The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-05-20


which they write home to their con-
stituents who want to be appointed
postmasters. The man who cannot
see God in our American history is as
blind of soul as he would be blind OF
body If he could not at y o'clock Of
an unclouded noon see the sun IN the
heavens.
AS a matter OF gratitude to Almighty
God, gentlemen Of the American con-
gress, be pleased to insert the four
words suggested by the Methodist con-
ference. Not only because OF the
kindness of God to this nation IN the
past should such reverential lnser-
ton be made, but because OF the tact
that we are going to want dlTine IN;
terposition still further in our national
history. This gold and silver question
will never be settled until God settles
it. This question of tariff and free
trade will never besettle0 until God
settles it. This question between the
east and west, which IS getting hotter
and hotter and looks toward a repuo-
lie of the Pacific, will not be settled
until God settles it. We needed God
in the 120 years of our past national
life, and we will need him still more
in the next 12O years. Lift up your
heads, ye everlasting gates of our glo-
rious constitution. and let the King of
Glory come in! Make one line of that
immortal document radiant with ON
impotence! Spell at least one word
with thrones, At the beginning, or
at the close, or in the center, recog-
nize him from whom as nation we
have received ali the blessings OF the
past, and upon whom we are depen-
dent for the future. Print that word
"God" or Lord" or Eternal Father"
or Ruler of Nations" somewhere be-
tween the first word and the last. The
great expounder of constitution sleeps
at Marshfeld, Mass, the Atlantic oc.
can still humming near his pillow of
dust its prolonged lullaby. But is
there not some one now living who, In
the white marble palace of the nation
on yonGer hill not ten minutes away,
will become the irradi&.or of the con-
stitution by causing to be added the
most tremendous word of our English
vocabulary, the name Of that being
before whom all nations must bow or
20 into defeat and annihilatlon-
Cod
Again, before the approaching ad
tournament of our American congress,
it ought to be decidedly and forever
settled that no appropriations be made
to sectarian schools, and that the court
ship between church and state in this
country be forever broken up. That
question already seems temporarily
settled. wish it might be complete
ly and forever settled. All schools
and all institutions as we'll as all de-
nominations should stand on the same
level before American law. Emperor
Alexander of Russia, at his Paterhof
palace, asked me how many denoml-
nations OF religion there were IN Am
erica, and recited their names as well
as I could. Then he asked me the
difference between them, and there l
broke down. But when I told him
that no religious denomination in
America had any privileges above the
others he could hardly understand 1t.
The Greek church first in Russia; the
Lutheran church first in Germany; :;
the Episcopal church first in England;
the Catholic church first in Rome; Mo-
hammedanism first in Constantinople.
The emperor wondered how it was
possible that all the denominations IN
America could stand on the same plat
form. But so it is, and so let ltever
be. Let there be no preference, no
partiality, no attempt to help one sect
an inch higher than another. Wash
ington and Jefferson, and all the early
presidents, and all the great statesmen
of the past, have lifted their voice
against any such tendency. If a school
or an institution cannot stand without
the prop of national appropriation,
then let that school or that Institution
90 down. On the other side Of
the sea the world has had plen-
ty of illustration of church and state
united. Let us have none of the hypo-
crisy and demoralization Iorn of that
relation on this side of the atlantic:
Let that denomination come out ahead
that does the most for the cause Of
God and humanity, men, institutions
and religions getting what they achleve
by their own right arm Of usefulness
and not by the favoritism of govern
ment. AS you regard the welfare and
perpetLity OF our institutions keep
politics out of religion.
But now that I am speaking OF ma
tional offalrs from a religious stand
point I bethink myself of the fact that
two other gavels will soon lift and
fall, the one at st. Louis and the other
at Chicago, and before those national
conventions adjourn ask that they
acknowledge God in the platforms.
The men who construct those platform
are here this morning or will read
these words. Let no political party
think it can do its duty unless it ac-
knowledges that God who built this
continent and revealed it at the right
time to the discoverer and who as
reared here prosperity which has
been given to no other people. 'sOh, )"
says some one, there are people IN
this country who do not believe in a
God, and it would be an insult to
them" Well there are people IN this
country who do not believe in COM
mon decency, or common honesty, or
any kind of government, preferrlng
anarchy. Your very platform is an in
suit to them. You ought not to re-
gard a man who does not believe in
God any more than you should regard
a man who refuses to believe
in common decency. Your pocket
book is not safe a moment
in the presence of an atheist.
God is the only source OF good gov
ernment. Why, not, then, say so
and let the chairman of the committee
on resolutions in your national con-
ventions take a penful of ink and
with bold hand head the document
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