Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-05-05
BLEEDING CANDIDATES.
For tho Benefit of the Clerc v.

Lancaster Inquirer.
1t has been very general custom for
church people when candidates for office
were in the field to call on them for sub.
scriptiOns for the purpose of assisting to
build a church, pay for repairs or to assist
in paying off debt previously contracted
So common has been this practice in this
section of country that prominent candi-
dates for Office have counted as an impor-
tant item of their expenses the contribu-
tiOns they would be under the necessity
of making for church purposes. OF
course, as a general rule, there was no
direct promise on tho part of the church
people that their votes would be forth
coming in return for their candidate S
contribution and yet we have more than
once heard of offers of this kind, and also
of the same offer being made to opposing
candidates. These, of course were excap-
tiOns, but it has been common practice
for those who solicit these contributions
to intimate that the result of compliance
would be a large vote from the congrcga
lion Immediately interested.
Such encouragement to bribery, for it is
nothing less than this, ought t. be en-
phatically discouraged by the clergy, and
all others interested III the purity Of
churches. No amount of denunciatiOn of
the direct purchase OF votes will haVo
much weight so long as this indirect bri-
berry is encouraged and practiccd. The
whole system is wrong in it's details and
its aggregate and tho clergyman who
hopes to succeed in putting down the evil
must fearlessly expose all it's ramitica
tiOns.
Bradlaugh's Persistence.
Ia the House of Commons yesterday
the speaker stated that he had received a
letter from Mr.. Bradlaugii, in which that
gentleman announced that he would, at
the beginning of business. ask to be per-
mitted to take the oath. The speaker
asked for the guidance of the House.
Loud cries were made for Mr.. Gladstone,
but, rs the prime minister did not rise,
Sir Stafford Northcoto stated that he
would propose that Mr.. Bradlaugh
be precluded from going through
such form. Mr.. Gladstone said
that Ee could raise no objection to the
motion. which, under tho circumstances,
Sir Stafford Northcote Was the proper
person to make, and on motion of Mr..
Labcuchere, it was decided to hear Mr..
Bradlaugh in his own behalf at the bar of
the House. Mr.. Bradlaugh, in his speech
pointed out that the House had thought
tit to reject the affirmation bill, the pas,
sage of which would have enabled him to
take his seat. 1t was now his duty to
take tho oath. The law has given him a
seat in the House, and in the name of the
law he demanded it. His exclusion was
all act Of ilagrant iniluity. No act of his
had justified the action OF the House,
which should declare his seat vacant or
pass bill disGualitying him. AS long as
he WAS rot disqualified he would claim the
right TO the seat. After speaking for hall
an hour, Mr.. Bridlaugh returned to his
rsua! seat below tho bar and tho subject
was dropped.
Religious News and Notes.
One of the wiscst of the religious papers
tells its readers to "beware of unworthy
evangslists, temperance lecturers and re-
formed men of all sorts, who want to tell
you the story of their lives and give you
half the proceeds" These men who
parade their past lives for their living,
generally have most astounding stories tu
tell. Their variations arc SO thoroughly
pervaded with the spirit of Munchausen
ism that they are sure to be attractive to
the people who pay for listening to chem.
As to their being profitable, that is an
other question.
That the world do move" is evident
from the fact that the Presbyterian minis.
ters of Philadelphia are ON Monday to dis.
cuss the question, is u Revision of tho
Confession of Faith Desirable ?" The
fact that this question can be entertained
even for moment by a company of
Presbyterian divines shows state of affairs
which did not exist quarter of century
ago. Had it come up for discussion then
the door would have been shut in its face.
Rev. p. S. Davis, ID. D., editor in chief
of The Messenger, the Reformed church
paper, has been preaching on Sunday
mornings for tho last seven years to the
prisoners in the Eastern penitentiary.