Connecticut western news., 1897-07-08

CuaTSeS lue Jury, Nllut sty It Ol sueIlA executes the sentence-these are ques- tions that strike your counting rooms to the center. You may not throw it off. 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 a debt of nearly $120, 900, 000 The municipal government became hissing 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. l 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 city. Do you know that there are in this country about 70,000 common schools, and that there are over 8, 1000, 900 pupils, and that the majority of those schools and the majority of those pupils are ill our cities? Now, this great null titude of children will be affected by the intelligence or ignorance, the vir 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. It ought not to be so. but ill many cities it is so. I 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 Bi- ble 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 it's sworn ene- mics!
 I have also to say that the character of officials in 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 luR DOllOlCtit lullutdSC ClOsG their eyes to fostering abominations-in all those cities the home interests need to make imploration. The family cir cles of the city must inevitably be af- feoted by the moral character or the immoral character of those who rule over them.
 I will go further and say that the re- ligious interests of city are thus affect ed The church today has to contend with evils that the civil law ought to smite, and while would not have the civil government in any wise relax it's energy in the arrest and punishment of crime I would have a thousandfold more energy put forth in the drying up 1.-the fountains of iniquity. The church Of God asks no pecuniary aid from po- litical power, but does ask that in ad- 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 shipl Instead of giving so much time to na- tional politics give some of your atten- tion to municipal government.
 I demand that the Christian people who have been standing aloof from pub- lie affairs come back, and in the might of God try to save our cities. If things are or have been bad, it is because good people have let them be bad. That Christian man who merely goes to the polls and casts his vote does not do his duty. It is not the ballot box that de- cides the election; it is the political eau GUS, and if at the primary meetings of the two political parties unfit and bad men are nominated then the ballot box has nothing to do save to take its 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 all the cit ies, 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 nomi- and rum control the ballot box, and rum inaugurate the officials.
 take step further in this subject, and ask all those who believe in the of prayer, day by day, and every day, present your city officials be- fore God for a blessing. If you live in a city presided over by mayor, pray for him. The chief magistrate of a city is in a position of great responsibility. Many of the kings and queens and em- ferors of other days had no such domin- ion. With the scratch of pen he may advance benefcent institution or balk a railway confscation. By appoint ments he may bless or curse every hearthstone in the city. If 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 supplica- tions for the chief magistrates of cities, for their guidance, for their health, for their present and their everlasting mor- aIity?
 But go further and pray for your com- mon council if your city has common tobhSAA' uOlt III tlltlI d power splendid for good or terrible for evil. They have many temptations. In many of the cities whole boards of com mon councilmen have gone down in the of political corruption. They could not stand the power of the bribe. Corruption came in and sat beside them and sat behind them and sat before them. They recklessly voted away the hard earned moneys of the people. They were bought out, body, mind and soul, so that at the end of their term of office they had not enough of moral remains left to make decent funeral They went into office with the huzza of the They came out with the of all decent people. There is not one man out of hundred that can endure the temptations of the common councilmen in our great cities. If a man in that position have the courage of a Cromwell, and the independence of an Andrew Jackson, and the public spirit