The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-08-12
PURITY IN POLITICS.
II the Country Would Prosper 1t Must
Wins out Prevailing Practices
and Seek Higher
Plane.
Yorkville Enquirer.

YOrEUlUe Enquirer.
Rev. W. G.. Neville preached a
powerful up-to-date sermon in the
Presbyterian Church of Yorkville last
Sunday. His subject was the disgust
iugly low plane upon which politics in
this State is based, and although he
used no names, it is not difficult to
see that he was not dealing in
generalities. Here is his sermon in
full:
Righteousness exalteth nation ;
but sin is a reproach to any people.
Prov. xiv, 81.
We are taught by revelation, history
and common sense that good govern
mentis one of the greatest and mostval-
liable blessings which we can possess.
1T something for which every person
should pray and labor. Without it,
nothing in this world can be secure.
Life, liberty, property and the pursuit
of happiness are all dependant on it.
Without it there can be no real pros
perity. Even the progress and well
fare Of the Kingdom of God in this
world are in sense, dependent on it..
Without it, there can be no permanent
basis upon which to build the social !.
commercial and moral interests Of
mankind. Without t'.tlere can be
nothing but disorder, confusion, un-
certainty and anarchy.
Therefore, we cannot shirk the re-
spousibilities of citizenship. Gov
ernment is one of the means Of God
righteous administrations among men,
and loyalty to God demands that the
obligations of citizenship be dis
charged. ''For there is no power
but of God; the powers that be are or
dained of God" Such is the teaching
of Divine revelation.
You are required by the Bible to
pray for those in authority. But you
must back up your prayers by your
works. It is your duty, therefore, to
put men in Office who will reflect
righteousness both in their characters
and in their lives. What guarantee
have you that your prayers for wicked,
worthless, rulers will be answered
when you deliberately put this kind of
men in Office?
Two things are necessary to good
government.
l. Good laws. You must have
these as basis upon which to build
good government. It 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 foundation of sand.
2. Competent men to administer
and enforce these laws. [ use this
word competent in it's broadest sense.
A good law which remains on the
statute books as dead letter, to all
practical purposes, is no better than a
bad law. In order to have good gov
ernment, we must aot only have good
laws; but we must also have men in
office who will see to it that these
laws are vindicated and enforced.
When we look around us and see
the corruption that prevails in poll
tics and the low plane upon which our
political campaigns are projected and
conducted; when we see the scramble
for Office and the unscrupulous meth
ods which are used to secure Office;
when we see how many incompetent
men are put in Office, the moral obli-
quity which pervades their sentiments
and the corruption which is practiced
in their official acts, itmust be evident
to every right-minded and thinking
man that there is an urgent demand
for change all along the line. 1t is
high time for the people to rise up in
their sovereign power and 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 as to the kind of men we put in Of
fee. The people are responsible for
the character and conduct of their ru-
lers in such government as we have.
It becomes us, therefore, to make a
practical application of our religious
principles in the selection Of men to
6ll the Offices Of our government.
"We ought not take politics in the
technical sense, into our religion; but
it is very certain that we ought to take
religion, in a practical sense, into our
politics.
Why is it that our campaigns are
conducted upon such low moral
plaue-where profanity, slander and
drunkenness are at premium? 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 craftsmanship lost art? Are
all of our statesmen dead? Or is it
because they find such foul atmos-
phcre more congenial to their natures?
Or is it because they are telling the
truth on each other? 1t matters not
what the reason may be, it is high
time the people were taking some ag-
gressive steps to lifting politics
out OF this dirty hole and putting
them upon plane of moral de-
cency and true craftsmanship. 1t is
time for this blatant blasphemy and
debasing debauchery and scurril Gus
SANDER to be eliminated from our po-
litical campaigns. The Christian
public ought to speak in no uncertain
sounds on these vital matters.
Righteousness exalteth a nation !;
but sin is reproach to any people: .
One of the representatives from the
commonwealth of Kansas in the Uni
ted States Senate, it is said, gave ut
terance to these sentiments: "The
purifc alton of politics is an irredes-
cent dream. Government is force.
Politics is battle for supremacy.
Parties are the armies. Now listen.
The decalogue and the golden rule
have no place in political campaign.
If this sentiment is true, then politi-
cal campaigns are sinful, or the Bible
is false in its teachings. When | hear
such sentiments. I feel like saying
what an old gentleman said in open
meeting one day. He was accustom-
ed to speak out his approval or disap-
proval when be was deeply impressed.
One day strange preacher came along
and in the course of his sermon gave