The morning times., 1896-10-26
DUTIES OF CITIZENS.
Cuucuses should BE Held In Churches
Rather Than Saloons.

Rather Than Saloons.
Rev. Z. Olin EldrSdge, the pastor of
Waugh Nj. +. church, Ihru ond - streets
northeast, preached last night to large
audience upon the duties and opportunities
of American citizenship. The announce
ment of the title OF sermon, ION "A Silver
Basis" caused the presence IN the congre-
CATION of very considerable number or
strangers and non mem oers, who, no doubt,
expected in view of the reference TO a
subject filling the public mind to so large
IN extent. some reference To the political
issues of this campaign. The reverend
speaker used the phrase, silver basis m
IN allegorical sense only. however, anu
the simply curious among the audience. II
there were such, were disappointed IN their
expectation uf an addition to the current
campaign sermons
The text selected was that part OF Exodus
which describes the use OF silver IN the
architecture of the tabernacle in the will
dcrness, ana the method of collecting the
same by numbering the people.
Mr.. Eldridge said, i'll the Introduction OF
che subject. mat wnI:e MS Serulua would
deal with the political duties of the citizen,
il would do SO in Il non-p5trtisan way ana
the use by him OF political names and terms
won Id not Indicate anything more than the
subjective meaning and Use of the terms
In his use of ''Democracy' he wished To
describe not the political party. but the
system of government as opposed to mon
arChy.
He deplored the widespread disposition
10 keep moral md political questions apart
from each other, and would prefer holding
II caucus or convention IN church To holding
it in Il saloon. All political questions We're
Necessarily moral questions as well, as
there was Il right and wrong side to every
issue.
THE privileges of citizenship were the
duties Of citizenship. he said. To de-
serve the benefits of our form of govern
mcnt we must guard with jealous care
the liberties handed down TO us by the
Pilgrim Fathers and the patriots of our
revolution. In order to do this, We must
all take part in the duties oil citizenship
and remember. as Garfield had said, that
no question is ever settled until it is
settled right
Keeping constantly in touch with his
| Biblical text and applying its ailcgorles
to modern instances, the speaker showed
| how God has punished inIractons of the
moral law by nations
The nearest approach to the discussion
of current politics made by Mr.. Eldrdge
| was Ill IA brief but eloquent arrai.nncnt
| of moncpolies and trusts. These, he said,
We're not only opposed to the spirit OF the
| Con stitu,ion but wereoas equally op-
posed to Gods law. He believed that
God was on the side of the masses in their
| political struggles. because the Divine plan
| for the Improvement of mankind was
| through individual effort, and trusts and
munopolies strangled individual effort and
denied an equal opportunity to all. He
| was proud to be an American citizen
proud to be one of the masses. But, While
| he thought the present century and the
present decade Were the height and crown
of all the tide of time. he dcplored the
| existence of forces and tendencies in
| American politics inimical to the spirit
| of freedom and contrary to the moral law