The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-04-03
BRIBERY.
a Sermon by Rev. Dr.. T. Dewitt
Talnage, D. D.,
On the "wroug Uses of Mouey"-Cor-
5uption IN Politics the Crying Evil
of the Age Dishonesty in.
Ali Walks OF Life.

The text chosen for the subject Of DR..
Talmase's recent sermon. was I. Timothy,
vi, g: s'They that will be rich fall into
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which
drown men in destruction and perdition."
That is the Niagara Falls over which rush
a multitude Of souls, nsmely the deternliua-
ton to have money anyhow, righto wrong.
Tell me how q man gets his money and
what he does with it, and I will tell you HE
character, and what will be his destiny il
this world and the 9ext. I propose to
speak this morning aoout some Of the ruin
Gus modes Of getting money.
We recently passed through national
election in which it has been estimated
thirty million dollars were expended. I
think about twenty million Of it were
spent in out-an6-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 al departments.
Politics from being the science Of good
government has often been bedraggled into
the synonym for truculeGcy and turp!tude.
A monster sin, plausible, potent, peStifer-
Gus, it has gone forth to do its dreadful
work in all ages. Its two hands are rotten
with leprosy. It keeps its right hand hid
den in deep pocket. The left hand is
clenched, and with its ichorous knuckle it
taps at the door Of the court room, the legis-
lative hail. the Congress and the Parliament.
The door swings open and the monster
enters, and clides through the aisle Of the
council chamber as softly as siippered
page, and then it take: its right hand from
its deep pocket and offers it in salutation to
judge or legislator. If that hand be
taken, and the palm Of the intruder cross
the palm OF the official, the leprosy crosses
from palm to palm in q round blctch, round
as a gold eagle and the virus spreads, and
the doom is fixed, and the victim perishes.
Let bribery, accurso6 OF God ard man,
stand un for trial
The Bible arraigns it 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: 'sTheir right hand is full Of brioes."
Amos says of some men in his day: s'They
take bribe and turn aside the poor in the
gate" Elirhaz foretells the crushing blows
of Gods indignation. declaring: ''Fire shall
consume the tabernacles Of bribery"
It is no light temptation. The mightiest
have fallen under it Sir Francis BacoS
Lord Chancellor. Of England, founder Of our
modern philosophy, author Of "Noyum Or
ganum," and whole library OF books, the
leading thinker Of his century, so precocious
that when little child he was asked by
Queen Elizabeth, "How old are yous' here
sponded 81 am two years younger than your
Maiesty's happy reign;' Of whose oratory
Ben Jorson wrote, THE fear Of every
man that heard MIN was lest he should
make an end;" having an income which
you would suppose would have put him
beyond the temptation OF bribery
thirty-six thousand dollars year, and
Twickenhan court gift. and princely es-
tates in Eertfordshire and rhambury-yet
under this temptation to bribery falling nat
into ruin. and on his confession Of taking
bribes, giving as excuse that all his prede-
eessors took them; he was fined two nun
dred thousand dollars, or what corresponds
with our two hundred thousand dollars, and
imprisoned in London tower. So also Lord
Chancellor Macclesfeld 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
sides. Most of you remember the awful
tragedy of the Credit Mobilier. Under the
temptation to bribery Benedict Arnold sold
the fort IN the Highlands for S31.5sS. For
this sin Gcrsey betrayed Hungary, Ahitho-
phel forsook David and Judas kissed Christ
When see so many of the illue'riu',s going
down under this temptation. it makes me
think Of the red dragon spoken OF ln RevelS-
ton. with seven heads and ten horns and
seven crowns. drawing third part OF the
stars of Heaven down after him. The lob
bies OF the legislatures of this country con-
troll the country. The land is drunk with
bribery.
40" saws some one, ''there's no need OF
talking against bribery by promise or by
dollars. because every man has his price
I do not believe it. Even heathenism and
the dark ages have furnished specimens OF
incorruptibility. A cadi Of Smyrna had
case brought before him on trial A mag
gave him 800 ducats in bribery. The case
came on. The brliber had many witnesses.
The poor man on the other side bad no wit
nesses. At the close Of the case the cadl
said: sThis.poor man has no witnesses, be
thinks: shall produce iu his behalf i've
hundred witnesses against the other side"
And then pulling out the bag Of ducats from
under the ottoman, ne dashed it down at the
feet of the briber, SAYING: 81 give my cecis-
ion against YOU" Epaminonoas, offered q
bribe, said: II will do this thing II it be
right, and il it be wrong all your goods can
not persuade men Fabricius Of the Roman
Senate was offered bribe by Pyrrhus OF
Macedon. Fabricius answered, "W hat an
example this would be to the Roman people:
YOU keep your riches and Will keep my
poverty and reputation"
The President OF the American Congress
during the American revolution, General
Reej. was offered ten thousand guineas by
foreign commissioners if ne would betray
this country He replied: Gentlemen,
an very poor man. but tell your King he
is not rich enough to buy me-" But why so
40 far, when you and l, if we move in hon
orable society, know men and women, who
nv AL the concentrated force Of earth and
he'll could not be bribed. They would no
more be bribed than you would think OF
tempting an angel Of light to exchange
heaven for the pit To offer bcioe is vii
lainy but it is a very poor compliment 70
the man to whom it is offered.
have net much faith il those people who
20 about bragging how much they could get
il they would only sell out. Those women
who complain that they are very often IN
suited need 10 understand that there IS
something in their carriage to invite insult.
There are men at Albany and at Harrisburg
and at Washington who would no more De
approached by bribe than a pirate boat
with few cutlasses would dare to attack
British mar-of-war with two banks OF guns
on each side loaded to the touch hole. Iney
are incorruptible men, and they are the lew
men who are to save the city and save the