The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-14
SATURDAY, August IA, 1897
POLITICS AND THE LOVE OF MONEY.

Not many days ago, IN private con-
yersatiOn, a public officer in North
Carolina said to caller who chided
him for his political inconsistency, "Oh,
well, the rest of them are in it for the
stuff just as l am. 1t is nicer, perhaps,
to be consistent and all that sort Of
thing, but you have to starve while
doing it, / have made up my mind to
stay in the swim and let consistency take
care Of itself"
This office-holder in his public utter
ances is wont to talk about the necessity
of putting honest men in office and to
denounce his opponents as tricksters,
ringsters, loudly proclaiming him
self in favor of reform in public and in
private, ridiculing them as shams and
acting the hypocrite in all his public ut
terances. Why? Because it pays in dol
lars and cents.
In the Federal government, the condi-
tons of the denominations Of money have
passed the stage when trusts sought
special privilege by stealth. The time
was when they got their bounties through
secret agents, but ON such low plane
have we fallen that now they select their
representatives and taxs the people to
pay their salaries. We have had many
machine politicians and corrupt men in
Congress, but never until now have all
the trusts combined to send their special
representative, Mark Hanna, with his
corrupting and baneful influence, to sit
in the Senate. 1t is a shocking proof
of the low tone of public morals that
this exhibition does not enrage the
Ierican people. While money changers
= run the government for their own
ell \lent the spectacle has become so
comb that the moral currency of the
lido as BEEN debased. Rarely has
any NJ. spoken more truly than Rev.
Mr. RaInsford, the able New York
Episcopal clergyman, in an article in a
recent number of Demorest. 1t is a SER
mon that ought to deeply impress every
honest man. We quote:
"And this love of money, with it's
consequent neglect of duty, its dwarfng
Of mind and soul, manifests itself in the
world, as well as in the church It
stalks among us, the sin of our day, the
great overwhelming threat against our
civilization. This mad idolatry of gold
transforms not only our social but our
moral and political life. In former
times the merchant sold his goods and
was content with the profits made in the
simple process Of exchange. Now he
knocks at the doors of Congress and
demands special legislation. The idea
Of politics now is to use it not for ruling
( the nation, but for making money.
Every class goes into politics for the
profitable privileges it will bring. The
lobbyist and boss have driven out the
statesman. Rings rule instead Of right
eousDess. Good men keep out OF poll
tics. We hear this statement frequently
made. 1t was said of a young New
York man that because Of his high char
acter he was too good to go into politics.
Blasphemy! If man is too good to go
into politics, he is too good to serve God.
But here again we come to the Ques-
ton of money. The lawyers, doctors,
and business men havn't time to go into
politics. They must make more money.
The multi-milionaire is Bunyan's man
with the muck-rake. Behind him stands
the angel with the golden crown. We
can't believe in the man with the muck
rake.
'"The money lust warps our press, our
business life, our patriotism, our col
leges and universities If Christ does
not promote the spirit of patriotic
brotherhood, our children will rise up
and call us accursed. We need the pa
triotism Of quiet self-sacrifce, which en-.
ables men, and women to say: / am
willing to give up my comforts, my time
my income, my life, if need be, tc
make the world better. And whatever
may be the sphere of life, bowling tc
their god, Mammon, men forever sing
their 'Miserere,' when they might sing 6
tie Deum,' inspired by generous bestow
ment."
One Of the managers of the Hanna