The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-08-13

the council chamber as softly as a
slippered page, and then it takes its
right hand from its deep pocket and
offers II In salutation TO Judge or leg
islAtor. II that hand be taken, and
the palm OF the intruder o the
palm of the official, the leprosy crosses
from palm TO palm in a round blotch,
round as a gold eagle, and the virus
spreads and the doom is fixed, and
the victim perishes Let bribery. &C
cursed Of God and man, stand up for
trial.
The black chapter In English, Irish,
French and American politics Is the
chapter Of bribery. Some Of you re-
member the Pacific mail subsidies
Most OF you remember the awful trag-
edy Of the Credit Mobilier. Under the
temptation 10 bribery Benedict Arnold
sold the fort in the Highlands for $751;
SIS For this sin Gorgey betrayed
Hungary, Ahthophel forsook David,
and Judas kissed Christ When ! see
% many Of the illustrious 20 down
under this temptation, II makes me
think Of the red dragon spoken Of in
Revelations, with seven heads and ten
horns and seven crowns, drawing q
third part OF the stars Of Heaven down
after him
The Hobbies OF the legislatures OF
this country control the country. The
land is drunk with bribery. '0h,"
says some one, there is no need Of
talking against bribery by promise or
by dollars, because every man has his
price, / do not believe IT. Even
heathenish and the dark ages have
furnished specimens Of incorruptibili-
~. A eadi Of Smyrna had a case
brought before him on trial A man
gave him 500 dueats in bribery. The
case came on The briber had many
witnessed The poor man on the other
side had no witnesses At the close of
the case the eadi said: This poor man
has no witnesses, he thinks; / shall
produce in his behalf 500 witnesses
against the other side Then pulling
out the bag of ducats from under the
ottoman, he dashed r down at the
feet Of the briber, saying: II give my
decision against you" EpaminondAs,
offered = bride, said: II will do this
thing II 1t be right, and IL 1t be wrong
all your goods cannot persuade me-"
The president OF the American con-
greAs during the American revolution,
Gen. Reed, was offered 10000 guineas
by foreign commissioners II he would
betray this country. He replied:
Gentlemen, / am q very poor man,
but tell your king he 10 not rich
enough TO buy me-" But why 20 so
far, when you and /, II we move in
honorable society, know men and
women who by all the forces Of earth
and hell could not be bribed. They
would no more be bribed than you
would think Of tempting an angel Of
light to exchange Heaven for the pit
To offer q bride Is villainy, but 1t is a
very poor compliment TO the man 70
whom 1t is offered.
Meanwhile, my advice Is keep ont OF
politics unless you are i~nvulnerabls 10
this style Of temptation Indeed, IL
even you are naturally strong, you
need religious buttressing. Nothing
but the grace of God can sustain our
public men, and make them what we
wish. wish ths, there might come
an old, fashioned revival Of religion,
that IL might break out In congress
and the legislatures, and bring many
Of the leading republicans and demo
erats down on the anxious seat Of re-
pentance. That day will come, OF
something better, for the Bibls de,
clares that kings and queens shall be-
come nursing fathers and mothers "a
the church, and II the greater in au'
Lbor!ty, then certainly the less
Ny charge also 70 parents Is, remem'
Der that this evil Of bribery often be
gins in the towe circle, and in tn,
nursery. DO yOH bride your childrenI
Teach them TO do that which is right
and not because OF the ten cents ~ tbt
orange which you will give then.
. There is a great difference between re
warding virtue and making the profit
thereof the impelling motive. Tha'
man who is honest merely because
"hopssty is the best policy" is ALREADY
snoral bankrupt My charge Is /
. you, IN al departments Of life, stee
clear Of bribery Al Of you. Ever,
man and womsn ~ ka,He time will b
tempted TO do wrong Ter eompensa
ton. The bride may not be offered q
n money. it may be offered In Socis
" position. Let us remember that thar
u a day coming when the most secre
trsDEactions Of private life, and O
> public gie, will come up for publ
repreheRsioa
Al Men Of the world often regret tina
they have 10 leave tbeiy money her
IN when they go away from tie World
You can tell from what they ssy I
their last hours that one Of their cbie
SORROWS is that they have 70 leave thsi
b. Honey. ] break that delusion, / Tel
that bribetaker that he will take hi
money With him. God will wrap IL u
in your Ghrosa. or put IL In the palI
Of your hand IN r~essTFtetion, and Their
IL will lie, not the cool. bright shinin
gold as II was on the day yhag 70
!, sold your vote and your moral prime
\ pie, but there 1t will lie, a bot meta
- burning and consuming your hand FOL
cvsi. Or, II there be enough Of it 70
a chain, then II will fall over the wris'
.ct clanking the letters Of an eternal cal
VIC tivity. The bride Ia IN everlasting POI
session. You take 1t for time, you TAX
~ II for eternity. Some day In tho ne1
" world, when you are longing for syn
patty, you will feel on your cheek
kisa Looking up, you will find II I
ls Judas, who took 80 pieces Of silv,
e.u as y bfIbe, and finished the bargain b
re putting az Infamous kiss ON the pun
cheek Of his divine Master.
Another wrong nss " money is see
asl In the abuse OF trust funds. Near