The Brookhaven leader., 1889-04-11
Modern Pilates.

Ht iuiluNiuS aidiNiC iioih AhV SaANSN
pen of well-known Mississippi wo-
man fairly smokes and sizes with
burning sarcasm and ineffable scorn.
Let those whom the cap fits wear it;
Through all the centuries since the
Nazarene stood accused, dcspised and
huffettcd in Pilates hall there has
been but one verdict upon the char
actcr and conduct of PLATE. His
violation of his sense of justice and
right, his cowardly yielding to the cry
of the Jews against one in whom
he found no fault, all stamp him as a
political poltroon. Nor does the poor
subterfuge of publicly washing his
hands, to quiet conscience and attest
bis innocence, in any sense mitigate
the opinion which, sweeping through
the centuries, stamps him with i'm
mortal infamy. There can never be
n reversal of that verdict, there
ought not to be; but if this is n just
and righteous judgment of the heath
en- Procurator, ambitious of power
and place and knowing 10 religion
but the Greek polytheism rs trans
nittcd through the Romans, what
ought to he the verdict about the
men of to-day who, for the sake OF
position or Office, not alone deny
Christ, but buffet and spit upon his
cause to carry ont their ambitious
plans!
1t is as vain for them to plead "party
ties" and the demands of party zeal
ty" and listen for the echo from the
sIums"his blood be on us and on our
children" and hope theretrOm to be
adiudged ''innocent," as it was for
PLATE to think to cleanse his soul of
guilt by washing his hands i'll water.
Mark the schcmimg aspirant for pub
lie position and honor, INSCRIPTIONS
in his methods of manipulating the
ignorant and vicious to secure his
personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Pilate-like
he lays the tlatteriuG junction. to his
soul that the divine retribution will
spend itself upon the miserable crca-
lures who, for the poor pay of his cor
rupting patronage, bowed themselves
yet deeper in sin and shame and
degradation to lift him up to Il hight I
rom which, secure and scorntlll, he
hall smile at their ruin. But as i'll
he physical realms noXious vapOrS
Use up from the lowlands of filth, and
olson the upland dweilers, SO in the
loral realm, the poison of the Spir-
ual malaria of the dives, dens, sd
IONS and slums will float up and in
ade and permeate and whelm these
zen and their lOred ones in utter and
opeiess ruin. Because Judgment"
not executed speedily men will
are, for gain to self, to do these
ross public wrongs; as if the eye of
cd could not see the individual, as !
his finger of wrath might pass
hem because of wealth or worldly |
osition. With a more terrible retri-
ution than Pilates will God visit
is counterparts i'll the close of the
century.
There is yet another class who are
lot guiltless in this matter of public
nd national corruption. They are
rood men who, with the natural dis
gust for dirty things, have drawn the
obcs of their clean lives about them
md passed by on the other side leav-
ng the body polite in very deed fall
en- among thieves and wounded
nigh unto death? The corruption
hat makes politics "dirty pool"
ought to be the concern of every hon
Drable Christian man, and not one
who has the right of franchise, no
matter how exalted his position in
church, can consistently ignore his
duties of citizenship without becom-
ing silent partner in the regnant
Never did the followers
of Christ need more courage than
now, never was there greater need for
valor in opposing wicked
ness in high places. Christian citi-
zens must make their influence felt in
the government if they would rise to
the full measure of their responsibility
and save the blessings of liberty to
I hair nosteritv