Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-11-10

of this country. God says, ''Fire shall con-
sumo the tabernacles 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 who attempts to
tamper with your vote, and remember that
elections that cannot be carried without
brides ought never to 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 can
afford to go into political life who is not a
teetotaler. Hot political discussion somehow
creates an unnatural thirst aud hundreds OF
thousands OF men have gone down into
drunkenness through political life.
After an exciting canvass through the
evening you must take something and
rising in the morning with less animation
than usual you must take something" and
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, 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 designations OF political
life.
Joseph was politician. but he maintained
his integrity. Daniel was politician. but
he was teetotaler to the las. Abraham
was politician, but he was always charac-
terized as the father Of the faithful. Moses
was a 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 and
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 convivial. or they are exceed
ingly vivacious, or you apply some other
sweet name to them, but God knows they are
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 l
lQl0k Oh O0S WHO cdule rum lhc MOSl ilO
was able to stand out against the whole
American Senate. God had given him fac
ulties enough 10 govern a kingdom. or TO
frame a constitution. His voice was terri
BILE t. his country's enemies and n mighty in
SEPARATION in the day Of National peril. But
twenty glasses OF strong drink 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 its
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
father when you get home. The adverse tide
is fearful. and | warn you against 1t.
You need not go far off to find the worm
out politician. Here he is, stumbling along
the highway, his limbs hardly able TO hold
him up. Bent over and pale with exhaust
inc sickness. Surly to anybody who accosts
him. His last decent article OF apparel
pawned for strong drink. Glad if, 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
DTOu0 10 De MS 4hduADOA pH-
liberated. Lip bistercd with a curse. Sears
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. Oh 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 abomination!
| warn Young men against political life, un-
less they are teetotaler5 and consecrated
Christian men.
Again, counsel you that when you 20 to
the ballot box at the city. or the state, or the
National elections. you recognize God and
appeal TO Him for His blessing. There is a
power higher than the ballot box, than the
gubernatOrial chair, than the presidential
White House II 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 how. every
autumn, thousands Of men who are Chamber
Ing uIl ltI ulEufi HpoltibAAo AAA ANNA N'A--
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. ne
model France and establish equity" House
of Bourbon would not do it, Down It went
God said to the house OF Stuart. Make the
English people free. God fearing and happy.
House OF Stuart would not do 1t. Down II
went. God says to the political parties IN
this day, 'by the principles OF Christianity.
remodel. govern, educate save the people.
Failinrto do that down they go. burying IN
their ruins their disciples and advocates.
God can spare all the political intrlguers Of
this DAY, and can raise up another genera
tion who shall do Justice and love mercy.
II God could spare Luther before the re-
formation was done, and if He could spare
Washington before free government had been
fully tested. and If He could spare Howard
before more than one out OF thousand
dungeons had been alleviated, and If Hd
could spare Robert McCheyne Just as Scot
land was gathering to his burning utterances,
and if He could spare Thomas Clarkson
while vet millions of his fellow men had
chains rusting to the bOne-then He can
spare any man. and He can spare any party.
That man who through cowardice or blind
idolatry OF party forsaSes the cause Of righte-
BUSINESS goes down. and the armed 0attalions
/ OF God march over him.
o Christian men, take out your Bible this
afternoon, and in the light OF that word
make up your mind as to what is your
| duty as citizens Remember that the high
est kind OF patriot is a Christian patriot.
| Consecrate yourselves, first to Got, then
YOU will know how to cOnsecrate yourselves
| TO your country. All these political excite
ments will be gone. Ballot boxes and gu
! bernatorial chairs and continents will smoke
| In the final conflagration, but those who
love God and do their best shall come to
! lustrous dominion after the stars have
ceased their shining. and the ocean has
heaved its last billow, and the closing
! thunder OF tho judgment day shall toll at
| the funeral of world oh, prepare for
! that day.
You may vote right aud get the victory at
the ballot box, and yet suffer eternal defeat.
After you have cast your last vote where will
YOU 90 to? In this country there are two
parties. You belong to the one or the Other
OF them. Likewise in eternity there will be
two parties and only two. "These shall 60
away into everlasting punishment and the
righteous into life eternal" To which party
will you belong? God grant that, while you
look after the welfare OF the land in which
God has graciously cast your lot, you may
not forget to look after your soul-blooc
bought, judgment bound, immortab Goo