Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-06-02


tor Emanuel King ofUnited Italy, while
the echo of the silenced guns of Sebas-
topol and Balaklava, Lucknow aud
Cawpore are heard in the distance
like muttering thunder. Prussia and
Austria next stride upon the stage and
grapple in the %sanguinary and terribly
decisive battle of Sadowa, which placed
Prussia at the head of the German
States and Bismark at the head OF
European statesmen.
need not place upon the stage be-
fore this audience our own dread Re-
bellion. Living as most of you have
for over a third Of a century upon the
border line. you need no actors to
mimic o. intone its horrors. AS long
as the old veterans live, the bones of
the loved one bleaching upon more
than a hundred battlefields, and rest
ing in all the cemeteries Of the land
will not be forgotten. May they, to-
gether with those in gray who were
aforetime their brothers, sleep on in
peace, and may the iron hoof Of war
never bruise our sod again.
And now what is our Present and
Future? The soul life of the Nation
needs support. The trophies of our
advancing, triumphant, material civ
ilization has its dangers. What is
needed is a spiritual civilization un-
DERIVING, pervading and electrifying
the Material, until all rebellious Titans
have been subdued and the knowledge
of the Lord becomes universal. 1t will
be the struggle OF the next century to
accomplish this.
If have studied the lessons of the
past Alright, l am impressed with the
sense of our obligation 10 God, the
Ruler and Disposer of Events. We
must look the full-orbed rising sun o
duty in the eye, and awake to a day
of broader activities, greater sacrifices,
nobler efforts, and more of the Sermon.
on-the-Mount style of living.
If wars thunders are to die out il
the future then God wants men OF
peace in the coming age. If science
and invention are to go on with their
discoveries. then only men of thought
and knowledge will be fitted for the
future. If the humane and gentle are
to gain more and more ascendancy
over the brutal and the cruel, then
hereafter Philanthropists will become
leaders and rulers. If selfgovern-
ment is to succeed, then for the future
demagogues and self-nominated poll.
~ticians ito the rear" and men Of hon
esty, justice and magnanimity ito the
front" Hearth is to rise toward heaven
and man climb toward God then in
the future men will be in demand on
ly in proportion as they are true to
Gods Fa~therhood and Mans Brether-
hood.
The illumination now rising on the
world cannot be quenched by any
darkness. No ascending fog from the
shadows Of party bigotry car put out
the sun OF truth.
Our greatest danger as a nation
arises from a misuse of our great ma
terial blessings. Our wealth must be
dedicated in the name Of Christ to
Christian uses. The ideal OF the new
Testament is not selfcrucifixion but
selfcontrol. Faithful stewardship in
the handling Of national affairs will
secure prosperity. Our destiny is in
the hands of Him who is looking for
a loyal church, which shall subdue
this great country in all its forces and
with all its treasures and run up the
standard OF the Christ. with his ser
mon on the Mount written upon its
folds over all its mountains and wales.
Not only our church life but our
political life is in desperate need Of
repairs. For years past the better
classes of citizens have retreated from
the political afena and our politics
have been in the hands of a lot Of
hungry adventures, carpet-baggers,
cranks and pa~rtisans. The ballots
which good and bad men alike have
had to carry to the polls are too often
prepared by a set Of men whom no
prudent business man would think Of
trusting with his property OF bust
ness for even thirty minutes. Too Of
ten the Caucus is managed to defraud
the people of their honest choice, and
demagogues who are only after the
political spoils turn our popular con-
ventions into mere places Of intrigue,
and statesmen who otherwise would
be the peoples choice are turned down
and r~ascals or nobodies become the
choice of the people. Hence the rot
tenness of the whole system. / say
nothing Of the methods by which
votes are made, but five hundred dol
lars is too often sufficient to turn the
tide in an ordinary municipal cleo
ton. w must have our best and most
influential citizens take part in form-
ing the sentiment that is to predomi
nate at the polls.
Some people say Don't mix rclig-
ion with politics" When you hear
a man say that just remember that he
has no religion to mix. A little re-
1igion mixed with politics would make
it clean. Nations are not Graded
and reared to maturity to scorn the
weak or Cypress the poor IF they fail
to provide for the oppressed they are
doomed. Our hopes for the future
must centre in the church.
If we can succeed in giving to OUT
entire population, native and foreign,
q proper education. so as to develop
the entire man, physical. moral and