The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-09-25

TEXT: 'And the streets OF the city shall be
iuli OF boys aud girls playing in the streets
thereof. ."-Zacharlnh viii, s.
Glimpses of our cities redeemed Now,
Doys ana girls who play In the streets run
such risks that multitudes OF them end in
ruin. But in the coming time spoken Of,
our cities will be so moral that lads and
!asses shall be as safe In the public thorough
fares IA in the nursery.
Puipit and printing presses for the most
part In our day arc busy in discussing tho
condition Of the cities at this time; but would
It not be healthfuliy' encouraging to all
christian workers. and to all who are toll
ing to make the world better, IL we should
Tor little while look forward to the time
when our cities shall be revolutionized by
the Gospel of the Son OF God, and all the
darkness OF sin and trouble and crime and
suffering shall be gone from the world?
Every man has pride in the city OF his
nativity or residence. IL Ii be- city distln-
Suished 70, any dignity or prowess. Caesar
boasted OF his native Rome. Virgil Of Mantua
Lycurgus OF Sparta, Demost he nes of Athens,
Archimedes OF Syrncuse. and Paul Of Tarsus.
should have suspicion OF base-heari ed ness
In man who had no especial interest In the
city OF his birth or real ieuce-no sxhilara-
tion OF the evidence OF its prosperity or it's
artistic establishment, or Its intellectual ad-
vancement.
1 have noticed that man never likes
city where he has not behaved we'll! People
who have had n free ride in the prison van
hoNoi hhC tue CITY tHHt the VeQlCle.
Whom find Argos and Rhodes and Smyrna
irving to prove themselves the birthplnce of
Homer; conclude at once thar Homer be-
haved we'll. He liked them and they liked
him. We must not war on laudable city
pride. or, with the idea OF building ourselves
up at any time, try to pull Others down.
Boston must continue to point to itr Faneuil
daii and to its Common, and to its superior
educational advantages. Philadelphia must
continue TO point to Its Independence Hall
and its mint, and its Girard College. Wash
ington must continue to point 10 its Won
drous Capitoltne buildings. Ill should ind
man coming from any city. having no
pride in that city. that oity having been the
place OF his nativity, or now being tho place
OF his residence, l would feel like asking:
what mean thing bavo you done there2
What outrageous thing have you been guilty
OF that you do not like the place2"
think we ought-and take It for
granted you are interested in this great work
of evangellzlng the cities and saving the
world-we ought to toll with the sunlight in
our faces. We nro not lighting in miser-
able Bull Run OF defeat. We are on our way
to final victory. We nre not following the
rider ON the black horse, lending US down to
death and darkness and doom. but the Rider
on the white horse, with tho moon under
His feet and the stars OF heaven for His tiara
Hall, Conqueror. hail!
l know there ars sorrows and thers
are sins, and there are suiferinvs all around
about MS; but as in some bitter, cold winter
day. when we are threshing our arms around
us to keep our thumbs from freezing, we
think OF the warm spring lay that will after
awhile come; or in the dark winter night we
look up and see tho northern lights, tho win
dows OF heaven illuminated by some great
Vlctorv-just so we look up from the night
OF SuncrtnS and sorrow and wretchednesS
In our cities, and we soc a light streaming
through from the other side, and we know
we nre on the way to morninI--more than
that. on the way to "a morning without
Clouds"
want you to understand. all you who are
toiling for Christ, that the castles OF sin ars
all going to be captured. The victory for
Christ In these great towns is going to be 80
complete that not man on earth or an
angel in henveh, or a devil in hell will dis
pute it, How do know know Just rs
certainly as God lives and this is holy truth
The old Bible is full OF 1t. II the Nation Is
to be saved, OF course all tho cities are to be
saved. 1t makes great difference with you
and with me whether we are toilng on to-
ward defeat. or toiling on toward vic
tory.
Now. In this municipal elevation of which
j speak. / have TO remark there will bs
greater financial prosperity than our cities
have ever seen. Some people seem TO have
morbid idea OF tho millennium, and they
think when the better time comes to our
cities and the world people will give their
time up to psalm-singing and the relating OF
their religious experience, and, as all social
life will be purified. there will be no htlarity,
and. as all business will DO purified. there
will be no enterprise. There ~ no ground
for such IN absurd anticipation. In the
time OF which speak. where now one for
tune is made. there will he n hundred for |
tunes made. We all know business pros
perity depends upon confidence between
man and pa1. Now when that time comes
OF which 1spcak, aud whom NIL doubie deal !
Ing. all dishonesty, and all fraud are gone
out OF commercial circles, thorough CONT |
dence will be established and there will be
better business done, and larger fortunes
gathered. and mightier successes achieved.
Tho great business disasters OF this country
have come from the work OF goddess specu-
lators and infamous stock gamblers. The
great foe to business. is crime. When the
right shall have hurled back the wrong, and
shall have purified the commercial code, and
shall have Numbered down fraudulent estab-
lishments and shall have put into the hands
OF homes: men the keys OF business, blessed
time for the bargain makers. am not talk
ing an abstraction. nm not making guess
lam telling you Gods eternal truth.
In that day OF which speak, taxes will! be
taxed for evoryihifs g. City taxes, county
taxes, State taxes, United States taxes stamp
taxes, license taxes. manufacturing taxes
taxes. taxes, taxes. Our business men have
to make small fortune every year TO pay
their taxes What fnstens on our great In
dustries this awful load? Crime. Individual
aud official. Wo have to pay the board OF
tho villains who are incarccrated in our pris-
ons. We have to take care Of tho orphans Of
those who plunged into their graves through
sensual indulgencies. We have 10 support
the municipal governments. which aro vast
and expensive just in proportion as tho Grim
lnal Droclivltics arc vast and tremendous
Who support the almshouscI and police sta-
uons, and all the machinery OF municipal
government? The tax PAYERS.
But IN the glorious time o! which speak |
grievous taxation will all have ceased. There |
will be no need Of supporting criminals there |
will be no criminals. Virtue will have taken |
the place OF Wee. There will no orphan asy-
lums. for parents will be able TO leave n com |
pelencY to their children rhnrn Will hn no |