Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-05-14

despotisms were planning for our demoli-
ton, we are a united people, and tomor
row you will find In both houses of oon-
gress the men who fought for the north
and the south, now sitting side by side,
armed with no weapon except the pen,
with which they write home to their con-
stituents who want to be appointed post
masters. The man who cannot see God in
our Amofican history is as blind of soul as
be would be blind of body II he could not
at 10 O'Clock Of an unclouded noon see the
sun In the heavens.
AS a matter of gratitude to Almighty
God, gentlemen of the American congress,
be pleased to insert the four words suggest
ed by the Methodist conference Not only
because of the kindness of God TO this ma
tion in the past should such reverential in
sertion be made, but because of the fact that
we are going to want divine interposition
still further in our national history. This
gold and silver question will never be settled
until God settles it. This question of tariff
and free trade will never be settled until
God settles it. This question between the
east and the west, which Is getting hotter
and hotter and looks toward republic of
the Pacific, will not be settled until God
settles 1t. We needed God in the 1870 years
of our past national life, and we will need
him still more In the next 1870 years. Lift
up your heads, ye everlasting gates Of our
glorious constitution, and let the King of
Glory come inl Make one line of that i'm
mortal document radiant with omnipo-
tence! Spell at least one word with
thrones! At the beginning, or at the
close, or In the center, recognize him from
whom as a nation we have received all
the blessings of the past, and upon whom
we are dependent for the future. Print
that word "God" or "Lord" or Eternal
Father" or "Ruler Of Nations" somewhere
between the first word and the last. The
great expounder of the constitution sleeps
at Marshf1eld, Mass, the Atlantic ocean
still humming near his pillow of dust Its
prolonged lullaby. But is there not some
one now living who, in the white marble
palace of the nation on yonder hill not ten
minutes away, will become the irradiator
of the constitution by causing to be added
sthe most tremendous word of our English
vocabulary the name of that being before
whom all nations must bow or go into de-
feat and nnihilation-"God"
Solemn Scenes.
Again, before the approaching adjourn
ment of our American congress, 1t ought
to be decidedly and forever settled that no
appropriations be made to seotarian
schools, and that the courtship between
church and state in this country be forever
broken up. That question already seems
temporarily settled. wish it might be
completely and forever settled. All schools
and all institutions as we'll as all denomi-
nations should stand on the same level be-
fore American law. Emperor Alexander
of Russia, at his Peterhof palace asked
me how many denominations of religion
there were In America, and recited their
names as we'll as could. Then he asked
me the difference between them, and there
broke down. But when told him that
no religious denomination in America had
any privileges above the others he could
hardly understand 1t. The Greek church
first in Russia; the Lutheran church first
In Germany; the Episcopal church first In
England; the Catholic church first In
Rome; Mohammedanism first in Constan-
tinople. The emperor wondered how 1t
was possible that all the denominations In
America could stand on the same plat
form. But SO 1t Is, and so let 1t ever be-.
Let there be no preference, no partiality,
no attempt to help one sect an inch higher
than another. Washington and Jefferson,
and all the early presidents, and all the
great statesmen of the past, have lifted
| their voice against any such tendency. II
a school or an institution cannot stand
without the prop of national appropria-
ton, then let that school or that institu-
tion go down. On the other side of the
seq the world has had plenty of illustration
of church and state united. Let us have
none Of the hypocrisy and decentralization
born of that relation on this side of the
| Atlantic. Let that denomination come
| out ahead that does the most for the cause
Of God and humanity, men, institutions
and religions getting what they achieve
| by their own right arm of usefulness and
not by the favoritism of government. AS
| you regard the welfare and perpetuity of
| our institutions keep politics out of re-
ligion.
But now that am speaking of nation
| al affairs from religious standpoint,
bethink myself of the fact that two other
gavels will soon lift and fall, the one at St.
Louis and tho other at Chicago, and be-
fore those national conventions adjourn !
ask that they acknowledge God In the
platforms. The men who construct those
platforms are here this morning or will
read these words. Let no political party
| think 1t can do Its duty unless 1t acknowl-
edges that God who built this continent
and revealed 1t at the right time to the
discoverer and who has reared here pros
perity which has been given to no other
people. "Oh," says some one, "there are
people in this country who do not believe
| In God and 1t would be an insult to
them" Well, there are people in this ooun-
| try who do not believe In common decency,
| or common honesty, or any kind of gov
ernment, preferring anarchy. Your very
platform Is an insult to them. You ought
not to regard man who does not believe
in God any more than you should regard
man who refuses to believe In common
decency. Your pocketbook is not safe a
| moment in the presence of an atheist. God
Is the only source of good government.
| Why not, then, say SO and let the chair
man of the committee on resolutions in
your national conventions take penful
of ink and with bold hand head the docu-
| ment with one significant "whereas, "
acknowledging the goodness of God in the
past and begging his kindness and proteo-
tion for the future. Why, my friends, this
| country belongs to God, and we ought in
every possible way to acknowledge it,.
From the moment that, on an October
morning In 1492, Columbus looked over
the side of the ship and saw the carved
| staff which made him think he was near
an inhabited country and saw also thorn
and a cluster of berries (type Of our his
tory ever since, the piercing sorrows and
cluster of national joys) until this hour
| our country has been bounded on the north
south, east and west by the goodness of
God. The Huguenots took possession of
the Carolinas In the name of God William
Penn settled Philadelphia in the name Of
God. The Hollanders took possession Of
| New York in the name of God. The pill
grim fathers settled New England in the
name Of God. Preceding the first gun of
Bunker Hill, at the voice of prayer all
L l..