Morris tribune., 1883-12-05
SlCoupto Gri6uuc.
PUNGENT REMARKS.


cathedral in st. Paul on Sunday Nov.
25th.
The privilege OF citizens suffrage
was not given Us for our own personal
gain, or for the benefit of friends or
patron. 1t is q trust from the country |
for the country's sake. This sublime |
aim is the sole legitimate one. He who
is casting his vote sacrifices the public
welfare in what ever degree is traitor
to his trust, a foe to his country. The
merited penalty should be distranchise
or exile the culprit. No state will
last which is not built upon justice or
virtue, of whose laws and edicts the
princi plies of mortality and OF religion
are not the life and support. The
country demands of us that our votes
be east uniformly on the side ofjustice
and righteousness.
LAW AN AID TO VIRTUE.
There is a dangerous faIlacy abroad,
that law is of no service to virtue,
which being a product of man heart,
moral suasion and the ordinaces of re-
ligion alone can develop. The sup
porters of this fallacy are, | will OBJ
serve, usually men who have no great
love for virtue, and to take our atten-
ton away from law they are very
loud in their praises of moral means.
have often heard our Catholic Teeto-
talers eXtolIed by saloon-keeperS and
professional politicians on the gronnd
that they know how to contine them
selves to moral means. Praises from
such quarters make me believe thai
our TeetotalerS are slightly at least
on the wrong road, too timid, too care
full to eScheW law. Moral suasion, Of
course, is all right for the abettors OF
disorder and sin, because moral
suasion keeps the churches and tenn
perance halls to virtue, and leaves the
wide world which lies outside church
CT hall influence. to sin and 10 the in
elements to sin. Virtue, undoubtedly
is born and bred in the heart, and the
deWs divine grace give to it strength
and fragrance. But to the fruit OF
the heart, there are outside aids which
keep from it the biting wind and the
chilling frost. Law removes and di-
minishes the temptation to sin revels !;
it effectually closes up dens where sin
revels; it makes access to others
more difficult. Lead us not into
temptation" is our daily prayer.
Law by its terrors prevents often the
weak heart from evil-"The fear OF
the Lord is the beginning Of wisdom"
Law by its affirmation ofwhat is right
is teacher to the multitude and a re-
minder to them of their duties. The
fact that law does not entirely SUP.
press evil is, assuredly, no argument
that it does not diminish it, and il
this and other objections were listened
to, we would discard all law prohibit
ing wrong-doing, and limit the duties
of the state tc the collection of taxes
and the enriching of office-holders-
very much what is desired.
MEN AND MEASURES ABOVE PoLIT-
ICAL PARTY.
To reduce to practice the principles
we are now advocating-it is a strict
duty, say, for US to give our votes at
the polls only for those candidates
whoif elected will promulgate anG
execute laws against wrong and in
favor of virtue. We are not to con.
slider so much party lines or party
ties, as men and measurers. It is nc
affair of mine to what political party
you belong. Of details of politics I dc
not speak. But I do speak of high
truths which underlie all politics, and
it is my duty to proclaim them. Those
truths are, that no party can claim
our allegiance if its works and aims
are not worthy of our approval as
citizens and Christians. We know
what the party ticket often means-it
is the will of half dozen politicians
who meet in remote corner, some
times around saloon table, and with
self entirely in view, write up ticket
which the tricks of trade will put
through the caucus and which thus
labelled with the Democratic or Re.
publican shibboleth, its sponsors will
have imposed upon the whole party
The political caucus is no safe guide
it is tie danger threatening our free
institutions, and not from it's mere
political color, but its intrinsic merit
should it seek our adherence. Ser
Witty to party lines, in municipal or
local affairs particularly, is the source
of much evil.
Can [ say that we always vote as an
enlightened conscience should dictate ?
BY no means. There are cities in
America where one-half Of the alder
men are neutrality-suspicious. directly
interested in the violation of law and
order, and if we seek out the constit-
uents of such men, not seldom will
we find that Catholic votes put them
in office. Indeed, I do not always
boast of the political alliances and the
political enactments of our people.
I have known them to vote for unfit,
bad men have known them to be be-
guiled by the specious plea Of liberty
and personal rights to support meas
ures most opposed to law and order.
Through thoughtlessness and misap-
perhension of the case all this is done
but still the acts are most harmful.