attempt
to speak their names would be a be
wilderment. Going from our own city
into State and National politics are
some of our best fellow -ctizens. But
politics, from being the science of gov
ernment, has again been bedraggled
into a synonym of truculency and tur
pitudc. One monster sin, plausibly
potent and pestiferous, comes forth tc
do its dreadful work in all ages. It's two
hands are rotten with leprosy. 1t;
right hand it carries hidden IN its deep
pocket. The left hand is clinched
with its itcherous knuckles It taps Of
the door of Court-rooms, Legislatures,
Congresses and Parliaments. The door
opens, and then the monster enters and
moves up the aisle of the Council Cham.
Der more softly than slippered page,
and takes the right hand from the
pocket where it was hidden and offers
it in salutation to Judge or Legislature,
If tho hand be taken and the palm Of
the intruder touch the hand OF
the official the leprosy passes in the
shape of a round blotch round as gold
eagle, and the virus spreads from palm
to palm, and the doom is fixed and the
victim perishes. Let bribery stand up
and be judged to day by the American
people. The Bible arraigns IT, Sam.
uel says of bis two sons who were
Judges "rhey took bribes and per.
verted Judgment" David says of some
Of his pursuers; "Their right hand is
tull of bribes," Amos says; "They
took bribe and thoy turned aside the
poor in the.gate !" while Elipha1 in the
text foretells the crushing bolts OF Gods
indignation, declaring; "Fire shall
consume the tabernaces of bribery"
Think of triAing temptation. Under
it some of the mightest have fallen,
Francis Bacon, Lord Chancellor OF En-
gland, and founder Of modern phloso.
ply, another Of nopum orgdnum and a
whole library of books, previously re.
spending, when a small child to Queen
Elizabeth's question, allow old are
you ?" 81 am two years younger than
Your Majesty's happy reign !" of whose
oratory Ben Johnson said "The fear
Of every man that heard him was that
he should make an end !" with an in.
come which you would suppose put
him beyond the reach of temptation
$780, O,OOOayear-.the Twickcnham Court
as present, and princely estates in
Hertfordshire and Gorhambury, yet
under a spell of temptation, falling flat
into ruin, and on his confession Of
bribes, for which he gave no reason
save that all hispredecessors took them
was fined 100000 and imprisoned in
London Tower. SO also Lord Chan.
cellor Macclesfeld went down. So
Lord Chancellor Whitbury persisted
The blackest chapter in English, Irish
French and American politics is the
chapter of bribery. Many of you re
member tho Pacific Mail subsidies. You
all remember the awful tragedy of the
Credit Mobilier. Under the tempta.
tion of bribery Benedict Arnold sold
the fort in the Highlands for S31, ,575
For this sin Gorgey betrayed Hungary
and Ahithophel fosook David and
Judas killed Christ. When ] sec the
illustrations and the strong mon that
have gone down under this contami.
nation l think Of the red dragon in
Revelation, having seven heads and
ten horns and seven crowns upon its
heads, drawing the third part of the
stars of heaven after him. 1t seems to
me the right time to preach against
bribery has come. Much of religious
advice is Ineffective because IL is mop.
perfume, as a child / know of at eight
years Of age who received from her
Sabbath.school teacher, as o reward
for learning many verses OF Scripture,
q book entitled "Adviee to Young
Married Couple" or soldier in the
army who had lost both legs by ampu.
tation had tract given TO him on the
sin of dancing. But faithful words at
the right time, how important
The Legislature of New York is
now busy investigating charges of brib-
cry. That body and the whole country,
North, South, East and West, wakes
up in holy horror at the charge that
$4,000 have been offered TO influence
a Legislative vote. As though this
was something new As though in the
United States hundreds of thousands
of dollars were not being paid in bribesl
As though in one State s975,OOO had
not been paid Legislature and the
State Government by Railroad Com.
pany to get through charter and
secure donations of public lands. As
though three-iourths of the Logisla.
lures of the United States had not
through bribery gone into putrefac-
lion whose stencil reaches heaven. Oh,