The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-04-14
Selection Of Civil Officers.

Strange as it may Sound 10 some peo-
plo, there is laid down in the Bible the
only safe rule to follow in the selection OF
men to fill the offices Of the civil govern
mont. And we are Of the o. -nion that II
this rule had been more closely followed
governments to-day would not IN many
respects be what they are. The rule is
when he was forming the civil govern
ment of the children Of Israel. Jethro
saw that Moses's methods of government
were very defective, and he told him go
and then gave him advice in the matter,
the wisdom OF which has been Yindicated
wherever the rule as to selecting civil Of
fcers has been carried out. Jethro said
"Thou shalt provide out Of all the people
able men, such as fear God, men Of truth
hating covetousness, and place such owe.
them. to be rulers OF thousands, rulers OF
hundreds, rulers Of fifties and rulers ol
tens" Here we have stated qualifications
of q civil ruler, whether he has a small
Office, "ruler OF tens;'' or q large one,
"ruler Of thousands" ctthe reader look
at these qualifications for moment:
cable men," Men with sufficient ma
tural and acquired ability to perform the
duties Of the office. Incapables IN Office
nobody would think of tolerating, fol
such bring the Office into dishonor and
make it fruitful cause of detriment tc
the governed. We suppose no man in his
senses will object to the Bible rule OF se-
lecting an able man for every office, from
the highest 10 the lowest.
"Such as fear Cod" David ruled ovel
Israel forty years, and among ms las'
words are these: "IIe that ruleth over
men must be just, living in the fear Oh
Cod" His experience as ruler lea MN.
to the conclusion that Jethro's advice II
this matter was eminently wise. All au.
thority of rulership comes from God, tn
Supreme Rnlor, and the man who doe
not recognize this, who docs not receive
his authority as from God and exercise j..
under a sense of his responsibility T.
God, has not tho fear OF God before hi
ewes and cannot rule over men to theli
GOOD. He who does not fear God vii
have very little regard for men. 1t IL only
the God.iearing man who can perform thu
duties of civil Office properly. Every
BODY will concur in this, except those
who do not believe in God as the Supreme
Ruler.
.sMen of truth" An untruthful man
cannot be depended upon anywhere. He
is especially out of place in public office.
A public officers relations to the people
are peculiar. He is in some sense the
guardian of their honor and the protector
Of their most sacred rights; and If he Is
a man of low and weak integrity, his
guardianship of the peoples rights and
honor becomes the veriest farce. There
can be no integrity of character apart
from truthfulnesp. Everybody wants
men of truth-men Of integrity-in pub
lie office, except those who hope to secure
their own base aims through the untruth-
fulness Of the officer.
"Hating covetousness." The Revised
Version has it, "Hating unjust gain.' It
is lanentably true that great many seek
Office from spirit of coyetousness. In
public office there are doors Of temptation
TO secure unjust gain" so numerous that
it is place Of peculiar trial, and thous-
ands have gone down to dishonor and
shame becausethey yielded. We see this
and hear it almost day. Indeed, 1t
has become so common that it does not
excite any surprise. The man from whose
pelled is dangerous man for public Of
flee. After what we have seen in the past
few years of defalcations and plundering
the public treasury, will any sensible man
object to this qualification In public Of
fcer? We think net.
Now. the readers see what sort of men
the Bible saysswe must put in civil office.
AS those who believe that old Book, and
who have the right Of suffrage, we are to
exercise that right according to the
teachings of that Book. Living under a
Democratic form Of government, where
all the citizens have all equal part In the
choice of civil officers, 1t is our duty and
privilege to provide out Of all the people
able men, such ns fear God, men of truth,
hating unjust gain, and place such over
them to be rulers of thousands, rulers OF
hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers OF
tens, who g all judge the people at all
seasony ."-Ne,o Orleans 4 Advocate.