Smyrna times., 1882-10-11
A Political Sermon.

ReV. Henry Ward Beecncr preached
| sermon on politics at the Plymouth I
Church which recalls the memory of {
MS brilliant lessons of the past. Mr..
Beechcr is methodical in his sermon
zing, and always keeps his text some
where in the neighborhood Of his dis
course. at least in the introduction.
His text was: Pray for the peace Of
they shall prosper that
love thee" The direct eXegesis of the
text was that the Jews were Il patriotic
people, and made their politics and re-
ligiOn part of the same faith and doc
trine. lie might have said, also, that
they were as strenuous in politics and
as hot i'll controversy as any people I
known in the history of the world. |
Politics." he began. - is one of the /
noblest things in itself that the mind .
can contemplate. 1t is care for the
commonwealth: and in that view of it /
what Is nobler? And yet there is no
word which conveys the idea Of cor
ruption more than that word politics"
He went on to explain that in all times
politics and religion had been closely
associated. and that he himself had
been preaching politics from the pulpit
for the last thirty-fve years.
The argument ran on in this way.
The machinery of party is necessary
to the governmental management Of
Democratic country and there must
be politicians, men who study the adj
ministration of affairs. OF these some
will have longer heads than the others.
He asserts that there must always be
/ two parties. and in this country he re-
/ cognizes only two, the Republican and
/ Democratic. The others are only side
shows. Party is not recognized in
the Constitution. But the government
of this country cannot be carried on
without Il party on one side and anoth-
er party on the other. No more can a
locomotive run without an engineer
than q party without leaders"
As to money in politics he says: i
would look well talking against money
in politics, There is not a church in
the country to my knowledge that is
run without money. l have heard
something about the Greenback party
and the Anti-Monopoly party-they
are only orphans-children not yet
grown; there are only two real par
ties-the Republican and the Demo
; cratic" Probably Mr.. Beecher's ser
mon represents feeling in New Yorl
which is widely extended At any
rate he lacked nothing in directness 0
= expression. He says that beth partie
: have platforms which are PRACTICAL,
/ the same. He used the following yer,
strong expressions:
The Republican party-what is il
l. condition? In the National Admins
/. tration l think it has been patriotic
q What is the condition of its member
: in New York State? Well, there ar
u two of them, the ''ins' and the "outs
Il the "ins' are called Stalwarts: tn
er "outs well, whatever you've a min
al to call them. SO the party is divide,
. Now, in this divided condition, thel
- are a good many good men on bot
:. sides. And there is a good deal O
n both sides with which l am in syn
n pathy.
~ In the Convention that so recent
met at Saratoga, why was Cornell 5
le aside? 1t has been a custom from tin
ne imLemOrial, when a Governor has a
al ministered the duties of his office in ;
re honest, straightforward way, and in
satisfactory way, for the people to sho
w their appreciation of his efforts by 7
electing him. Why was it omitted
IN his case? Had he proved a weak MAJ
No. Had he proved a corruptible NAL
No. There seems to have been ty
~ motives-avarice and revenge. Al
iss when Cornell went out avarice al
rs. revenge kissed each other.
After praising Governor Cornell We
NJ. highly Mr.. Beecher said: Il will L
dishonor him. May my right ha
Ill forget its cunning if cast my vote
a man nominated by avarice and
rel. venge."
m As to Secretary Folger, Mr.. Beecl
ra- paid high tribute to his personal VOL
We and ability, but said:
fer The Republican candidate has ca
ed high name. No allegations
tracing from his honesty, his puri
or his excellence have been made,
net he is Just the man to set aside to p
on ish the Convention which nOmina
md him. They cannot bribe me by putt
up q good man to vote for in order
lce' displace a better man. | say that 81
the a man is mere cat's-paw, used for
an purpose of putting a face of respeC
,do- bility on an Internal act. Applaut
You ask, DO you recommend Us
my fly the party?" No. Your bushes
er a to see that your party does not do e
shy No wrong can be greater to pa
lay than to permit it to do wrong
should say to the leaders that you
IoI follow them so long as they are re
Rev. Bile: that YOU will be loyal so Ion,
the they guide you in the way of ri;
Rev eOusness. Let that be the rule gov,
n ing nominations in conventions
- YOU Will UC lONdl W lHtlI. II Su'
/. I. public sentiment was developed We
rch. these men who committed forgery
ex- poured out money at Saratoga dar
"a repeat the practices? Once let so 9
,ne" a man as Judge FOlger be sent HON
Inc a testimonial of disapprobatiOn by
ALI voters of the State, and you will II,
Sim see such another case of trickery in
from politics, ut least in this generation.
No. His opinion of the course of p
,1;nn dent Arthur is freely expressed:
,311 The Federal Government sh
stand alOof when a State is eng;
dele- in settling its own affairs. 1t is no
The member of the Presidents b
will guard TO be dispatched TO New J
to say make this man or that the
di6ate. To the young men of the
ty would say there never was
the when party could be rebuked
ough SO little damage to public affair
up Mt there is this year. You can admin
nedy a rebuke that will be felt for yea