The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-11-08

Sclp1O, after OdSSluS, aILer COuSUduJlno,
after Cesar. dead. The war eagle of
Rome flew so high it was blinded by the
sun and came whirling down through
the heavens, and the owl of desolatiOn
and darkness built its nest in the for
saken eyrie Mexican empire, dead.
French empire, dead.
WHY NATIONS DIE.
You see. my friends, it is no unusual
thing for a government to perish, and in
the same neurology of dead nations and
in the same graveyard of expired gov
ernments will go the United States OF
America unless there be some potent
voice to call halt. and unless God in
his mercy interferes, and through purl-
fed ballot box and widespread public
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 annihllate
American institutions, and if God will
help me l will show you before l get
| through the mode in which each and
every one may do something to arrest
that appalling calamity. And l shall
pillow up the whole field.
The first evil that threaten. the ami
| hilarion Of our American institutions Is
: the fact that political bribery, which
once was considered Il crime, has by
many come to be considered tolerable
virtue. There is a legitimate use OF
money III elections, in the printing of po-
| litical tracts, and III the hiring of public
/ halls. and in the obtaining OF campaign
/ oratorv. but is there any hOmuuculus
| who supposes that this vast amount Of
money now being raised by the political
/ parties is going in legitimate direction:
| The vast majority of it will 90 to buy
votes.
Hundreds and thousands of men will
! have set before them so much money
! for a Republican vote, and so much
money for Democratic vote, and the
! suI.eIior financial inducement will de
eide the action. You want to know
which party will carry the doubtful
states day after tomorrow. will tell
you. The party that spends the most
money. This moment while l speak
the peddlers carrying gold from Wall
street. gold from Third street, gold from
State street and gold from the Brewers
ASSOCIATION, are III all the political head
quarters of the doubtful states, dealing
out the Infamous inducement.
There used to be bribery; but 1t held
its head in shame. 1t was under the
utmost secrecy that many years ago a
railroad company bought up the Wis
consin legislature and many other pub
lie officials in that state. The governor
of that state at that time received S0O,-
600 for his signature. His private sec
rotary received $4,000. Thirteen mem
bers of the senate received Sl1o,OOU
among them in bonds. Sixty members
of the other house received from $1,000
to $4,000 each. The lieutenant govern
or received $4,000. The clerks of the
house received from $1,000 to $4,000
each. The bank comptroller received
SO 600. Two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars were divided among the
LOBBYISTS. You see the railroad cOmpa-
nv was very generous. But all that
was hidden. and only through the Sc
yerest scrutiny ON the part of legisla
tive committee was this iniqulty dis
. plaved. Now political bribery detie:
YOU. dares you, is arrogant, and will
probably decide the election next Tues
day.
Unless this diabolism ceases in thi:
country Dartholdi's statue on Bedloe':
island, with uplifted torch TO light othel
nations into the harbor, had better bt
changed and the torch dropped as (
symbol Of universal incendiarlsm.
REFORM OR PERISH.
Unless this purchase and sale of suf
frage shall cease the American govern
: ment will expire. and you might as wei
he getting ready the monument for an
, other dead nation and let my text III
scribe upon 1t these words, Alas, alas
: for Babylon, that great city, that might.
f CITY, for in one hour is thy judgmen
/ comet" My friends, if you have not no
? ticed that political bribery is one of tn
S CHASTITY crimes of this day, you have no
e kept your eyes open.
Another evil threatening the destruc
ton of American institutions Is the SOLID
( living of the sections against each other
5 A solid north. \ solid south. If thl
: goes on we shall, after awhile, have
- solid east against a solid west; we shal
>. have solid middle states against soli
+ northern states: we shall have a soli
| L
h and a solid Ohio against a solid ker
d lucky. 1t is twenty-seven years sine
|. the warcloud. and yet at every pres
J., Dental election the old antagonism
?. aroused. When Garfield died, and a
:. the states gathered around his casket
a sympathy and in tears, and as heart
/ kilograms Of coincidence came from Ne7
n Orleans and from Charleston as frol
d Boston and Chicago. said to myself, o
+ think sectionalism is dead" But, ala
|. no! The difficulty will never be ende
h until each state of the nation is split u
IS into two or three great political partle
). This country cannot exist unless 1t e.
II lists as one body, the national capital IL
i heart, sending out through all the art
: ries of communication warmth and life
l. the very extremities. This nation cann'
q exist unless il exists as one family, an
,e you might us well have solid brothel