The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-08-20
PURITY IN POLITICS AND POLITICIANS
MEN WHO ARE NOr WANTED IN
HIGH PLACES.
1.-THE Country Would Prosper " MUST
Wipe Out Prevailing l'rac'iccH """
Seek IL Higher Plane

Rev. w. G. Neville, Of Iorkvlllc,
| preached the following sermon recent
ly in the Presbyterian church Of tha'
| town:
| Righteousness cXaltcth Il nation
but sin is IL rcproach to any people. -
| Prov. xiv, 81
We arc taught By revelation, history
and common sense that good govern
mcnt is one Of the greatest and most
valuable blessings which VIC can pos
scss. 1t is something for which every
person should pray and labor. With
out it, nothing in this world can DC
secure. ;Life, liberty, property anu the
pursuit of happiness arc all dependent
| on it. Without it there can be no
real prosperity. Even the progress
and welfare Of the Kingdom OF God in
this world are, in sense, dcpcnueh1
on it, Without it. there can be no
permanent basis upon which TO build
the social, commercial aud moral in
forests Of mankind. Without it, there
can be nothing but disorder, confusion,
uncertainty and anarchy.
Therefore, we cannot Shirk the re-
spUnsibliticS Of citizenship. "Govcrn-
mcnt is one OF the means Of Gods
and loyalty to God demands that the
obligations OF citizenship be discharg-
cd" For there is no power but OF
Cod the powers that be are ordained
Of Cod Such is the teaching Of Di-
vine revelation.
You arc required by the Bible to
pray for those in authority. But you
must back up your prayers by your
works. 1t is your duty, therefore, to
put men in Office who will reflect right
cOusncsS both in their characters and in
their lives. What guarantee have you
that your prayers for wicked, worth
less rulors will be answered when you
deliberately put this kind Of mon in
Office?
Two things are essential to good
government.
|. Good laws. You must have these
as Il basis upon which to build good
1t matters not what you
have, without good laws, Joh cannot
have good government without good
and righteous laws, your government
will necessarily be built upon a foun-
dation Of sand.
,. Competent men to administer and
enforce these laws. | use this word
in its broadcst sense. a
good law which remains on the statute
books as Il dead letter, to all practical
purposes, il no better than u bad law.
In order TO have good government, we
must not only have good laws ; Sut we
must also have men in Office who Will
sec to IL that these laws are vindicatCd
and enforced.
When We look around us and sec the
that prevails in politics and
the low plane upon which our poiiti-
.,.,l - ter D, 4,
ducteu when We see the scramble for
office and the INSCRIPTIONS methods
which arc used TO secure otlicc: when
we sec how many incompetent men arc
put in Office, the moral obliquity
which pcrvades their sentiments and
the corruption which is prHcticcd IL
their official acts, it must be evident
to every right minded and thinking
man that there is an urgent demand
for II change all along the line. 1t Is
high time ior tho people to rise up III
their sovereign power anl bring to
right these things which are wrong.
The trouble is not in our laws. rs Il
rule, they are good, wise and whole
some. The trouble is In their admin
istration. We ought to be more care
ful as to the kind OF men we put in
Office. The people are responsible Tor
the character and conduct o! their
rulers in such d government as we
have. 1t becomes Is, therefore, to
make practical application Of our
religious principles in the selection OF
men TO fill the Offices in our government.
"Wc ought not to take politics, in the
technical sense into our religion but
it is very certain that We ought to
take practical sense, into our politics"
Why il it that our campaigns arc
conducted upon such low moral plane
where profanity, slandcr and drunk
cnncSs seem To be at a cmium? why
is it? Is it because the candidates
have not the ability to discuss QueS-
tions which bear directly upon the
highest interests Of the nation? Is
true statcomanship IL lost art? Are
all OF oar statesmen dead Or, IS 1T
because they lind such foul atmosphere
more GOn9cEial TO their natures? Or,
is it because they arc telling tho truth
on each other? 1t matters not W hat
thc reason may be, it is high time the
people were taking some aggressive
steps towards lifting politics ont OF
this dirty hole and putting thcm upon
IL plane Of moral dcccncy and true
statcsman5hip. 1T is time for this
blatant h!asphcmy and dcbasing dc
bauchcry and scurrilous slander to be
eliminated from our political cam
paigns. The Christian public ought
to speak in no uncertain sounds on
these vital matters. righteousness
cXaltoth nation; but sin is a rcproach
to any people"
One of the representatives from the
commonwealth Of Kansas in the United
States Senate. il is said, gave utter
ancc to these sentiments: 1.-The puri'
licaton of politics is an. irrcdcsccnt
dream. Government is force. l'oitics
is IL battle for supremacy. Parties are
the armies. Now listen. The deca'
logue and the golden rule have no
place in IL political campaign," If this
| sentiment is true, then political cam'
paigns arc sinful, or tho Bible is false
| in It's teachings. When | hear such
| sentiments, | feel like saying what an
Old gentleman said in open meeting
or" day. He was accustomed to speak
ou> is approval or disapproval when
! he WAS dcepiy impressed. Ono day q
strange preacher came along and ~
his sermon gave uttcrancc TO scnti.
| lucnt which this Old brother thougn'
| very hcrctical and dangerous. re
arose before the congregation ana sale
with carnestncss: "Thank the Loro
1 IN N