The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-07-23
4HE LACK OF RELIGION.
Municipal and Individual Cor
ruption Due to This, Says
Rev. Mr.. Biddle.

Rev. Arnley S. Biddle at the United Pres
byterian Church last night preached on cor
ruption in municipal and national Govern
ment. He said-
'sThe prophets of the Lord entered the
strongest d~enunciations against corruption
in the affairs of government. If a city was
built with blood, the most bitter woes
were p~ronounced; if it was a nation which
had been debauched by corrupt
rulers, the true servants of Jehovah
proclaimed the wrath of God against both
rulers and people. Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah
and other stern old prophets, in obedience to
Gods command, warn existing governments
of the doom that shall certainly befall them
if they continue their corrupt practices. Ii
these men were faithful it is certainly in
cumbent on all spiritual teachers of today to
faithfully warn our cities and our nation.
We should cry aloud and spare not, show my
people their transgressions and the house of
Jacob their sims.
THAT there has been a vast amount of
corruption, especially in municipal affairs,
has beer in a sense known for a long time,
but of Il te the cover has been practically re-
moved from the witches caldron and we
have been allowed 80 gaze into the loath-
some mixture. The guardians of the peace
protecting crime for a reward and refusing
to allow men to pursue an honest calling
without paying tribute so as to escape
ANNOYANCE; vice Haunting itself brazenly
in the streets because it knows it has
a pull with the Judge, and even the
Judge a partakef IN the profits OF the
offender arraigned at the bar; Legislatures
doing the bidding, not of the people who
elected them nor of the GOO who created
them, but of the moneyed power that bought
them; those who administer the law winking
at all manner of wrong doing. What is the
cause of it all! An eloquent pulpit orator,
now dead, claimed that there were cycles of
disease, and that we must expectt these things
to reeur; also that when a nation is being
elevated by civilization bad is aroused and
quickened as we'll as the good.
A NATION LIK A MAN.
sit is true that a nation is much like a
man, hut any one knows hat an attempt to
strengthen any mans moral nature does not
necessarily arouse the vicious part into ac-
ton. In fact, the way to control the lower
part of mans nature is to strengthen the
nobler, otherwise it would be better never to
attempt to elevate either a man or a nation.
THE corruption of New York city that
was allowed full sway in the time of Tweed
wa looked upon by some as the outgrowth
of the lowering of the public conscience
through slavery and civil war; but we have
neither slavery nor a civil wal and yet i'm
provement. We notice several causes lead
ing to this corrupt state of affairs.
sJncorrect ideas in regard to the manner
of living, SO much p~retense and worldly dis
play, living far beyond our income, trying
to convince others that the salary is larger
than it is-the new income tax laws may put
a stop to that nonsense; closing up the front
blinds to make the %neighbors think we are
in Saratoga or Newport; taking a $40 round
trip stearage passage to convince others that
we have been to Europe; low views in regard
to public property; a railroad clerk appro-
nria tin~ T1apaf and StamnS and aypUSlD0
himself with the assertion. 1t does not mat
ters it belongs to the company city en-
ployes wasting time and money and saying,
1T is no ma ter, it belongs to the city They
will lie anu cheat in politics or in handling
public property who would be afraid to do
such things in private affairs.
Then there is lack of healthful parental
Influence. Parents boast in the presence of
their thildren in regard to former sharp
tricks OF refuse to punish wrong-dolng.
Some professionally moral parents are train
ing their children to become ~scoundrels, and
again, double dealing in business. Taking
advantage of the ignorance of others. The
root of the whole matter lies in the fact that
God is kept out Of consideration
What is the remedy? 1t is not enough
to Join in a spasmodic hue and cry Turn the
rascals out It was the cry when the Re-
publicans were turned out of the control of
the National Government. 1t was the cry
When DHo DollOcTdUS NeI0 pun ouo u Uu0 CuLi-
troll of this city and county, and gave us a
Wanser, a Simpson and a Toffey. Notable
victories for reform, from Cleveland down,
and yet how much better off are the people?
CHURCH oUL BE AWAKE,
"The Church, with its spiritual teachers,
should be active and untiring in its opposi-
ton to public corruption. but should never
allow itself to become the tail to any political
kite. Let every parent inculeate the prinei-
pies of integrity, SO that a generation may
arise that will Know God. Let municipal
government be separated from State and
National Government SO far as possible.
and let these municipal governments be
managed on a purely business method. Let
the authority of God and his government be
recognized, that we should do right because
it pays. With hearts true to God and man,
all governments will be IN unmixed blessing
to men,