Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-07-09

any CITY lucit Dc Il uloilOANo' Ah"J 'Ae@NJ
OF an unprincipled common council or
court susceptible TO bribes, in that city
there will be unlimited license for all
kinds of trickery and sin, while, ON the
other hand, if officials are faithful TO
their oath of Office, if the laws are
promptly executed, if there is vigilance
in regard to the outbranchings of crime,
there is the highest protection for all
bargain making
A merchant may stand in his store
and say; "Now, I'll have nothing to do
with city politics. / will not soil my
hands with the slush. " Nevertheless
the most insignificant trial in the po-
lice court will affect that merchant di-
rectly or indirectly. What style Of clerk
issues the writ; what style of constable
makes the arrest; what style Of attor-
ney issues the plea; what style Of judge
charges the jury; what style Of sheriff
executes the sentence-these are ques-
tions that strike your counting rooms
TO the center. You may not throw it
of. In the city of New York Christian
merchants for great while said, "We'll
have nothing to do with the manage
ment of public affairs. and they al
lowed everything to go at loose ends
until there rolled up in that city debt
of nearly 1920, 600, OOO The municipal
government became a Kissing and a by
word in the whole earth, and then the
Christian merchants saw their folly,
and they went and took possession Of
the ballot boxes. wish all commercial
men to understand that they are not in
dependent of the moral character of the
men who rule over them, but must be
thoroughly, nightly affected by them.
Interests of the School
So also Of the educational interests Of
a city. Do you know that there are in
this country about 10000 common
schools, and that there are over g, 600, 600
pupils, and that the majority Of those
schools and the majority Of those pupils
are in our cities? Now, this great null
titude of children will be affected by
the intelligence or ignorance, the yir-
tue or the vice, Of boards of education
and boards of control. There are cities
where educational affairs are settled IN
the low caucus in the abandoned parts
Of the cities by men full Of ignorance
and rum. 1t ought not to be so. but IN
many cities it is co. l hear the tramp
of coming generations. What that great
multitude of youth shall be for this
world and the next will be affected very
much by the character Of your public
schools. You had better multiply the
moral and religious influences about the
common schools rather than subtract
from them. Instead Of driving the BIZ
bic out you had better drive the Bible
farther in. May God defend our glori-
ous common school system and send in
to rout and confusion all its sworn enc
mies
have also TO say that the character
Of officials in a city affects the domestic
circle. In a city where grogshops have
their own way, and gambling hells are
not interfered with, and for fear Of los
ing political influence officials close
their ewes to fostering abominations-in
all those cities the home interests need
to make imploratioD. The family cir
cles of the city must inevitably be af-
fected by the moral character or the
immoral character of those who rule
over them.
will 20 further and say that the re-
ligious interests of a city are thus affect
ed. The church today has to contend
with evils that the civil law ought to
smite, and while l would not have the
civil government in any wise relax its
energy in the arrest and punishment Of
crime would have thousandfold
more energy put forth in the drying up
Of the fountains Of iniquity. The church
of God asks no pecuniary aid from po-
litical power, but does ask that in ad-
dition to all the evils we must necessa-
rily contend against we shall not have
TO fight also municipal negligence. Oh,
that in all cur cities Christian people
would rise up, and that they would put
their hand on the helm before piratical
demagogues have swamped the ship
Instead of giving so much time to ma
tional politics give some of your atten-
tion to municipal government
l demand that the Christian people
who have been standing alocf from pub
lie affairs come back, and in the might
Of God try to save orr cities II Things
are or have been bad, it is because good
people have let them be bad That
Christian man who merely gees TO the
polls and casts his vote does not Go hl'
duty. 1t is not the ballot box that de
cides the election; it is the political eau
Gus. and if at the primary meetings ci
the two political parties unfit and bad
men are nominated then the ballot boz
has nothing to do save TO take IT.
choice between two thieves. In our
churches, by reformatory organization,
in every way let us try to tone up the
moral sentiment in these cities. The
rulers are those whom the people choose,
and depend upon it that in al. the CIT
les, as long as pure hearted men stand
aloof from politics because they despise
hot partisanship, just so long in many
of our cities will rum make the noml-
nations, and rum control the ballot box,
and rum inaugurate 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, present your city officials be
fore God for blessing. II you live in
city presided over by a mayor, pray Tor
him. The chief magistrate Of city is
in position Of great responsibility
Many Of the kings and queens and EN-
perors Of other days had no such dohin-
ion. With the-scratcb of a pen be may
advance a beneficent institution or balk
a railway .soe8scation. By appoint
ments he may bless ers enrse' every
hearthstone In the city. II IN the Epis-
copal churches, by the authority OF
the litany, and in our nonepiscopate
churches, we every Sabbath pray for the
president Of the United States, why not,
then, be just as hearty in our snpplica-
tions for the chief magistrates Of cities,