The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-22
mag have gone into the dust, in the last day
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iidates. "And all liars shall have their psrf
In the lake which purnetn with fire and brln-
stone, which is the second death.
Again. counsel you as Christian men to
set Yourselves against the misuse or money
in political campaigns. OF the thousands OF
dollars already spent this autumn, how muon
of the amount do you suppose has been prop
srly used? You have right to spend money
for the publishing OF political tracts, 1or tne
establishment Of organizations for the carry
mo our or Wnar YOU consider to be the Dest
YOU have a right to appeal to the reason OF
men by argument and statistics and by facts
Printing and renting OF public hills and po-
litical meetings cost money, but he who puts
a bribe into the hand of voter or plies weak
men with mercenary and corrupt moslVes
commits sin against God and the Nation.
Bribery Is one of the most appalling SINS
of this country. God says, "Flre shall con-
snme the tabernacles Of bribery" Have
nothing to do with such sin, 0 Ohrlstlan
man! Fling it from the ballot box. Hand
over to the police the man who attempts 10
tanner with YOUR vote, and remember tnat
elections that cannot be carried without
bribes ought never to be carried at al.
Again ask you as Christirn men to set your
selves against the designations that hover over
the ballot box. Let ME say that no man can
afford to 60 into political life who Is not
teetotaler. Hotpolitical discussion somehow
creates an unnatural thirst, and hundreds OF
thousands of men have gone down into
drunkenness through political life.
After an exciting canvass through the
evening you must stake something" and
rising 10 the morning with less animation
than usual you must stake something" and
going off among your comrades through the
forenoon you meet political friends, and you
must ''take somethins," and in the afternoon
you meet other political friends, and you
must ''take something" and being night has
come something has taken you. There are
but few cases where men have been able to
stand up against the dis5ipatlons OF political
life
Joseph was politician, but he maintained
his integrity. Daniel was 4 politician. but
he was teetotaler to the laSi. Abraham
was politician, but he was always charac-
terized as the father, OF the faithful. Moses
was q politician, the grandest Of them. but
he honored God more than he did the Phar-
aohs. and there are hundreds OF Christian
men now in the political parties maintaining
their integrity. even when they are obliged
to stand amid the blasted, lecherous AMI
loathsome crew that sometimes surround the
ballot box-these Christian men doing their
political duty and then coming back to the
PRAYER meetings and Christian circles as pure
as when they went out. But that is not the
ordinary circumstance-that is the excep-
ton.
How often you see men coming back from
the political conflict. and their eyeis glazed,
and their cheek has an unnatural flush, and
they talk louder than they usually do, and at
the least provocation they will bet, and you
say they are conyivial, or they are exceed
ingly vivIlcious, or you apply some other
sweet name to them, but God knows they are
drunk! Some OF you, o month or six weeks
ago, had no more religion than you ought to
have, and after the elections are over to CAL
culate how much religion you have left Will
be sum in vulgar fractions. Oh, the pres
sure is tremendous
How many mighty intellects have gone
down under the dissipation OF politics!
think OF one who came from the west. Hs
was able to stand out against the whole
American Senate. God had given him fac>
uIties enough to govern a kingdom, or to
frame constitution. His voice was terri
BILE to his country's enemies and mighty in
spiration In the day OF National peril. But
twenty glasses of strong drink a day were
his usual allowance, and he went down into
the habits of confirmed inebriate.
Alas for him! Though costly monument
has been reared over his resting place, the
young men Of this country shall not be de-
MED the awful lesson that the agency by
WHICH tuS NOElu Was LOOUCI VI OuO VI lS9
mightiest intellects. and our country OF one
of its ablest constitutional defenders, was the
dissipation OF political life. You want to
know who mean? Young man. ask your
tather when you get home. The adverse tide
is fearful. and warn you against it.
You need not go far off to find the worr-
out politician. Here he is, stumbling along
the highway, his limbs hardly able to hold
him up. Bent over and pale with exhaust
ing sickness. Surly to anybody who accosts
him. His last decent article Of apparel
pawned for strong drink. Glad il, when 60
ing by grocery, some low acquaintance in
vites him in to take a sip Of ale and then
wiping his lip with his greasy sleeve.
Kicked of the steps by men who once were
proud to be his constituents. Manhood OBJ
| liberated. Lip blistered with curse. Scars
of brutal assault on cheek and brow. Foul
mouthed. A crouching, staggering. Wheel
| ing wretch. No friends. No God. Nc hope.
| No heaven.
That is your wornout politician. That is
! what some OF you will become unless by this
| mornings warning and the mercy Of God
your steps are arrested. On, there are no
words enough potent, enough portentious,
enough consuming, enough damning, to de-
| scribe the horrible drunkenness that has
| rolled over this land. and that has bent down
! the necks of some Of the mightiest intellects,
until they have been compelled to drink out
| of the trough Of bestiality and abomin alton
| I warn young men against political life, un-
less they are teetotalers and consecTated
| Christian men.
Again, counsel you that when you go to
the ballot box at the city, or the tate, or the
National elections, you recognize God and
appeal to Him for His blessing. There is q
power higher than the ballot box, than the
guberpatorial chair, than the presidential
White House. 1t is high time that We put
less confidence in political PLATFORM and
| more confidence in God. See what weak
thing is human foresight How little our
wise men seem TO know! See how. every
autumn. thousands of men who are Chamber
ing up for higher positions are turned under
God upsets them. Every man, every party.
every Nation, has mission to perform. Fail
ing to perform it, down he goes.
God said to the house OF Bourbon, "Re-
model France and establish equity" House
! of Bourbon would not do it. Down 1t went.
| God said to the house OF Stuart. MAKE the
| English people free, God fearing and happy
House OF Stuart would MOI do it. Down 1t
went. God says to the political parties in
this day, "by the principles OF Christianity,
remodel. govern, educate, save the people.
Failing to do that, down they 60, burying in
their ruins their disciples and advocates.
God can spare all the political int-Suers OF
this day, and can raise up another genera
ton wno shall do justice and love mercy
II God could spare Luther before tine re-
formation was done. and if He could spare
! Washington before Tree government had been
tully tested. and if Ha could spare Howard
before more than one out o. q thousand
| dungeons had been aIleyiated. and if H.
could spare Robert McCheyne Just as SEQ:
land was gathering to his burning utterances,
| and if He could spare Thomas Clarksor
] while yet millions Of his fellow men hac
chains rustinr to the hnna-fhan Hn nan