The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-28
ELECTION BETS AND RELIGION.
How the Methodist Republicans Desp0iled
the Sinful Democratic Egyptians.

u tVlul DCI1OCK6b1C LkypbldD1s
Chicago Tribune.
The little village of Rossville, vermillion
county. Illinois, in 10 Cannon's district, has q
congregation of 'true blue" Methodists who
voted a year ago to build . thoussnd-dollsr ad-
dition to their church. While their intentions
then, and the work Jagged. As election time
was approaching these Methodists. nearly all Of
whom are stanch Republicans, wore bantsrsd
for bets by their irreligious Democratic neigh
bors. For some time they withstood tho
blufing; they had been taught and be-
But this made tie Democrats all the more
haunting In their remarks. They talked as
the Phillstines did before David stepped forth
to meet Goliath. At last flesh and blood could
stand it no longer. and they decided they would
despoil the Egyptians or lose their own goods in
the laudable attempt. They would deprive
them OF thei- money, their focks and herds,
their asses and mules, their grain and their
geese. The Methodists, male and female.
backed up their strong faith that Young Tippe-
canoe would make his calling and election sure.
They took all the bets the uneodly Democrats
offered. Nov. 6 ZANE and Cleveland was knocked
out. Then the brethren began raking in the
spoils. They showed no let.up, for mono would
have been shown them.
It had been their intention when they set out
to turn all their gains over to the church. They
meant that the irrelicious Democrats should
build that housAnd-dollar addition. Not one OF
tAems uko TIC DdQ AuhuldS, ttioV Y heop duy-
thing back for his own use. But here an unex-
pected difficulty arose. Strangely enough. the
pastor Of this little flock was a bigoted Prohibi-
Zionist Of the THANK God" Brooks school. So
radical a dry was he that he had cut down the
Prohibition vote Of the town from seventeen
to seven. He insisted that the plumber of the
foe must not be used for the church, but
must all be restored 70 his Democratic
allies The winners said that was non
sense; IL was as much theirs a. what the
Israelites under Moses had gotten from their
oppressors and afterwards used for the adorn-
ment of the ark. The pastor declined to listen
to reason, however, and on the ground that the
members of his church had been gambling sum-
moned them for trial. 1t was q curious affair.
He was judge, jury, prosecutor, witness. and
everything else. All the members OF the con-
eregatiop, men. women. and little ones, were de-
PENDANTS. Under such circumstances a trial
was rather ~fsrcical, and thus far the minister
has not been able to excommunicats his flock.
He will not preach to them; they do not want to
hear him. He does not like to take pay from
offenders. and they do not like to support a man
who wants to cast them out Of the church.
Therefore they have rather the better of him
aud will probably soon get another pastor with
less Brooks prohibition and more horse sense.
Asfor the Democrats. the dispute has done
are felt as bare as the palm of ones hand. The
Republican brethren, ''sweetly smiling" have
packed up all their loose change and have it
safely slowed away till it shall be available for
the enlargement Of that church. There is even
some talk of rubbing it in" by hanging up in
the new edifce a neat little tablet on which shall
be set forth the fact that one Democrat contrib
uted q horse. another twenty-five dollars. an
other fifty bushels of wheat. another two fat
steers. another q dozen turkeys, and so on
through all the donations, ending with, "Wo
gladly take the deed for the will"