The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-26
SUNDAY SCHOOLS MEET
COUNTY CONVENTION ASSEM-.
 BLED LAST NIGHT.
Interesting Addresses by Judge W. H. Thomas and Rev. c. A. Stake ley-Country Delegates Kx-
 pected to Arrive Today.

The Montgomery County Sunday School Convention met in annual session in the Sunday School room of the First Presby-
 terian Church last night. Very few of the delegates from out in the County had arrived but there was 8 large attendance
 of local Sunday School workers. The names of the delegates will not be en- rolled until the session this morning. A choir of we'll trained voices added much to the meeting. Mir. W. w. Pearson is President Of the Convention and MT. Paul F. Dix IS Secretary. The Convention will be in session until Sunday night. Tho session last night was devoted to two addresses. one by Judge W. H. Thom- as, "A Plea for Civic Vfrtue," and the other by Dr. c. A. Stakely on Power of Judge Thomas said 1t afforded him great pleasure to be at Sunday School Convention. He is a constant attendant at Sunday School, but he had net re- ceived the benefit that he might. had he | more experience in Sunday School Con- ventions.
 Let us have an understanding of what civic virtue is," said Judge Thomas. The
 Latin. civis, a citizen. That is, one who | is entitled to the full protection of the
 law in the exercise and enjoyment of his
 private rights when not in conflict with | Understanding in a general way the | meaning of the word civic duty. said the | speaker, it may not be out or place to
 look at the word virtue as used in the ex- precision civic virtue. This word we find | he said, has eight or ten different mean
 ings, but in this connection, of course, 1t l means natural and moral excellence, the practice of duty and abstinence from l civic vice.
 l Judge Thomas said of our citizenship
 there are two great classes. citizens and | officials. In speaking of the duties of cit-
 izenship Judge Thomas said that public | opinion is the measure of duty and its
 unselfish discharge from public motives fixes the standard of honor. That we do | not violate the law is but half the dis l charge of duty, said Judge Thomas. there
 are many little duties which lie along | life's pathway. that we all well know. If your Judgment is required on the school
 board. as road overseer, township trustee l or juror. you will not hesitate or stop I short of a full discharge of duty because | it be a thankless iob or Is without honor
 or pay. If friend is sick should not his | suffering and Encouragement be dtspelled | by the sunshine of 0 kindly face and the
 hearty offer of needed help? If the Angel | of the Passover stops at your neighbor' 8 l door, are not there duties for you as im- portant as on election day. If disaster l and calamity come, must we not aid and | succor. The statute may excuse, but will 1 civic virtue?
 1 Judge Thomas then dwelt on the neg
 lect of citizens in performing their duty
 to their country. The time honored ex- | cuses T am too busy, Its no business
 of mine" satisfies when at the same time | they know that the statutes are being violated and yet they see not that the law | is enforced.
 Judge Thomas said this is a vegy prae-
 tical world we live in. There are but two
 issues. for or against, the good or the
 bad. the right or the, wrong We must
 take sides. it is our duty to take sides,
 and we must each pe sure that we are
 on the right side of every question Yheth- l CT momentous or unimportant.
 Judge Thomas then took up the matter
 of bribery and fraud. He said actual | fraud is a class of public vice. which em- | braces first, those who can be brtbed for
 money; second, those by influential
 curing or retaining public office. Our mind revolts at once at the conduct of | the poor, depraved fellow who falls to the | temptations of 7, few shining silver dol | lars when his hungry and 1ll-clad wife | and children are shivering with cold at home, and he has lost employment be- cause of absolute habits and yet do we | think of the tempter who came to him | from plenty and family happiness. with | an unholy ambition to be called Colonel | or Senator" buys his last spark of self | respect with his vote. Which Is the most
 guilty of the two in the eyes of the Great | Lawgiver? Which in our eyes? We say
 at once, the last; but do our hearts and | lives say this? Do we turn with disgust
 from this poor unfortunate and walk half
 a block out of our way to speak to the
 man who bribed him. If so is there not
 something wrong with our civic virtue? Then we have bribery of influence and l for office," continued the speaker. But, | you say It Is all right for you to help me and help you Yes, if each is com
 potent and it is for the general good that
 each succeed. But don't forget that the | border line is shadowY and we may not
 always know where it is or where we | are"
 Judge Thomas said he was fearful that
 many proceeding along this line will sit | in judgment with the sinner who tried
 to be just good enough to miss hell and | get into heaven. There are dangers along 1 here that every good man may consider | and remember that upon the purity of
 the ballot box depends the permanency | of good government and that when the | will of an intelligent and moral public
 sentiment fails to speak at the polls In 1 the selection of men for public trusts. be- l cause of frauds and corruptiors, the sys- | tenn of local government is being de- | nied and our public institutions will trem-
 ble at the result.
 From what hear" said Judge Thom-
 as. q fear that it is getting so that men l who in the long ago would have blushed to have thought of, or insulted to be of-
 fered pay for the discharge of the high est duty of citizenship too often expect it if not from the campaign fund in some | place of emolument"
 Judge Thomas entered plea to avert | inc danger of having important offices filled cnly by rich men, who may be | able and willing to pay down tho money for office Such government sad he, can not be by the people.
 Judge Thomas closed his address with an elo1uent appeal to guard against civic vice and thus attain and know and | O onDr,riatp civic virtue. -..'