The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-07-14


schools rather than s;gAt-.c, from them In
stead Of driving the Bible out, you had better
drive tne Bj%.c fIrthe- IA May Goa de-
fend our glorious common school system and
send into rout and confusion all its sworn
enemies.
! have also to say that the character Of
officials in a city affects the domeatic circle.
In 4 city where grogshops have their own
way and gambling he!Is are not intertered
with and ior fear OF losing political inhu-
erce ofii3ll- close their eyes 10 festeripg
abomina;ons-in all those cite. the home
interests need TO make impIora;ion The
family circles Of the city must inevitably be
| affected by the moral character or the i'm
moral character of those who rule over them.
viii 90 further and say that the reli-
gious interests OF a city are thus affected.
The church today has 10 contend with evils
that the civil law ought to smite, sad,
while would not have the civil government
in any wise relax its energy in the arrest and
punishment OF crime, would have thous
!! up OF the fountains OF Iniquitv The church
OF God asks 10 pecuniary aid from political
power, but does ask that in addition to all
evils we must necessarily contend against
We shall not have to fight also municipal
negligence. Oh. that in all our cities Chris
tiaR people would rise up, and that they
would put their hand on the helm before
piratica( demagogue5 have sTamped the ship,
Instead Of giving go much time TO national
politics, give some OF your attention 10 nu1i
ci pal government.
demand that the Christian people who
have been standing aloof from puh.lc etfairs
come back and in the might OF God try 10
save our cities. If things are or have been
bad, i IS because good people have let them
be bad That Christian man who merely
goes to the polls and casts his vote does not
do his duty. 1t is not the ballot box that de-
cides the election: it is the political caucus,
and il at the primary mectings Of the two
political parties unfit and bad men are nomi-
na;ed then the ballot box has nothing to do
save TO take its choice between two thieves.
In our churches by retormatory organiza
| ton, in every way let us try to tone up the
moral sentiment in these cities. The rulers
are those whom the people choose. and de-
pend upon it that in all the cities, as long as
pure hearted men stand aloos from politics
because they despise hct partisanship, just
so long in many OF Our cities will rum make
the nominations, and rum control the ballot
box, and rum iaaugurate the officials.
take a step further in this subject and
ask all those who believe in the omnipotence
Of prayer, day by day and every day, pres
ent your city officials before God for bless
ing. Ii you liSe in a city presided over by
! mayor, pray tor him The chief magis-
trate ola cityi in position c: great ponsi-
bility. Many OF the kings and queens and
emperors of other days had 10 such domin-
ion. With the scratch ola pen be may ad
vance benefcent institution or balk a rail-
way confscatiOn. BY appointments he may
bless or curse every heartnstone in the city.
If in the Episcopal churches By the authori-
ty of the litany, and il our nonepiscopa:e
churches we every Sabbath pray for the
president Of the United States, why not,
then, be just as hearty in our suPplicaJions
,or the chief magistrates Of cities, for their
guidance, for their health, for their present
and their everlasting morality?
But go further, and pray for your com
mon council, your city hasa common coun-
Gil They hold in their hands = power
splendid Tor good or terrible for evil. They
have many temptations. In many Of the
cities whole board Of common couacil men
have gone down in the maelstrom Of poiit!.
cal corruption. They could not stand the
power of the bribe. Corruption came in
and sat beside them, and sat behind them,
ana sat before them. They recklessly voted
away the hard earned moneys Of the people.
They were bought out, body mind and soul,
go that at the end Of their term OF cffice they
had not enough Of moral remains left to
make decent funeral. They went into Of
fee with the huzza Of the multitude. They
! came out with the anathema fall decent peo-
pie There IS not one man out of a hundred
that can endure the temptations OF the COM
mon council men in our great cities, ia
man il that position have the courage ola
! Cromwell, and the independence OF an An
drew Jackson, and the public spiritedness
Of a John Frederick Oberlin, and the piety
ofan Edward Payson, he will have no sur
plus to throw away. Pray for these men.
Every many likes to be prayed for. Do you
know hoT Dr. Norman Mcleod became the
Queen chaplain? 1t was by a warm heart
ed prayer in the Scotch kirk, in behalf OF
the royal family, one Sabbath when the
queen and her son were present incognito.
Yes, go further, my friends, and pray for
your police. Their perils and temptations
best known 10 themselves. They hold the
order and peace ofyour cities in their grasp.
But for their Intervention you would not be
safe for an hour They must face the storm,
They must rush in where it seems to them
almost instant death. They must put the
hand Of arrest on the armed maniac and
corner the murderer. They must receive
large rewards tor withdrawing complaints.
They must uarayel Intricate plots and trace
dark labyrirths ofcrime and develop suspi-
cions into certainties They must be cool
while others are frantic. They must be yigilant
while others are sompolent, impersonating
the very villainy they want to seize. In the
police forces of our great cities are today
men OF as thorough character as that Of the
old detective Of New York. addressed 20
whom there came letters from London asking
for help ten years after he was dead-letters
addressed to Jacob Hayes, High Constable
OF New York Your police need your ap-
probation, your sympathy, your gratitude
and, above all. your prayers. Yea, | want
you to 60 further and pray every day for
prison inspectors and ijailkeepers, work aw-
full and benifcert Rough men, cruel men.
impatient men, ere not ut Tor those PAGES.
They have under their care men who were
once as good IS you, but they got trippcd up.
Bad company or strong drink or strange
conjunction Of circumstances flung them
he.dlong. Go down that prison corridor
and ask them how they got in and about
th cir families and what their early prospects
in life were. and you will find that they are
very much like yourself, except in this, that
God kept you while he did not restrain
them. Just one false step made the differ
ence between them and you. They want
more than prison bars, more than Jail fare,
more than handouts and hopplers, more
than vernin covered couch to reform them
Pray God day by day that the men who have
these unfortunates in charge may be nerci-
ful, Chris;iarly strategic and the means Of
reformation and rescue.
Some years ago q city pastor in New York
was caIieS 70 TIE city prison 10 attend tN-