Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-11-11
Christian Citizenship.
"THE BALLOT GIVES EXPRESSION TO THE
MORAL cHARACrER OF THE VOTER

In Baltimore, Sunday, Nov. 1ss, the Raw.
E. o. Eldridge preached in the morning at
Exeter Methodist Episcopal Church upon
HChristian Citizenship" He said in part:
'The Christian not ouly sus.ains relation
to the church, but also to society He is
under obligation to carry his religious con-
victions into all the relations of life. The
idea that religion has nothing to with poll
tics is one of the snares of the devi, where
by many good people have been led to sus-
tain that politically which they would blush
to be associated with an individuals.
"If there are evils in either our State or
national government it is the fault of the
people who do the voting. for all authority
comes from them. Amau's religious life is
DO. higher than his political life. A man
should want God in his party as much as ia
his family, for what affects society at large
will ultimately affect the homo. 1t is the
duty of the Christian to help build up .
Christian civilization.
s'All social questions must fiually be set
tied by an appeal to Gods law. "rhou
shalt love thy DeiRhbor ~ thyself.' Again
light of the world Religion has been Civ
en- not simply as fire escape to avoid the
punishmeuts of the damned, but also to
build up new earth wherein shall abide
righteousness. The sociological, eaching of
Christ and His apostles was not simply in
tended for tie past, but is binding upon the
conscience Of life Of to day.
I'm view Of these facts the ballot becomes
sacred trust; it executes the will ef Ameri.
can freemen as lightning executes the will
of God. And he who would discharge his
duty in this respect must vote as conscien-
tiously as be prays or reads his Bible. The
ballot gives expression TO the moral charac-
ter of the voter. A corrupt vote is blow
against the barriers that stand 10 the way
Of personal corruption. Every political cam.
paign has tremendous educating Influence,
for to 20 upon the side of vice and crime is
to educate the young that integrity is not
condition of success. The Christian voter
will not withhold his ballot from the side of
right because of the fear that it viii not
win. The majority may be wrong, in fact
often are wrong, and wrong is none the
less 90 because committed by the multitude.
To vote with the majority If wrong is to
say that the evil may continue until the
right il in the ascendenoy. Neither will
C'ristian cast his ballot for evil men or
measures because they are less evil than
others asking our support. A follower OF
Christ cannot do evil that good may come.
should ever do battle until it IS vanqushed,
This is the one fountain of death whose
leaden waves are ever sweeping nultitudes
into disgraced and untimely graves. 1t is
estimated that there are 2 500 600 intem-
perats drinkers in our land, and that these
represent 10 600, 900 others who are bound
to them by family ties, and to greater or
less extent dependent upon them for sup
port and protection. These 2, 800, 900 are
the customers and supporters of the sa.
loon, but the saloon itself is . legalized in
s.itution, put where it is by law and kept
there by the votes, not of heather, but
professedly Christian community. There
is diabolical alliance between the Chris
tisn community of this nation and the rum
traffic in so far as this Christian community |
permits it to exist, when at any time it |
could annihila.e it if it wished. The plaza
to strike this evil is in the political arena"