Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-12-15

Ouflsllhn lunutuceAt huu lue DehL COuulLlOn Oh
the public morals, the stability Of ourgovern-
mont is shaken and brought in jeopardy by
the unchristan and athestic clements that
are brought to bear upon it., that find their
way to the ballot box and tho halls Of Con
gress. What our country needs at the head
Of the government, and in all its branches, is
honest men, Christian men, trained in Chris
tian homes men who fear God and work
righteousness who love their country more
than their pockets men who believe in
higher lew than that OF party politics, ITO
the victors belong the spoils' men who will
not sell their consciences for gold or Office, or
railroad bonds M II who are not partisaus,
but patriots machine politicians, but in
corruptible staltsmcn-not stalwart Republi-
cans, but stalwart men. 1t is for want Of
such mon in the White House, in the Cabinet,
in Congress- in all the departments of gov
ernment, that our country has Just passed
through another political revolution Aud as
earthquakes and tornadoes have their salutary
results in nature, so let us hope that tho re-
suits Of our late elections may be for the good
of the nation, by purifying our politics. The
elections have revealed, at least, this hopeful
feature in the character of the peoples name
ly, that they are no longer the slaves of par
ty or party leaders. They will not fall into
line at the sound of tho bugle or the crack Of
the whip. There is progress in this direction.
The people think for themselves, and can
solve their own problems When the knot of
politics is too hard to unite, they cut it.
When party leaders are nominated that are
not to their taste, they elect them to stay at
home. They are neither wax nor putty, and
cannot be moulded to order by any combina-
ton Of men, be it stalwart or conservative,
Republican or Democratic. They have wait
ed long and borne patiently. They have look
l.
They have looked for just rulers, but behold
rogues and thieves. And at last they seem
disposed to sweep them all away. God grant
that greater rogues and thieves may not be
their successors for surely, if there is to be
more corruption and public plunder in the
future than in the past our national capital
will deserve the fate of Sodom and
Gomorrah.
But there is hope for the republic. Not in
presid nts, or cabinet-, or Congress not in
political parties; not in this or that financial
policy. Our salvation must come from a
higher source. We must go back to first
principles We must purify the fountain
the little springs and rills that 20 to make up
the national life. Let these be pure, aud the
government will be pure. If there is virtue
and intelligence in tho family, there will be
health and souudness in the body polite.
There will be purity at the balot-box, purity
at the national capital. purity in all the de
narinents of statd nuritv in the channels of
trads and commerce There will be truth,
honor and integrity in ali tbe dealings of men
with men Snc5 a consummation would sure.
" be reached if tho family, which is the DO
litical unit and tb, basis OF government is
What il sborId h, Rut If tbaT5 he rott,pness
in ,bo tbo home tbera will he rntt .nnass
evervvborn
1t becomes the American people. then. TO
look well tn their homes Ont of them are
the issues of life or death TO the nation. The
only wev to secure tbe permengnce of law
and ordsrand constitutional liberty is To ex.
alt the family and frown indignantly ON all
attempts TO DESTROY the sacredness and per.
msnence of the marriage bond "WLat God
hath ioinod to,ether lat no, man mt ssnnder" +"
il tbs Cbris,ian Iav nf Tho home and on this
Law depends its sanctty, and its happiness.
Christianity prescribes this law for all the
families of the earth. 1t makes no provision
for divorces. Divorce is the overthrow and
ruin of the family. 1t is one of the darkest
blots on the fair fame of our New England
homes that they have become so common.
How our yeuerated fathers, one century ago,
would have been shocked had it been told
that. in any part Of New England for every
ten marriages there was one divorce. Yet we
are told that in some Of our New England
states the proportion is even greater than
that.
Bat while we have much to regret and
mourn over, We have much TO be thankful
for. There are still in our land millions of
happy homes-happy because they are Chris