The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1895-08-24
Rev. Johnson Speaks.

schemIng early and late to fasten THEN
grip upon the public purse and empty
its contents into their own store, while
the people at large have been too busy
with honest toll for the support of their
families and the welfare of the city to
stop and ferret out the iniquities of the
gang. | suppose in one sense We have
been to blame. We have been too
credulous; we have not been quick to
brand these men as thieves or even to
think Of them as such. We have been
long suffering and have borne patiently
these long-growing wrongs; but it seems
now as II the time had come when the
day OF dellyerance was about to dawn:
hen the reign of the rascal in county
and city politics was nearing its end
whey we could cease blushing because
the name of our fair city was trailed in
filth of blunder
Il say, we seem to be. For one thing
that might cause tears is the change of
front that Is SO quickly taken by those
who had Promised support. Not many
moons ago one Of our news papers was
protuse IN It's statements OF evils which
were existing and which it referred eX-
listed by virtue of money paid over for
the privilege of law breaking; but now
when apparently the battle is being
pushed to the gate and the offenders
were getting white around the gills,
then the efforts to purify are sought to
be laughed out of court by a cartoon
which hints that these efforts at reform
are talking through a hat" How
ever, it may be that before we get
through We shall show that we are not
talking through our mouths alone, but
that We are hitting right out from the
shoulder and some scalaWag is getting
the worst of the encounter.
Then it would not surprise me if
some one should get mad because the
ministers of the gospel are entering
politics, But, friends, this message Of
mine is the gospel of God applied in it's
cardinal principles of righteousness to
the life Of this city. The gospel is for
men as well as for man; is for the
world as well as for an individual. And
Its message is to make this world a bet
ter place to live in, as we'll az man bet
ter fellow to live in the world.
Preach the gospel! well, inst hon
esty part of the gospel? Wasn't it
gospel that the pulpit preached when
this land shook with the vehemence of
the preachers against slavery? Wasn't
1t gospel that Christ declared when he
said Take heed and beware of covet-
business" and when he denounced the
priests and pharisees for the sin of
binding burdens on the backs of the
people which made them swagger as
they bore them?
Wasn't it the gospel? Well, here's
a case where the citizens have been de-
frauded right and left by corrupt otiic-
ials; where contracts for city labor have
been let only after aldermen have been
paid sums of money to attend regular
council meetings to vote on the con-
tract-that 1s, no money, no vote.
Where the city has been compelled to
hobnob with prostitutes, to stand rs the
funny man of the bangnio and to be
the defender of tho ~-c-~-r'-
when some of US felt that this thing
has gone long enough and propose to
make a vigorous protest and insist on a
change for the better we are accused of
81 -, ], u.
we ought to preach the gospel. But
the gospel in which | believe stands in
the forefront of those who would re-
dress the social wrongs existing in our
midst; is gospel which not only
breaches personal repentance for per-
sonal sins, but the national redress of
national wrongs. | preach that he who
violates the law of honesty or the stat
utes of the state by scheming or trick
ing or by the use of official position for
personal gain shouic eXpiate his sin in
prison just the same as he who by EN-
bezzlement, or forgery, or at the muz-
known as the property rights of citizen
ship, be he mayor, or alderman, or
clerk, or sheriff, or overseer, or state
attorney, or policeman, or whatsoever
he may be.
1T is told of Lord Nelson, England's
greatest admiral, that at the siege of
Copenhagen, being under orders, the
admiral commanding the fleet sent up
the signal to withdraw from the attack.
The signal reported the fact to Nelson.
Now some years before this Nelson had
lost an eye in navel engagement. SO,
when the signalman reported the order
Nelson ciapped the spy-gIass to his
blind eye and said: "Signal. | see no
signal. Keep on firing" Now it all
depends which eye the grand jury will
use in its coming investigation. 1t may
may look out of its blind eye and re-
port it sees nothing, or it may look and
see and strike the first blow Of our de
liyerance from the wrongs under which
we have been laboring; and it may be
that if all of Us do our duty between
now and Tuesday we may help to open
the bIlnu eye OF TINS examining DOdy
about to assemble, that is, if it is
troubled with this malformation. Let
the grand jury understand that We ex-
pect them to be loyal and fearless and
Just in their examination to which they
have been called. 1t is the smallest
thing that the grand jury can be ex-
pected to do that with diligence, with
due regard to the claims of long stuff
cring public they make fair and hon
/ est enquiry into the actions of every
I county officer whose official conduct il
open to suspicion, and where wrong is
shown to have existed, to prepare true
4 bills IF Indictment against such and let
them be pilioried for their crime.
1T might as we'll be said in the plain
est kind of way that if half o
What o,pcorS on tho S1rtaca iS trun ~ !,