The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-11-11


that appalling calamity. And l shall
plow up the whole field.
The first evil that threatens the ami
hilation of our American institutions Ii
the fact that political bribery, which
once was considered crime, has by
many come TO be considered tolerable
virtue. There is legitimate use Of
money in elections, in the printing Of po-
litical tracts, and in the hiring of public
halls, and in the obtaining Of campaign
oratory, but is there any homunculus
who supposes that this vast amount Of
money now being raised by the political
parties is going in legitimate directionf
The vast majority Of 1t will go to buy
votes.
Hundreds and thousands Of men will
have set before them 80 much money
for Republican vote, and so much
money for Democratic vote, and the
superior 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 in all the political head
quarters of the doubtful states, dealing
out the infamous inducement.
There used to be bribery; but it 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 ESQ.,.
900 for his signature. His private Sec
rotary received $1,000. Thirteen mem
bers of the senate received $4,000
among them in bonds Sixty members
Of the other house received from $1,000
to SIC, 900 each. The lieutenant govern
or received $4,000. The clerks of the
house received from $4,000 to $4,000
each. The bank comptroller received
100000 Two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars were divided among the
lobbyists. You see the railroad compa-
ny was very generous. But all that
Wd uluuCil, anu Ouly bilOuSh oIiO EC-
verest scrutiny on the part of legisla-
tive committee was this iniquity dis
played. Now political bribery defies
you, dares you, is arrogant, and will
probably decide the election next Tues
day.
Unless this diabolism ceases in this
country Bartholdi's statue on Bedloe's
island, with uplifted torch to light other
nations into the harbor, had better be
changed and the torch dropped as a
symbol Of universal incendiarism.
REFORM OR PERISH!
Unless this purchase and sale of suf-
frage shall cease the American govern
ment will expire, and you might as well
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, that mighty
city, for in one hour is thy judgment
Gomez Ny friends, if you have not no
ticed that political bribery is one of the
CHASTITY crimes Of this day, you have not
kept your eyes open.
Another evil threatening the destruc-
ton of American institutions is the solid
flying of the sections against each other.
A solid north. A solid south. If this
goes on we shall, after awhile, have
solid east against solid west; we shall
have solid middle states against solid
northern states; we shall have solid
New York against solid Pennsylvania,
and solid Ohio against a solid Ken
lucky. It is twenty-seven years since
the warcloud, and yet at every presi-
Dental election the old antagonism is
aroused. When Garfield died, and all
the states gathered around his casket in
sympathy and in tears, and as hearty
kilograms of coincidence came from New
Orleans and from Charleston as from
Boston and Chicago, said to myself, 81
think sectionalism Is dead" But, alas,
no! The difficulty will never be ended
until each state Of the nation is split up
into two or three great political parties.
This country cannot exist unless it ex-
lists as one body, the national capital the
heart, sending out through all the arte-
ries of Communication warmth and life to
the very extremities. This nation cannot
exist unless it exists as one family, and
| you might as well have solid brothers
against solid sisters, and a solid bread
tray against solid cradle, and solid
nursery against solid dining room, and
| you might as well have solid ears against
solid eyes, and solid head against solid
foot. What is the interest of Georgia is
the interest of Massachusetts; what is
the interest of New York is the interest
| Of South Carolina. Does the Ohio river
change its politics when it gets below
Louisville? 1t is not possible for these
sectional antagonisms to continue for
great many years without permanent
compound fracture.
Another evil threatening the destruc-
ton Of our American institutions is the
low state of public morals.
What killed Babylon of my text
What killed Ph9nicial What killed
RomeS Their own depravity, and the
fraud, and the drunkenness, and the lech-
cry which have destroyed other nations
will destroy ours unless merciful God
prevent. To show you the low state Of
public morals, have to call your atten-
ton to the fact that many men no1ni-
mated for Offices in different states at diff
ferent times are entirely unfit for the
positions for which they have been NOM
mated.
ORGANIZATIONS OF POLITICS.
They have no more qualification for
them than a wolf has qualification to be
professor of pastoral theology in flock
of sheep, or blind mole has qualifca-
ton to lecture a class of eagles on optics,
or than vulture has qualification to
chaperon dove. The mere pronuncia-
ton of some of their names makes de-
mand for carbolic acid and fumigation
Yet Christian men will follow right on
under the political standards.
lave to tell you what you know
already, that American politics have
sunken to sue. low depth that there is
nothing beneath. What we see in some
directions we see in nearly all directions
The peculstion and the knavery hurled
to the surface by the explosion of banks
| and business firms are only specimens oil