Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-12-05

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Again, the horses and chariots Of God
came to the rescue Of this nation In 1876,
ut the close of a presidential election fn-
NOUS for ierOcity. A darker cloud yet set
tied down upon this nation. The result
of the election was in dispute, and rcvolu-
tion, not between two or three sections,
but revolution In every town and village
and city OF the United States seemed i'm
lnncnt. The prospect WAS that New York
would throttle New York and New Or
leans would grip New Orleans, and Boston
Boston, and savannah savannah and
Washington Washington. some said Mr..
TildCn was elected. others said Mr.. Hayes
was elected, and how near we came to
universal massacre some Of us guessed,
hut God only knew. | ascribc our escape
not To the honesty and righteousness OF
infuriated politicians, but ! ascribe 1t to
the upper forces of the text.
God the Friend of the Nation.
Chariots Of morcy rolled in, and though
the wheels werc not heard. and the flash
was not seen, yet all through the noun
tains Of the north, and the south, md the
cast, and the west. though the huOfS did
not clattcr, the cavalry of God gnllopcd
by. tell you tod Is The friend Of this
massacre Of Lincoln. when there was u
prospect chat greater slaughter would open
upon this nation, God hushed the tempest
In tho awful excitement at tho time Of
Gariiold's assassination God put his foot
ON the neck of the cyclone. To prove God
is on the side of this nation argue from
the last eight or nine great national har-
vests and from the national health Of the
last quarter OF century, cpidemics very
exceptional, and from tho great rcvivnls uf
religion, and from the spreading of the
church of q I'd, and from the continent
b!OSsuming with asylums and reformatory
institutions and from an EdGnizntion
which promises that this whole land Is to
be Il paradise. where God shall walk
am encouraged more that ! can tell
you as | soc the regiments wheeling down
the sky and my JCremiads turn into dOx
OlogiCs, and that which was the Good Fri
day IF the nations crucitiXion becomes
the Easter morn of its resurrection. OF
course God works through human instru-
mentalities, aud this national bcttcrmcnt
is TO come among other things through u
scrutiuized ballot box. BY the law of reg
istratiCn 1t Is almost impossible now TO
have illegal citing. There was "A time
you and ] remember it very well-whGn
droVes Of Vagabonds wandered mp and
down on ele' ion day, and from poll 10
poll. and yutei here and voted there and
voted everywhere, and there was no chal-
lenge, or If there Were, il amounted to
nothing, because nothing could so sudden
~ be proved upon the vagabunds Now
in every well organized neighborhood every
voter is watched with sevcrcst scrutiny.
II ! am in region where | am allowed .
vote. | must tel the registrar my name,
and how cid ! am, and how long | have
resided in the state ana how long ] have
resided in the ward or tho township, and
II | misreprcsent 80 witnesses will rise and
shut IN. out from the ballot box. Is not
THAI great advance And then notice
the law that prohibits "a man voting if he
has bet on the election. step farther
needs to be taken and that man forbidden
vote who has offered or tahou bribe,
whether it bo in the shape of free drink
or cash paid down, the suspicious cases
obliged to put their hand on the Bible auC
swear their vote in if they vote at all. So
through the sacred chest of our nations
suffrage redemption will come.
Wash o, Your Eyes.
God will save this nation through aI
aroused moral sentiment. There has ncvcl
been so much discussion of morals ant
immorais Men, whether or net they ac
knowledge what is right have to thi"l
what il right. We have men who hay,
had their hands in the public treasury In,
most oI their lifetime stealing all tho,
could lay thoir hands ON discoursing clio
Gucntly about dishonesty in public serv
ants. and men with two or three famile
nj thpir own pVpucbipg elpuurDt IL ubOtI
the beauties of the seventh commandment
Tho question of sobriety and drunkenness
is thrust III the face of this nation as ncve
before and takes a part in our poitica
contests. Tho question of national so
briefly is going to be respectfully and def
cren lally heard at tho bar of every leeis
laturc. and every house of representatives
ana every state senate. and an omnipoten
voice wiz ring down the skv and acros
this land and back again. saving to theS
rising tides Of drunkenness which threaten
10 wLclIn homo and church and milton
"Thus far shalt thou come. but no farther
and here shall thy prnud waves be staid
have rot in my mind n shadow of dis
hrartmenr as large AS the shadow of
house lv's wing Nv faith is in the uppe
forces the ,,ppcr armies of the text. Go,
j. not dead. The char!ots are not, I'M
wheeled II Won would only ur.y NOR
anG wash your eyes in tho cool, brigh
water fresh from the well Of Christian re
form. il would be said of YOU as of thi
one Of the text 1.-THE Lord opened the eve
of the Young man. ana he saw. and. be
r ,n 'aIt WIZ
Whon the nr,ny NJ Hn,i,,on,,. want int.