The San Francisco call., 1896-11-02
ELECTION DUTIES
ARE PO|NT TED OUT
"Good Citizenship" Was
the Theme of Many
Preachers.
Words of Advice Spoken to Con.
gregations of the
City.
WHAT THE NATION DEMANDS.
Dangers to the Republic Should Be
Faced by Conscientious
Voters.

In many puIpits of the City sermons
were delivered on subjects connected with
the elections. AS far as practicable the
question of ''good citizenship" was dis
cussed in the different pulpits.
Rev. W. D. Williams, DID,, preached on
"The Bitterness and Hopefulness OF Pres
ent Politics" in the Plymouth Congrega-
tionsl Church,
He declared that the present crisis
is the result of much that had gone before,
but yet there was hope. ELECTION by
selection shall be our duty in munici al
affairs" added Mr.. Williams.
I'VE believe in parties, yel in municipal
elections we desire very great latitude to
select, from the large number of nomina-
tions, candidates whom we know person.
ally or through others to be men noble
and true. Every citizen should regard
the duty of voting a sacred privilege.
never to be n elected. Election day
should be a National holiday, in order
that the greatest number possible should
have an uninterrupted opportunity to ap-
proach the polls"
The Rev. W. W. Case, DID,, spoke in
the Howard-street Methodist Church on
subjects bearing on the campaign. He
said that one danger to the Republic was
the heresy that ito the victors belong the
spoils," another that from money in cleo
tions.
1.-THE third danger" he said, ''lies in the
apathy of the good people. Thousands of
respectable people never go near the pri-
mary elections. When woman secures the
right to ballot she will not only go to the
primary elections, but will see that they
are held in respectable places. We shall
never have good government until good
and respectable men take deep and
permanent interest In primary elections.
Ignorance is the fourth danger. Large
numbers of voters cannot read their own
ballots, and have no idea of self-govern-
ment, yet their votes are the same in the
baIlot-box as those of any lawyer, physi-
clan or public teacher. Our country is in
grave peril on account of this frightfuI
condition in the large cities.
SAT the coming election the good citizen
will vote inteIligently, soberly, patriotic.
ally and honestly"
In the First Presbyterian Church Rev.
r. Mackenzie preached on Good Citizen
ship" In the course of his sermon he
said: 1t takes just such campaign as
this and such issues as are now in Ques.
tion to show some of US that the whole
duties of citizenship do not consist in col
lecting interest and in receipting for divi.
dends. 1t takes such a campaign as this
to raise men to manhood and partisans to
patriots. am thinking of that corrup-
ton in municipal government by which
we are bought and sold as silly sheep and
which has made our City government the
byword of civilization.
"My DUTY is to call your attention to
these three lines of peril: The peril OF
anarchy as against our National life, the
peril of bossism as against our municipal
life and the peril of the liquor interference
with our home life. Your Christian IN
telligence and conscience alone can prom of
you to individual action in the discharge
of your civic duties"