The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-22
land unless he was an accredited mem

1ranchlse TO nearly all classes IN our
day. In that early time the ministers
were patriotic and preached accord
ingly. They advocated from the pull
pit the great principles of republican
liberty. There was an enthusiasm Of
politics. Politics meant something.
To day the church and the min
istry withdraw from public affairs,
they may be in no danger of con-
tamination. That church and that
ministry that would seek to keep
themselves clean by keeping away
from everything that is unclean are
scarcely worth the room they occupy
in the community. How can the
morals of the community be cleansed,
except there is brought to bear the
sanctifying influence of godly
church and godly ministry? In
this manufacturing, commercial traf-
ticking country of ours the church
and the ministry are needed, to en-
phasize the sanctity of the public
service. Here is one of the dangers
of our time, that the church and the
ministry have ceased to teach how
glorious is the service of ones coun-
try.
Then it should be demanded that
those who are made conspicuous in
the community by reason of position
conferred upon them by the people
should be more scrupulous at every
point than any other class in the COM
munity. They should be held to su-
periority in every element of Chris
tian manhood. When they accept
the trust and confidence of the peo-
pie, they are ordained by that act, by
the sacred honor of morality, to main
tain themselves untemptable and un-
bribable. From the lowest to the
highest officials and politicians should
always be proper examples for the
young men of our communities.
Indifference to morality is another
of the dangers of political life. When
a man is persuaded that anything is
right in politics-that anything is
right in patriotism-he is injured in
his own conscience and grossly in
lures the commonwealth. There is
nothing under the heaven that should
inspire men more with a sense of
sanctity-of fidelity and of purity,
than the service of their fellow men
in such a land, and under such a
government as ours. 1t is matter
of small Importance as to whether
America has more ships than Eng
land whether she has fewer or more
bushels of grain than Russia-wheth-
er we introduce free coinage or main
tain our present monetary system;
but it is matter of almost infinite
importance that the manhood of our
citizens be built up into fair proper
tions.
Then there is the American habit
of abuse and SANDER. I'm the use
of ridicule," says Mr.. Brice in his
Study of American Institutions
Even this humane people is cruel"
He refers of course to our extrava-
gance of political caricature, and its
prevalence among us especially in the
midst of a political campaign. A
man comes before the people as a
candidate for office. In his boyhood
he may have been indiscreet. In his
youth may have been guilty of a
serious offence.
But these faults have been repent
ed of and left far behind in the pros
perity of useful and honorable
career. By accident some news
hunter comes upon the fact. He fol-
lows up his clue like a detective
interviews all sorts of disreputable
people-ampli6es the story in the
most sensational manner and gives it
to the public. Such procedure is a
crime against humanity. The most
contemplate of which man can be
guilty. The law of libel is ludi-
crously inadequate to deal with such
cases.
May the time be not far distant
when reaction toward decency will
set in. The human tongue seems
never to be under a madder-a more
antic impulse than that which un-
looses it during the heated term of a
presidential campaign.
The essential spirit of SANDER in
dulged in a political campaign is
had,-bad not only for the individ,
ual but for the whole community
since it fills the the moral atmos-
phere with poison. 1t lowers the
whole tone of justice in the commu-
nifty and makes it less possible for
men to be other than corrupt. With
profit to ourselves we may wander
hack across the ages to learn from