The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-11-23

FFIWFIWW ana IEHITH-
litical meetings cost money, but he who puts
a bribe into the hand OF 4 voter or plies weak
men with mercenary and corrupt motives
commits a sin against God and the Nation.
Bribery is one OF the most appalling sins
OF this country. Coz says, "Hlre snail con
sumo the taDernacles OF bribery. Have
nothing to do with such sin, o Christian
man! Fling it from the ballot box. Hand
over to the police the man wao attempts to
tanner with your vote, ana remember that
elections that cannot be carried without
brides ought never 10 be carried at all.
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 eau
afford to 90 into political life who is not
teototaler. 3tpo'it,cal discussion somehow
creates an unnatural thirst, IN hundreds OF
thousands OF men have gone down into
drunkenness through political life.
Afte3 an exciting canvass through the
evening you must "tace something" and
rising in the morning with less animation
than usual you must take something. ans
going off among your comrades through the
forenoon you meet political friends, and You
must "take something" and in the afternoon
you meet other political friends, ant you
must take something, and being night has
come something has taken you. There are
but few cases whore men have been able to
stand up against the designations Of political
life.
Joseph was politician, but he maintainel
his integrity. Daniel was a politician. bat
he was a teetotaler TO the las. Abraham
was politician. but he was always cbarac-
terized az the father OF the faithful. Moses
was a politician the grandest of them. but
he honored God more than he did the Phar-
aohs, ard there are hundreds of Christian
men now in the political parties maintaining
their integrity even when they are Obliged
to stand amid the blasted. lacherous AMI
loathsome crew that sometimes surround the
ballot boX-these Christian men doing their
political duty and then 60 ming back to the
prayer meetings and Christian circles as pure
as when they went out. Bat that IS not the
ordinary crcumstance-tha is the excep'
ton.
How often you see men coming back from
the political conflict, and theireyeis glaze I,
and their cheek has an unnatural tlu5h, ant
they talk louder than they usually do, and at
the least provocation they will bet, and you
say they are conyiyial or they are exceed
ingly vivaclous, or you apply some other
sweet name to them, but God knows they arc
drunk Some of you, 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 a 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. He
was able to stand out against the whole
American Senate God had given him fac
ulties enough TO govern kingdom, or TO
frame a constitution. His voice was terri
bic to his country's enemies and a 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 a 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 the world was robbed of one of It's
mightiest intelects. and our country OF one
OF its abest constitutional defenders was the
dissipation OF political life. You want to
know who | mean? Young man, ask your
father when you get home. The adverse tide
is fearful, and warn you against it.
You need not go far off to find the worn
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 vino accosts
him. His last decent article of apparel
pawned for strong drink. Glad if, when go
ing by a grocery, some low acquaintance in
yites him in to take sip OF ale and then
wiping his lip with his greasy sleeve.
Kicked off the steps by men who once were
proud to be his constituents. Manhood OBJ
liberated Lip bistered with curse. Sears
OF brutal assault on cheek and brow. Foul
mouthed. crouchng, staggering. wheez-
ing wretch. No friends No God. No hope
No heaven.
That is your wornout politician That is
what some OF you will become unless 10y this
mornings warning and the mercy OF Col
your steps are arrested On. there are no
words enough potent, enough portentious.
enough consuming. enough damning TO de-
cf,pik fha a 1t,l~a hat l.,e
rolled over this land, and that has bent down
! the neck5 of some OF the mightiest intellects,
until they have been compelled to drink out
OF the trough of besriality and abominatlon
l warn young men against political life, un-
| less they are teetotalers and eonsecratJj
Christian men.
Again, counsel you that when you 20 to
1 the ballot box at the city, or the State or the
/ National elections, YOU recognize God aud
/ appeal to Him for His blessing. There is a
1 power higher than the ballot box. than the
/ gubernatorial chair than the presidential
White House. 1t is high time that we put
/ less confidence in political platforms and
more confidence in God. See what weak
! thing is human foresight How little our
/ wise men seem to know See now, every
I autumn, Thousands OF men who are Chamber
F., ing up Tor higher positions are turned under |!
4 God upsets them. Every man, every party
/ every Nation, has mission to perform FAN.
ing to perform it, down he goes
/ Cod said to the house OF Bourbon. Re
model France and establish equity" House
! of Bourbon would not do it, Down il went
God said to the house OF Stuart make the
| English people free, God fearing and happy. "
! House OF Stuart would not do it. Down it
went. God says to the political parties in
| this day, 10y the principles OF Christianity,
| remodel, govern, educate, save the people -
! Failing 10 do that, down they go, buryng in
/ their ruins their disciples and advocates.
God can spare all the political intriguers OF
this day, and can raise up another genera
ton VINO snail do justice and love mercy.
II God could spare Luther before the re-
formation was done, and il He could spare
Washington before tree government had been
iR!iy tested, and ii He could spare Howard
L-.o-e more than one out of thousand
dungeons had been alleyiated. and il He
could spare Robert McCheyne lust as Scot