The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-07-09

nicipal government became a Missing
and a byword in the whole earth. and
then the Christian merchants saw their
folly, and they went and took posses
sion of the ballot boxes. Iwish all COM
mercial men TO understand that they
are not independent of the moral char
acter of the men who rule over them,
but must be thoroughly. nightly al
fected by them.
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 $780,
600 pupils. and that the majority OF
those schools and the majority of those
pupils are in our cities? Now this great
multitude of children Will 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 full of ignorance
and rum. 1t ought not to be so. but IN
many cities it is so. Ihear 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 than TO subtract
from them. Instead of driving the
Bible out, you had better drive the
Bible further in. May God defend 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 domestic
circle. In 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 eyes to fostering denominations
in all those cities the home interests
need to make imploration. The family
circles of the city must inevitably be af-
fected by the moral character or the i'm
moral character of those who rule over
| them.
1 viii go further and say that the
| ANAlS lOuS III VI a NANN Z III OS al
fected. The church to-day has to con-
tend 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, 1 would have d thousandfold
more energy put forth in the drying up
of the fountains of iniquity. The church
of God asks no pencuniary aid from po-
liticial power, but does ask that in adj
dition to all the evils we must necessar-
lily contend against we shall not have
to fight also municipal negligence. Oh
that in all our cities Christian people
would rise up, and that they would put
their hand on the helm before piratica'
demagogues have swamped the ship!
Instead. of giving so much time 20 Ia
tional politics. give some Of your atten
ton to municipal government.
l demand that the Christian peopl,
who have been standing aloof from
public affairs come back, and in th'
might of God try TO save our cities. 1
things are or have been bad, it is be
cause good people have let them be bad
That Christian man who merely goe
to the polls and casts his vote does no
do his duty. It is not the ballot DO,
that decides the election: it is the 20
!, litical caucus, and if at the primar!
meetings of the two political parties IN
! fit and bad men are nominated. then tn,
ballot box has nothing TO DO save Il
take its choice between two thieves
, In our churches, by reformatOry or
ganization, in every way let US try Il
, tone up the moral sentiment in thes
cities. The rulers are those whom TIT
people choose, and depend upon it tina
in all the cities, as long as pure hearted
men stand aloof from politics becaus'
they depise hot partisanship, just 81
long in many of our cities viii run
make the nominations, and rum contro
the ballot box, and rum, inaugurate tn,
officials.
/ take a step further in this subjec
and ask all those who believe in tn,
omnipotence of prayer, day by day anC
, every day, present your city official
, before God for blessing. If you iv'
in a city presided over by mayor
! pray IOT nlul L uC CLlc1 HdS lslId &c y
city is in a position of great response
bility. Many of the kings and queen
and emperors of other days had no sucl
dominion. With the scratch of pen b.
, may advance benefcent institution O.
balk railway confscation. BY ap
pointments he may bless or curse ever.
hearthstone in thecity. If in the Episco
pal churches, by the authority of thelit
any, and in our nonepiscopate churche
> we every Sabbath pray for the presiden
of the United States. why not, then, b
, just as hearty in our supplications 70
: the chief magistrates of cities. for thei
guidance. for their health, for thei
: present and their everlasting morality
But go further, and pray for you
! common council, if your city has
=, common council. They hold in thei
, hands power splendid for good or tel
, rible for evil. They have many temp
; tations. In many of the cities Who'll
! boards of common council men hav
, gone down in the maelstrom of DC