The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-08-18
PURITY IN POLITICS AND POLITICIANS.
MEN WHO ARE NOT WANTED in
HIGH PLACES.
Ifthe Country Would Prosper IL Must
Wipe Out Prevailing Practices and
Seek q Higher Plane.

IseV. w. VI. NeNill0t Vi 1OrhVlile,
preached the following sermon recent
ly in the Presbyterian church Of that
town:
righteousness exalteth q nation
but sin is a reproach to any people,
Prov. xiv, 81.
We are taught by revelation, history
and common sense that good govern
ment Is n OF the greatest and most
valuable blessings which we can pos
sess. 1t is something for which every
person should pray and labor. With
out it, nothing in this world u be
secure. Life, liberty, property and the
pursuit OF happiness are all dependent
real prosperity. Even the progress
and welfare of the Kingdom Of God'in
this world are, In "a sense, dependent
on it. Without it, there can be nc
permanent basis upon which to build
the social, commercial and moral In
terests of mankind. Without it, there
can be nothing but disorder, confusion,
uncertainty and anarchy.
Therefore, we cannot shirk the re-
sponsibilities of citizenship. Govern
ment is n of the means OF Gods
righteous administrations among men,
and loyalty to God demands that the
l oDilBbU1ouo vi ClUiLShohlp po oioSliui q
cd" For there is no power but of
God the powers that be are ordained
of God" Such is the teaching of Di-
vine revelation.
You are 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
eousness both in their characters and in
their lives. What guarantee havo'you
that your prayers for wicked, worth
less rulers will be answered whom you
deliberately put this kind of mon in
Office?
Two things are essential to good
government.
/. Good laws. You must have these
as a basis upou which to build good
government. 1t matters not what you
have, without good laws, you cannot
have good government without good
and righteous laws, your government
will necessarily be built upon a foun-
dation of sand.
2. Competent men to administer and
enforce these laws. | use this word
competent in its broadcast sense. A
good law which remains on the statute
books as q 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 but we
must also have men in Office who will
see to it that these laws are indicated
and enforced.
When we look around us n see the
corruption that prevails in politics and
the low plane upon which our politi-
cal campaigns are projected and con-
Quoted when we see the scramble for
o1liUe and the INSCRIPTIONS methods
which are used to sccur Office; whom
we see how many incompetent men are
put in Office, the moral obliquity
which pervades their sentiments and
the corruption which is practiced in
their official acts, it must be evident
man that there is an urgent demand
for a change all along the line. 1t is
high time for the people to rise up in
their sovereign power ana bring to
right these things which are wrong.
The trouble is not in our laws. AS a
rule, they are good, wise and whole
some. The trouble is in their admin
%istration. We ought to be more care
full us to the kind of men we put in
office. The people are responsible for
the character and conduct Of their
rulers in such a government as we
have. 1t becomes us, therefore, to
make u practical application Of our
religious principles in the selection OF
men to fill the Offices in our government.
1--WE 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 is it that Il campaigns are
conducted upon such a low moral plane
where profanity, SANDER and drunk
enness seem to be at a pr emium? Why
10 TO Vn ~ lnnn.a flA nnrltlnfn,
SAYS not the ability to discuss ques-
- " ich bear directly upon the
~4iso,s. Interests of the nation =? Is
true craftsmanship n lost art? Are
all of our statesmen dead Or, is it
because they find such foul atmosphere
more congerial to their natures? Or,
is it because they are telling the truth
on each other? 1t matters not what
the reason may be, it il high time the
people were taking some aggressive
steps towards lifting politics out of
this dirty hole and putting them upon
a plane of moral decency and true
statesmanship. It is time for this
blatant blasphemy and debasing de-
bauchery and scurrilous Islander to be
eliminated from our political cam
paigns. The Christian public ought
to speak in no uncertain sounds on
these vital matters. righteousness
exalteth a nation; but sin is q reproach
to any people"
Ono of the representatives from the
commonwealth of Kansas in the United
States Senate, it is said, gave utter
ance to these sentiments: 1.-THE puri-
Hcation Of politics is an irredescent
dream. Government is force. Politics
is a battle for supremacy. Parties are
the armies. Nov listen. The dcca-
logue and the golden rule have no
place in u political campaign" If this
sentiment is true, then political cam
paigns are sinful, or the Bible is false
in It's teachings. When | heal such
sentiments, l feel like saying what 40
old gentleman said in open meeting
one day. He was accustomed To speak
out his approval or disapproval chen
he was deeply impressed. One day Al
strange preacher came along and in
his sermon rave utterance to a senti-
ment which this. old brother thought
very heretical and dangerous. He
arose before the congregation and said
with earncstnesJ: "Thank the Lord
that Is q )ie." SO when a man SAYS:
1.-THE Ten Commandments and the SER
mon on the noun have no place In q
political campaign" | feel like say.
ing, "Thank the Lord that is q lie."
INSCRIPTIONS politicians would have
the people TO divorce religion from
everything that Is connected with the
management Of the government. Tho
Bible say Whatsoever We do, do
all tn the Glory Of God - put too