Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-10-20


state of public morals worse than be-
longs to any city now standing under
the sun. Yet how many think that all
that is necessary is to cultivate the
mind and advance the knowledge and
improve the arts. Have you the i'm
preston that eloquence viii do the
eleyating work? Why, Pompeii had
Cicero half of every year for its citizen.
Have YOU the idea that literature is all
that is necessary to keep the city
right? Why, Sallust, with a pen
that was the boast Of Roman l;tera-
ture, had a mansion in that doomed
city. Do you think that sculpture and
art are quite sufficient for the pro-
duction Of good morals? Then correct
your delusion by examining the statues
in the temple Of Mercury at Pompeii,
or the winged figures Of its Parthenon,
and the colonades ana arches Of this
house of Doomed. BE all means have
schools and Dusseldorf and DOre exhi-
billions, and galleries where the genius
of all the centuries can bank itself NJ
in snowy sculpture, and all bric-a
brac, and all pure art, but nothing,
make a city moral. In proportion as
churches and Bibles and Chlstia
printing presses and revivals Of religion
abound is Il city clean and pure. What
has buddhism or COnfucianism or Mo
hammedanism done in all the hundreds
of years of their progress for the eIeva-
ton of society? Absolutely nothing.
Pei1in and Madras and Cairo are Just
what thcv were ages ago, except us
Christianity has modified t.1eir condi,
ton. What is the difference between
our Brooklyn and their Pomneii? No
difference, except chat which Chris
tianity has wrought. Favor all good
art but take best care of yOui. churches,
and your Sabbath schools, and your
Bibles, ANA your family affairs.
Warned by the doom # other cities
that have persisted for their ru:1ianism,
or their cruelty. Or their idolatrH, or
their dis>olutgpess, let all our Amer
lean cities lead the right way. Our
only dependence is on God and Chris
tian Influences Politics will do moth
ing but make things worse Sead
politics to moralize and save a city
leproSy, or It carcass to relieve the air
of malodor. For what politics will tin
/ refer you TO the eight weeks Of stall
tification enacted ut Washington bv
our American senate. American poll
tics viii become u reformatory power
on the same day that pamdumoniun
becomes Il church. But there are
am glad to say, benign and salHtary
and gracious influences organized in
all our cities which will yet take them
for God and righteousness. Let us
ply the Gospel machinery t.
its utmost speed and power
City evangelization is the thought A.
customcd as are religious pessimiSts to
dwell upon statistics Of evil and delo1.-
Gus facts we want some one with sane
titled heart and good digestion to put
in long lin" the statistics Of natures
TRANSFORMED and pro1igacies ball1ed.
and souls ransomed, and cities
redeemed. Give rs pictures of
churches, Of schools, Of reforma-
tory associations, Of asylums of
mercy. Break in upon the Misereras
Of complaint and despondencv with Te
DeumS and .Iubilates of moral and re-
ligious victory Show that the dav is
coming when a great tidal wave of sal
walton will roll over all our cities
Show how Pompeii buried will become
Pompem resurrectcd. Demonstrate the
fact that there are millions of
good men and welnen who will give
themselves no rest day nor night
at hot Of
of the buried cities of Italy shall take
type from the New Jerusalem coming
down from God out of Heaven. / hail
the advancing morn. | make the same
procla nation to-day that Gideon made
to the ShiverinG towards of his army:
whatsoever is fearful and afraid,
let him return and depart early
from Mount Gilead." Close up the
ranks Llft the Gospel standard. For
ward into this Armageddon that is now
opening and let the word run all along
the line: Brooklyn for God! All our
cities for God. America for God, The
whole world for cod, The most of
us here gathered, though born in the
country. Will die in town. Shall our
last walk be through the streets where
sobriety and good order dominate, or
grog-shops stencil the air? Shall our
last'look be upon city halls where Jus
tice reigns, or demagogues plot for the
stuffing of ballot-boXeS? Shall we sit
for the last time in some church where
God is worshiped with the contrite
heart, or where cold Journalism goes
through unmeaning genutiexions. God
save the cities. Righteousness is life,
iniquitv is death. Remember pic
turesque, terraced, tempted, sculp
tured, boastful, Goddefying and en-
tombed Pompeii!