The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-03-13
BRIBERY.
A Sermon by Rev. Dr. T. Dewitt
Talmage, D. D.,
ON tho "wrong Uses OF Money"--Cor'
ruption IN Politics the Crying EVIL
OF the Ago = Dishonesty In
All Walks Of Life.

Tho text chosen for the subject Of DR..
Taimage's recent sermon was /. Timothy,
vi, o; "They that will be rich fall into
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which
drown menin destruction and perdltion."
That is the Niagara Falls over which rush
amultitude OF souls, namely the determina-
ton TO have money anyhow, rightor wrong
Tell me how man gets his money and
what he does with II. and win tell you his
character, and what will be his destiny In
this world AMI the next. propose 10
speak this morning about some Of the ruin
ous modes OF getting money.
We recently passed through national
election in which II has been estimated
thirty million. dollars were expended.
think about twenty million OF II were
spent in outand-out bribery. Both parties
raised all they could for this purpose. But
that was only on large scale what has been
done on smaller scale for fifty years and
In all departments.
Politics from being the science OF good
government has often been bedraggled into
the synonym for truculency and turpitudo.
A monster sin. plausible, potent, pestifer-
Gus, It has gone forth 10 do Its DE dful
work in all ages. Its two hands'are rotten
with leprosy. 1t keeps It's right hand hid
den In deep pocket TIE left hand 10
clenched, and with its ichorous knuckle 1t
taps at the door OF the court room, the legis-
lative ball, the Congress and the Parliament.
The door swings open and the monster
enters, and glides through the aisle OF the
council cl amber as softly rs q slippered
pace, and then It take its right hand from
its deep pocket and offers II In salutation TO
Judge or legislator. IL that hand be
taken, and the palm OF the intruder cross
the palm OF the Official, the leprosy crosses
from palm to palm In round blotch, round
as gold eagle and the virus spreads, and
the doom is fixed, and tho victim perishes.
Let bribery, accursed Of God and man,
stand w for trial
The Bible arraigns II again and again.
Samuel says OF his two sons who became
judges: 'They took bribes and perverted
Judgment" David says of some Of his pur-
suers: 'Their right hand Is full OF bribes."
Amos says Of some men in his Jay: They
take bribe and turn aside the poor In the
gate." EiIhiz foretells the crushing blows
Of Gods Indignation, declaring: Sire shall
consume the tabernacles Of bribery"
It Is no light temptation. The miRhtiest
have fallen under 1t. Sir Francis Bacon,
Lord Chancellor. OF England, founder Of our
modern philosophy, author Of "Novum Or
ganum" and a whol0 library Of books, the
leading thinker Of his century. so precoc'ous
that when little child he was asked by
Queen Elizabeth, "How old arc youi" he re-
sponded. 81 am two years younger than your
Majesty's happy reign" OF whose oratory
Ben Jonson wrote, THE fear OF every
man that heard him was lest he should
make an ends" having an income which
you would suppose would have put him
beyond the temptation OF bribery
thirty-six thousand dollars a year, and
Twickenham court gift and princely es-
tates In Hertfordshire and Gorhambury-yet
under this temptation 10 bribery falling fiat
dnto ruin. aud on his confession Of taking
bribes giving as excuse that all his prede-
cessors took them; he was fined two hun
dred thousand dollars, or what corresponds
with our two hundred thousand dollars, and
imprisoned In London tower. 80 also Lord
Chancellor Macclesheld fell; so also Lord
Chancellor Waterbury perished. The black
chapter In English, Irish, French and
American politics is the chapter Of bribery.
Some OF you remember the Pacific Mail sub
sidies. Most Of you remember the awful
tragedy OF the Credit Mobilier. Under the
temptation 10 bribery Benedict Arnold sold
the fort ia the Highlands for s3l.575. For
this sin Gorgey betrayed Hungary, Ahitho-
phel forsook David and Judas kissed Christ.
When sec so many OF the illustrious going
down under this temptation, II makes me
think OF the red dragon spoken Of In Revela-
tion, with seven heads and ten horns and
seven crowns, drawing third part Of the
stars OF Heaven down after him. The lob
bles Of the legi latures OF this country con-
troll the country. The land Is drunk with
bribery.
10" says some one, 'there's no need Of
talking against bribery by promise or by
dollars, because every man has his price"
do not believe It. Even heathenism and
the dark ages have furnished specimens OF
incorruptibility. A cadi Of Smyrna had q
case brought before him on trial A man
gave him 800 ducats In bribery. The case
came on. The briber had many wltne ses.
The poor man on the other side had no wit
nesses At the close OF the case the cadi
said: "This poor man has no witnesses, he
thinks; shall produce In his behalf FIVE
hundred witnesses against the other side"
And then pulling out the bag OF ducats from
under the ottoman he dashed II down at the
feet Of the briber, saying: ~ give my decls-
ION against you" Epaminondas, offered a
bribe, said; II will do this thing II 1t be
right and II Il be wrong all,your goods can
not persuade me-" Fabricius OF the Roman
Senate was offered a bribe by Pyrrhus Of
Nacedon. Fabriclus anSwered, "What an
example this would be 10 the Roman people; I;
you keep your riches and will keep my
poverty and reputation"
The President OF the American Congress
during the American revolution, General
REQ I, was offered ten thousand guineas by
foreign commissioners II he would betray
this country He replied; "Gentlemen,
am very poor man, but tell your King he
is not rich enough 10 buy me-" But why go
20 far, when you aud !, II we move in hon
orable society, know men and women, who
by all the concentrated force OF earth and
hell could not be bribed. They would no
more be bribed than you would think Of
tempting an angel of light to exchange
heaven for tho pit To offer bribe Is VII
tainy but IL 10 very poor compliment TO
che man to whom II is offered.
Ihaye not much faith in those people who
70 about Dragging how much they could get
II they would only sell out, Those women
who complain that they are very often In
suited need TO understand that there is
something In their carriage 70 invite insult
There are men at Albany au1at Harrisburg
and.a Washington who would no more be
approached by bribo than pirate boat
With n few cutlasses would dare 10 attack Q
British man-of-war with two banks Of guns
en- each side loaded 70 the touch hole. They
are incorruptible mon, and they are the few