Milford chronicle., 1889-05-03
MILFORD, DEL, FRIDAY, MAY 8. 1888


to the rescue Of this nation in 1876, at tho
close of presidential election famous fS'
devilish ferocity. A darker cloud yet settled
down upon this nation. The result Of the
election was in dispute, and revolution, not
between two or three sections, but revolution
IN every town and village and city OF the
the United States, seemed imminent. The
prospect was that New York would throttle
New York, and New Orleans would grip New
Orleans, and Boston, Boston, and Savannah,
Savannah, and Washington, Washington.
Some said Mr.. Tilden was elected others
said Mr.. Hayes was elected; and how
near we came to universal massacre
some of US guessed, but God only knew.
/ ascribe our escape not to the hon
esty and Righteousness of Infatuated
politicians, but | ascribe it to the upper
forces of the text Chariots Of mercy rolled
in, and though the wheels were not heard and
the fash was not seen, yet all through the
mountains Of the north and the south and
the east and the west though the hoofs did
not clatter, the ,avalry Of God galloped by
l tell you God is the friend OF this nation. Ia
the awful excitement at the massacre Of Lin
coin, when there was prospect that greater
slaughter would open upon this nation, God
hushed the tempest In the awful excitement
at the time of Garfield's assassination, God
put his foot on the neck of the cyclone.
THE SPLENDID CONDITION OF THE UNITED
STATES.
To prove that God is on the side Of this ma
ton, / urgue from the last eight or nine great
national harvests, and from the national
health of the last quarter Of a century-epi-
denies very exceptiOnal-and from the great
- fba 4
Of the Church Of God and from the continent
poisoning with asylums and reformatory in
stitutions, and from an Edenization which
promises that this whole land is to be Para
disc where God shall walk in the cool of the
day.
If in other sermons 1 showed you what was
the evil that threatened to upset aud demol-
ish American institutions, | am encouraged
more than can tell you as / see the regi-
ments wheeling down the sky, and my jere
miads turn into doxologies, and that which
was the Good Friday Of the nations crucifix-
ion becomes the Easter morn of its resurrec-
ton. OF course God works through human
instrumentalities, and this national better
ment is to come among other things through
a scrutinized ballot box By the law Of reg
istration it is almost impossible now to have
illegal voting. There was time-you
and ! remember it very well-when droves
of vagabonds wandered up and down on
election day and from poll to poll, and
voted here and voted there, and voted
everywhere and there was no challenge; or,
if there we're, it amounted to nothing, be-
cause nothing could so suddenly be proved
upon the vagabonds. Now, in every well
organized neighborhood, every voter is
watched with scverest scrutiny. | must
tell the registrar my name, and
how old | am, and how long l have
resided in the state, and how long have re-
sided in the ward or township, and if l mis-
represent fifty witnesses will rise and shut me
out from the ballot box Is not that great
advanced Aud then notice the law that pro
hibits man voting if he has bet on the cleo
ton A step further needs to be taken and
that man forbidden vote who has offered or
taken bride, whether it be in the shape of
free drink or cash paid down. the suspicious
cases obliged to put their hand on the Bible
and swear their vote in if they vote at all.
So through the sacred chest Of our nations
suffrage redemption viii come.
God also will save this nation through an
aroused moral sentiment. There has never
been so much discussion of morals and i'm
morals Men, whether or not they acllnowl-
edge what is right, have to think what is
right We have men who have had their
hands in the public treasury the most Of their
lifetime, stealing all they could lay their
hands on, discoursing elOquently about dis
honesty in public servants, and men with two
or three families of their own, preaching elo-
quently about the beauties Of the seventh
commandment. The question Of sObriety
and drunkenness is thrust in the face Of this
nation rs never BEFORE and to take part in
our political contests. The question of ma
tional sobriety is going to berespectfully and
deferentially heard at the bar of every legis-
lature and every house Of representatives
and every United States senate, and an ON
nipotent voice win ring down the sky and
across this land and back again, saying to
these rising tides Of drunkenness which
threaten to wheln home and church and ma
ton; THUS far shalt thou come, but no fur
Their, and here shall thy proud waves be
stayed
have not in my mind a shadow of dis
heartenment as large as the shadow Of
house hy's wing Ny faith is in the upper
forces, the upper armies of the text. God is
not deed. The chariots are not unwheeled.
If you would only pray more and wash your
eyes in the cool, bright water, fresh from
the well of Christian reform, it would be said
of you as of this one of the text; THE Lord
opened the eyes of the young man; and he
saw: and. behold, the mountain was full Of
horses and chariots of fire round about
THE ARMY ARRAYEr AGAINST THE CAUSE OF
soBRIETT.
When the army Of Ambiguous went into
battle his soldiers were very much discour-
aged, and they rushed up to the general and
said to him: Don't you see we have a few
forces and they have so many moreln and the
soldiers were affrighted at the smallness Of
their number and the greatness Of the enemy.
Ambiguous, their commander, Strengthened
himself up and said, with indignation and
vehemence; 'How many do you reckon me
to bef' And when we see the vast armies
arrayed against the cause Of sobriety it may
sometimes be very discouraging, but l ask
you in making up your estimate Of the forces
Of Righteousness ask you how many do you
reckon the Lord God Almighty to bel He is
our commander The Lord of Hosts is his
name have the best authority for saying
that the chariots of God are twenty thousand,
and the mountains are full Of them.
You will take without my saying it that
my only faith is in Christianity and in the
upper forces suggested in the text. Political
Ties CDllle anu eAuu lAASy may W AA61g
and they may be wrong; but God lives, and
think be has ordained this nation for
career Of prosperity that no demagogism
will be able to halt. expect to live to see a
political party which will have q platform of
two planks-the Ten Commandments and the
Sermon on the Mount When that party is
formed it viii sweep across this land, like
tornado was going to say, but when think
it is not to be devastation, but resuscitation,
change the figure and say, such a party as
that will sweep across this land like spice
gales from heaven.
Have you any doubt about the need of the
Christian religion to purify and make decent
American politiesl At every yearly or quad
rennial election we have in this country great
manufactures, manufactures of lies, and
they arc run day and night, and they turn
out half a dozen day all equipped and ready
Cor full sailing. Large lies and small lies.
Las private and lies public and lies prurient.
Lies cut bias and lies cut diagonal. Long
linbed lies and lies with double back action.