The Red Cloud chief., 1892-11-18

You see, my friends, it is no unusual
thing for n government to perish. and
in the same neurology of dead nations,
and in the same graveyard Of expired
governments will go the United States
OF America unless there be some potent
voice to call a halt, and unless God in
his mercy interferes and through a pur-
fled ballot box and u widespread pub
Nc Christian sentiment the catastrophe
be averted. This nation Is about TO go
to the ballot box to exercise the right
OF suffrage, and ! propose to set before
you the evils that threaten to destroy
the American government, and TO an
initiate American institutions, and II
God will help me ! will show you be-
fore I get through the mode In which
each aud every n may do something
to arrest that appalling calamity.
And shall pillow up the whole field.
The first evil that threatens the ami
hilation Of our American institutions Is
the fact that political bribery, which was
once considered a crime. has by many
come to be considered a tolcrable vir-
tue. There is n Legitimate use OF money
in elections, in the printing OF political
tracts, and in the hiring of public halls,
and in the obtaining Of campaign ora
tory; but is there any homunculus who
supposes that this vast amount OF
money now being raised by the polit-
ical parties Is going In q legitimate di-
rection? The vast majority OF II will
go to buy votes
There used to be bribery, but it held
"a, 1.-1 L. .l.., 400. ,-lA~ Ak.
utmost secrecy that many years ago n
railroad company bought up the Wis
consin legislature and many other pub
lie officials In that state. The governor
Of the state ut that time received $780,
900 for his signature. His private Sec
rotary received 81, 000. Thirteen mem
bers of the senate received s175, 900
among them in bonds. Sixty members
Of the other house received from S5, 900
to $40, 900 each. The lieutenant-gov-
ernor received $40, DOB. The clerks OF
the house received from q, 900 to slO, 900
each. The bank comptroller received
$4,000. Two hundred and fifty thous-
and dollars were divided among the
lobbyists. You see, the railroad com
pany was very generous. But all that
was hidden, and only through the Sc
vercst scrutiny on the part of n legisla'
tive committee was this iniquity dis
played. Now, political bribery defes
you. dares you and is arrogant.
Unless this diaboiism ceases in this
country, Bartholdi's statue OF Bedloe's
island, with uplifted torch to ligh1
other nations into the harbor, had bet
sau H. ,lu,~nJ ,rI Aha fDroh 1rpnnaf
as n symbol Of universal incendiarism.
Unless this purchase and sale of suf
frage shall cease, the American govern
ment will expire, and you might rs wei
be getting ready the monument for an
other dead nation, and let my text In
scribe upon It these words: "Alas
alas! for Babylon, that great city, tina
mighty city, for in one hour Is thy judg
ment come" My friends, IL you hav'
not noticed that political bribery Is on
of the ghastly crimes Of this day, yo1
have not kept your eyes open.
Another evil threatening the destruc
ton of American institutions Is thu
solidifying of the sections against eacl
other. A solid north, n solid south. !
this goes on we shall, after o while
have a solid east ~against q solid west
, we shall have solid middle state
against solid northern states, we shal
have a solid New York against n soli'
Pennsylvania, and a solid OHIO agains
; a solid Kentucky. 1t Is tw~enty-seve
years since the war closed, and yet a
every presidential election the old ar
tagonism is aroused. When CARTEL
: died, and all the states gathered aroun
his casket in sympathy and in tear
and as hearty kilograms OF condolenc
. came from New Orleans and froI
' Charleston as from Boston and Chicagt
: l said to myself: II think s~ectionalisi
= is dead" But. alas! no. The difficult
. will never be ended until each state {
: the nation is split up into two or thre
: great political parties. This countr
= cannot exist unless It exists as on
body, the national capital the hear
sending out through all the arteries
communication warmth and life to til
= very extremities. This nation cannt
. exist unless it exists as one family. Z.
y, Another evil threatening the destru
ton of our American institutions Is u
. low state of public morals.
~ What killed Babylon of my tex
What killed Ph1nicia? What kille
Rome? Their ~depravity, and II
fraud and the drunkenness and I'll
a lechery which have destroyed other n;
= tions will destroy ours unless a mere
;, full God prevent. To show you the 10
!, state Of public morals l have to ca
your attention to the fact that mar
men nominated for offices In differeI
states ut different times are entirel
, unfit for the positions for which the
have been nominated.
a have to tell you what you know a
. ready, that American politics ha,
p sunken to such a low depth that the,
=, is nothing beneath. What we see
:, some directions we see In nearly all d
: rcctions The p~eculation and I'll
- knavery hurled to the surface by II
explosion of banks ana business firm
!. are only specimens of great Cotopax
- and Strembolis of w~ickedness that DO
and roar and surge beneath, but ha,
NC -