The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-08-12

and byWord IN the Whole earth. anu
then the Christian merchants saw their
folly, and they went and took posses
sion of the ballot boxes. wish 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 af-
fected by them.
So also of the educational interests of
city. Do you know that there are in
this country about 10000 common
schools, and that there are over S,O00,-
900 pupils, and that the ma ority of
those schools ana 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. | 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 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.
l have also to say that the character
of officials in city affects the domestic
circle. In a city where grogshops have
their own way and gambling bells are
not lnterfered with, and for fear of los
ing political influence officials close
their eyes to fostering nominations
in all those cities the home interests
need to make importation. 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.
l will 60 further and say that the
religious interests of city are thus af-
fccted. The church to-day has to con.
tend with evils that the civil law ought
to smite, and, while 1 would not have
the civil government in any wise relax
its energy in the arrest and punishment
of crime, l would have a thousandfolG
more energy put forth in the drying uT
of the fountains of iniquity. The church
of God asks no pencuniary aid from po
liticial power, but does ask that in ad
dition to all the evils we must necessar
lily contend against we shall net 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
demagogucs have swamped the ship!
Instead of giving so much time to ma
tional politics, give some of your atten
ton to municipal government.
| demand that the Christian people
who have been standing aloof from
public affairs come back, and in the
might of God try to save our cities. L
things are or have been bad, it is be
cause good people have let them be bad
That Christian man who merely zoe!
to the polls and casts his vote does no
do his duty. It is not the ballot DO,
that decides the elections; it is the DO
; lltlcal caucus, and if at the primary
meetings of the two political parties un
fit and bad men are nominated, then TIT
ballot box has nothing to do save tt
!. take it's choice between two thieves
; In our churches, by reformatory or
ganization, in every way let us try t
: tone up the moral sentiment in thes,
, cities. The rulers are those whom thu
. people choose, and depend upon it tina
: in all the cities, as long as pure hearte,
men stand aloof from politics becaus'
they depise hot partisanship, just 81
long in many of our cities will run
make the nominations, and rum contro
the ballot box, and rum inaugurate tt,
y officials.
: | take step further in this subiec
and ask all those who believe in til,
. omnipotence of prayer, day by day an,
every day, present your city official
} before God for blessing.' If you liv,
in city presided over by mayor
pray for him. The chief magistrate O
a city is in 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 h,
: may advance beneficent institution O.
1 balk railway confiscation. By APP
: pointments he may bless or curse ever,
hearthstone in thecity. If in the Episco
: pal churches, by the authority of the lit
: 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 TO
: the chief magistrates of cities, for the
l 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 ter
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 10
lltlcal corruption. They could no
stand the Do1yar IF tho br;b, r.u-