The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-07-11
THE TYPE OF PATRIOT
ISM NEEDED IN 1896.
ElktOn Presbyterian Church on
July 5th, by Rev. John
McElmOyle.

Unuer lnt ABOVE ute, tne LEV. JOhn Nc
Elmoyle preached n sermon in the Presby-
terian Church last Sunday morning, sug-
yested by the Fourth, in which he dealt with
public questions. His text was 1st Chronicles
13: 32. Men that had understanding of the
times, to know what Israel ought to do"
After a brief comparison of the needs of 1776
and 1896 he announced his topic. In eabo-
rating this theme, he argued that the patriot
for the time should understand and insist
, upon the right ideal of government, both in
its nature and purpose. "The powers that
be are ordained of God" Government is for
the encouragement of the good. and terror
to evildoers. An intelligent, conscientious
and Christian citizenship was also n most
important element of the patriotism for ex-
istent eXigencies. This, the only effective
antidote to slavish party subservience. the
sole salvation from the prevalent poitica
serGdom. which makes voters the dice of po-
litical gamblers, who play politics 10 plunder
! the community. This, the only preventive
of that insolent and aggressive bossism.
which transforms the political conventions of
free, sovereign and Independent American
| citizens into IL piece of mechanism to ratify
nominations already boss made, under the
| limsy pretense that they are the result of
| their calm and intelligent deliberation. That
will demand II discharge of official duty, un-
| influenced by the adverse criticism or vote of
the knave, or the cowardly fears OF the weak
knced friend. That will sternly rebuke the
| political philosophy, that in the interest of
corruption. would divorce politics absolutely
| from the Ten Commandments and the Sermon
on the Mount. Such citizenship would
| rigidly appraise the pretensions Cf dema-
gogues, and the vagares of cranks: and re-
| tire them on the dUuble-quick to their own
| place Were this ideal dominant in our land
| today, the convention of one great party
would not he. as it seems to be. under the
control Of man whose sympathies are with
anarchists, and whom Herr Most auds as the
greatest statesman of the age and nation
Nor would the offices of holy religion, as in
the convention of the other great party at
st. Louis, be played as pawn on the politi-
cal chesshoard, as it might offend the Roman
ist to have a Protestant chaplain. and alien
ate the Protestant We're a Romanist invited
to invoke tho benedirtion of Heaven. Clever
trick, The Jewish Rabbi is called in to avoid
the dilemma, No objection to the Rabbi as
such as chaplain. We do object in a land
that our Supreme Court has declared to he a
Christian nation. in nation founded upon
the Bible and Christian principles. to have
religion made Il card to be played in the
game Of peanut politics. Should Governor
Altgeld invite his friend Herr Most to pray
to the anarchists Deity at Chicago, it would
be hut IL fitting parallel.
The patriotism needed today demands
revival Of craftsmanship. We have polti-
clans, plenty. The statcsman-men under
standing the times and knowing what ought
to be done-men fearing God and hating
covetuousness. men in whose known wisdom
and integrity the nation has conference.-the
statesmen are not in sight. Line them up
our politicians. alongside of Washington
and it at once becomes apparent that it is not
only Il misnomer, but a mockerv to call them
statesmen. The reason of the dearth is not
hard to find. The great economic law Of
supply and demand explains it, Like pee
pie, like rulers Statesmanship involve.
brains, study, application, broad investign-
ton, grasp of principles, unselfsh loyalty to
principle and country. If the people are
satisfied with trickster a man of eypedi-
ents, ward hummer or demagogue. what's
the use to attempt to 90 beyond what will
meet the demand Bad blood will show itself
in the blotch the boil, the carbuncle. Bad
blood in tbn hply
well. What's the boss, but the carbunce:
the boil on the body polite, indicating bad
blood, and 1896 patriotism is the surgeon
needed to let it out
Finally, snch patriotism will demand and
secure the enforcement of law. We have
some bad laws, some mOnstrous laws. We
need some new and better laws. But until
we get them let us enforce what we have.
We need mayors and commissioners. police
men and constabes. sherifls and prosecuting
attorneys. not to argue about the law. criti-
| else the law, but with courage and backbone
enough to be true to their oaths and execute
the laws. 1t is simply Il shame that citizens.
who have paid for the maintenance of official
executive machinery, should be compelled to
form law and order leagues and put their
hands in their pockets another time. when
ever they desire crime punished or the law
enforced | am aware, indeed, of the special
embarrassments that press upon my friend
and brother there-our States Attorney-and
those oathbound to execute the laws in our
county. We have a local option law that
the sovereign citizens of Cecil county put
upon the statute book. Our Governor who.
last fall, previous to the election sent to me-
as suppose to every clergyman in the State,
his personal letter posing as reformer and
soliciting influence and votes, because he
stood for needed reforms, who was subse-
quently elected upon that platform by the
self-respecting and law-respecting iadepend-
ent voter-our reform Governor, notwith,
standing that the man was notorlously
guilty, was fairly tried by an impartial Jury,
under the direction OF an impartial court and
found guilty; Notwithstanding the earnest
and solemn protests entered by the States
Attorney and many other reputable citizens,
has by the unrighteous exercise of his par
doning power, set at nought the law and
freed the arch -violator. He has thereby
served notice upon the judges, the juries, the
prosecutor, and the friends of the local op-