The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-27
TWO WAYS OF LOOKING.
DIR. Egbert on the Clean and I'm
clean, Politically

Rev. DR.. John Paul Egbert's sermon
at House of Hope church yesterday
morning followed closely the sueges
tions of the Thanksgiving proclama-
ton lon issued by President Cleveland.
tban nIoay, SAID he, lis the day of national
thought of our nation ought to be expressed
ana the christian spirit of our nation mani
IeS It.; itself; 1t is religious day as we'll as
nation, and day for us to look at orr re-
hglon IL our nation; a day for us to look at
our national sins and repent of them, and a
Jay IN winch to give thanks for Gods great
mercies 10 US as nation; day for the ex-
preston OF that true Christian life. which
manlIests Itself In acts of charity All the
MGrid ought to be better because of this
thanksgiving day in America
True patriotism Is keenly alive, sensitive
10 everything that can touch the real greatness
ana glory OF our nation Not the bigness of
II, not the wealth of it, either of money of
intellect or of power. These are merely the
opportunity for greatness, the method which
greatness uses to express itself, the means
by Wh NJ 1t would do it's work: The great
ness is in the character, and character is a
personal thing. The character Of the nation
is made UP of the characters of its men and
women. Inc nation Is not thing; it is an
organism OF living souls that give It its char
acter, and II those living souls are not at
peace among themselves are not moving
toward one common high aim, by a common
right motive they are simply weakened nv
strife and an endangering the land with desc
lation. ~ N''
We are told by writer in a recent num-
Der OF the Forum that in the year 1893 OK
per cent of all the commerce of this country
that had to do with products in exchange was
based entirely upon credit. Credit rests on
confidence; confidence rests on integrity. in
tegrity is a moral characteristic. and there
you have the whole story Of the political and
commercial life of this country. It matters
IL not what are the fruits at the top, the
Foundation that can beget confidence must be
moral power, sane, sound healthy NV
confidence in you is not built upon the
amount mount OF money you have; it is upon the
staDihty OF your character Now whoever
strikes at the integrity Of the nation, whether
1t be through this confidence through mis-
use OF its business opportunities, through false
balances, or false valuations or false methods
is traitor to what is good in the nation as
well as to what is good in personal Character
1t is violation Of the moral law
I'VE talk Of political corruption and # IA
one OF the sins we ought to look in the face
and for which we ought to be profoundly
penltent. Political corruption there is, and
II mas a,, double danger There are some men
corruption, and there are other men who are
IN politics because Of the same corruption
mere are some men who will not touch the
political trickster's hand because 1t is a recog
milton Of him. There are other men who
want to touch that hand for what it holds of
things for them. The two extremes meet and
they are both traitors. The man who will
not touch politics because 1t is unciean. de-
serves the condemnation of the land The
man who goes into politics because of its I'M
cleanness deserves the utmost condemnation
OF public opinion and whatever other punish
ment can be given him. Whatever divides
our land, whatever lowers its high ideal.
whatever puts one class against another is
treason, and treason Of very dangerous
sort.
IF minister Of the gospel Of Jesus Christ.
as a citizen, says one word in political life
there is an assault made upon him because
| he is a minister. That of itself, the fact
that he is a minister, ought to be sufficient
indication that he has made careful and
prayerful study of all the problems affecting
the moral life of his nation and of his COM
munity And these very complainers are
men who probably go to such as saloonkeep-
ers and bride them for power in political
life."