The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-10-12

and administer to government. While
inal classes organize, occupy che field aud
work 1t for all it Is worth.
"Mr. Andrew y. White remarks with
fearlessness and candor, Without the
slightest evaporation we may assert
that, with few exceptions, the city govern
ments of the United States are the worst
In Christendom-the most expensive, the
most inefficient and the most corrupt
People tell us that America is 10 set the
fashions for the earth. God forbid that
such u calamity should fall upon this
poor world. Let them 60 TO heather
nations for their models, but may a kind
Providence keep them ava from Amer
lea. Now for all these seathing mass OF
corruption l hold the Christian people OF
this country largely responsible. The
sins of omission are as great and prolific
of evil as the politicians sins OF commits
| siou.
I'VE allow them to do all these things.
for good people are in the majority III
every community. aud they might assert
themselves II they would. We are get
ting exactly what we deserve, for all
these vlllainous forms of government are
the direct products of our negligence and
lack of conscience"
Rev. DR.. Scudder here spoke OF the
indifference of Christian people to mat
tiers political. and told why he believed
they made pool citizens. Continuing he
said:
NJ o POLITICAL EVILS.
what is the remedy for the political
evils Of our day2 What shall we do with
politics which in its present condi-
ton reminds us of the man who went
down from Jerusalem TO Jericho and
fell among thieves. We Priests and
levites aud plous people generally have
looked at him, pitied him. and then
passed by, having done nothing in a prac-
tical way TO recover him to health aud
strength. Now what eau we do? l wish
l a time before announcing the remedy
for existing political evils TO show the
reflex influence upon our neglig encs
i upon the church of God, and the manner
III which we are being punished; how the
church has lost cast aud incurred the
contempt of vigorous men who wish to
bring about reform, but who believe the
Church has lost its Vitality and leadership
aud are looking to secular organisations
to Carry out there ends; how thus we are
losing good material for church member
ship, aud how on the other hand the
c~orrupting Influences of the saloon n
other pestlferous places which we allow
to exist, are undermining our churches by
drawing our young men away from them
and encouraging them to lives OF sin and
shame. 1t is a heinous fact that vice and
crime are on the Increase. and the latest
statistics show that the churches of
America are not growing In proportion
to the advance OF population. In other
words the power of darkness is becoming
stronger aud stronger, while the churc
of God is growing weaker. This is 3
shocking state OF AFT airs, buS we might
as well fall the fact. There is
no sense in playing the ostrich
and hiding our heads in the sand. II we
ignore the claims of patriotism. the in
stinct of self-perservation should lead US
20 D1a - - IN II raan fhn annmU INIT III rh Rho
battles of righteousness with a will. But
/ cannot stop to enlarge upon this i'm
portant point. Let US pass at once TO the
remedy of these political evils in which
every Chr istian has a right 10 be doubtly
interested. This. remedy, in my jndg-
ment, is two fold. FIRST There must
be a revival of patriotism. and every
individual citizen must become a prac-
teal politician in the good sense OF that
term. In a republic every man is a ruler
and every man should both understand
his business and be deeply 40 sorbsd in it.
For a citizen of these glorious United
States 10 take no active part In politics
and allow the dregs Of society to control
the government is nothing short of a
crime; and her Christians who pretend
to love God anu their country IL is u
double disgrace. WHAT we need is more
of the spirit of the New England deacon
who prayed Lord give Us grace co know
thy will and grit to do it, We need to
refterate and emphasize aud amplify the
thought nat an Indifferent citizen Is IA
ridiculous Christian, or rather that he is
not a Christian at all, that he is a con-
scious or unconscious humbug. having a
name to live while he is dead. To be- a
good citizen necessitates self-sacriice. II
means the expenditure of time, ia Dor and
money in behalf of native land. o, for
some mighty prophet to infame our easy
going people with q sense OF their duty
and the grandeur of self-sacriice. All we
called upon to do is to maintain a high
grade of civilization they inaugurated.
ANY sacrifice that we may make is trivial
indeed compared with those moral heroes.
All we are asked TO do is to register ana
vote. TO attend the primaries and the
party caucus, to nominate good men and
then elect them. There's no blood iu all
this; this requires only n modicum of
patriotism and self-sacrih e. Auy man
who is unwilling to do rs little as this for
his country, is not fit to breathe the free
air of this country.
But there is one more element of
equal or still greater Importance. and
that is the uniication of the moral ele-
meDts in the committee work. To Do
l1tical conservation we must add the
principle OF cooperation. good people
should not scatter their votes among
~contendlug candidates. They should
concentrate their efforts. They should
organize ana be as systematic In their
endeavors to gain control. as are the
enemies of righteousness, for this only
will they win. 1t is u Significant fact in
the realm of politics that bad men or.
ganiZe and cooperate to attain their
ends, but that good people do NOT, md
here again the children Of this world are
wiser thar the children OF light.
why Is it that the Liquor Dealers
Association is such a power In this
country; that 1t can make demands to
obtain recognition from both Republican
and Democratic parties? 1t is because
the saloon keepers are orgauizsa and
work shoulder to shoulder. Be-
cause they act as one man in thu
political campaigns ald secure every
vote they can Tor such candidates as
will favor the rum selling business; be-
cause they place the liquor interests
first and party second, and make every
thing bend TO the neidea; because they
hold a certain balance of power and eau
mske either party go down on its knees
in order to secure its patronage.
NOW why cannot Christian people DO