The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-07-10
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Tells How to Secure Safety for
Our Cities.
Municipal Government from n Moral
and Religious Standpoint -
Counsel to Those Holding 4
Public Positions.

ate at the entry of the seal"
This is n part of an imprisoned apos-
trophe to the city of Tyre. twas a beau
tiful city-a majestic city. At the east
end of the Mediterranean it sat with
one hand reckoning the inland trade
and with the other the III of for
eign nations. 1t swung u monstrous
boom across its harbor to shut out for
eign enemies, and then swung back
that boom to let in it's friends. The air
of the desert was fragrant with the
spices brought by to her fairs,
and all seas were cleft into foam by the
keels of her laden merchantmen. Her
markets were rich with horses and
mules and camels from Togarmah;
with upholstery and ebony and ivory
from Dedan; with emeralds and agate
and coral from Syria; with wine from
Helbon; with finest needlework from
Ashur and Chilmad. Talk about the
splendid staterooms of your Cunard
and Inman and White Star lines of
international steamers why, the
benches of the staterooms in those
Tyrian ships were all ivory, and instead
of our coarse canvas on the mast of
Ilc ppm lllCy Lto bhC AAACob AAhSNI
quilted together and i~nwrought with
em~Ioroideries almost miraculous for
beauty. Its columns overshadowed all
nations. Distant empires felt its heart
beat. Majestic city, situate at the
entry of the sea-"
But where now is the CLEAN of her
towers, the roar of her chariots, the
masts of her shipping? Let the fisher
men who dry their nets on the place
where she once stood, let the sea that
rushes upon the barrenness where she
|. once challenged the admiration of all
nations, let the barbarians who build
their huts on the place where her pal
aces glittered, answer the question.
| Blotted out forever! She forgot God,
and God forgot her. And while our
modern cities admire her glory let
them take warning at her awful doom.
At this season of the year 1 have
thought it might be useful to talk a lit
tie while about the moral responsibility
resting upon the Office bearers in all our
cities, a theme as appropriate to those
who are governed as to the governors.
The moral character of those who rule
a city has much to do with the char
acter of the city itself. Men, women and
children are all interested in national
politics. When the great presidential
election comes, every patriot wants to
be found at the ballot box. We are all
interested in the discussion of national
finance, national debt, and we read the
laws of congress, and we are wondering
who will sit next in the presidential
chair. Now, that may be all very well
nj - = - 49,, 4hAk
we took some of the attention which we
have been devoting to national affairs
and brought it to the study of municipal
government. This it seems to me now
is the chief point to be AIKEN. Make
the cities right md the nation will be
right. / have noticed that, according
to their opportunities, there has really
been more corruption in municipal
governments in this country than in
the state and national legislatures.
Now, is there no hope? With the might
lest agent in cur hand. the glorious
gospel of Jesus Christ, shall not all our
cities be reformed and purifiedIand re-
deemed? l believe the day will come.
am in full sympathy with those who
are opposed 10 carrying politics into
religion. but our cities will never be re-
formed and purified until we carry re-
Iigion into politics. l look over our
cities and I see that all great inter
ests are to be affected in the future,
as they have been affected in the past,
by the character of those who in the
different departments rule over us, and
| propose to classify some of those in
terests.
In the first place, / remark
cial ethics are always affected by the
moral or immoral character of those
who have municipal supremacy. OIL
Gals that wink at fraud and that have
neither censure nor arraignment for
glittering dishonesties always weaken
the pulse of commercial honor, Every
shop. every store, every baZar. every
factory in the cities feels the moral
character of the city hall If in any city
there be a dishonest mayoralty, or an
unprincipled common council, or Il
court susceptible to brides, 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 o~utbranchings 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. l will not soil my
hands with the slush." Nevertheless
the most insignificant trial in the police
court will affect hat merchant direct
IL or indirectly. What style of clerk is
sues 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 questions that strike your counting
rooms to the center. You may not
throw 1t off. In the city of New York
Christian merchants for n great while
aid ''Well have nothing to do with
the management of public affairs" and
they allowed everything TO go at looss
end until there rolled up in that city
q debt of nearly $l2O.0OO.C0O. The mu-
nicipal government became u kissing
and u byword in the whole earth. and
her the Christian merchants saw their
folly, and they went and o possess
sion of the ballot boxes. wish al COM
mercial men to understand that they
are not independent of the moral char
lcter of the men who rule over them,
but must be thoroughly, nightly qf-
fected by them.
So also of the educational interests of
a city. 90 you know that there are in
this country about 10000 common
schools, and that there are over S,O0O,-
900 pupils, and that the majority of
those schools and the majority of those
pupils are In our cities? Now this great
multitude of children viii be affected
by the intelligence or Ignorance, the
virtue 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 fall of ignorance
and rum. il ought not to be SO, but in
many cities it is so. 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