The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-24
WILMINGTON, N. c..
THE FOUNDATION OF GOVERN
MENT.

papers been earnest n vigorous in the
exposure and denunciation Of political
crime, p~rofigacy and turpitude in the
past-though at least tnirty-three
years-but republican papers of the bet
ter and more honorable kind have
struck heavy blows at the Astounding
corruption in great cities and smaller,
and in the country ut large, including
the vile pension bureau. The new pres
ident has never uttered anything truer
and wiser and saner than when he said
more than a year since:
mo nation, no matter how glorious
it's history. a exist, unless il practices
practices, mind you. not merely
preaches-civic honesty. civic decency,
civic righteousness. No nation can per-
manently prosper unless the decaloge
and the golden rule are it's guides in
public as in private life"
Without absolute righteousness and
purity in the hearts n lives of those
in authority as in the hearts Of the
great mass of the American people there
can be but little promise OF ~salutary
ind substantial reformation. The dis
Ease Of corruption is deep and wide
2pread. 1t ramifes the country in all
kinds of official life and in almost all
sorts of business. It is as destructive
to official and private morality as a
sirocco is to human being. and as pes
tilential to character as the atmosphere
of a charne1 house is to the homes Of
she people. The whole nation, more or
less is tainted. Immoralities.~ wickedness,
degradation abound and they are not
confined to any condition in life. The
standard of morals is low and descend
5ng. The moral sense to a great extent
has become blunted. and the moral
yision is cursed with obliQuity. 1t is a
fact that through the years bad con-
duct, viscious life. profligacy, dishon-
esty. fraud, populations are condoned
all about if not actually sympathized
ton of degrading conduct and decided
r~ascality are promoted. are recognized,
are put Owe Industrious. capable, tried
men. Men are recognized socially who
would have been banished as accursed
Pariahs fifty years ago from all decent
society in every we'll regulated commun-
-ity. Read the newspapers daily if you
would find the truth and confirmation
of this. Wal is a great demoralizer as
we'll as hell on earth turned loose. We
all know who are old enough or are
careful students. how the great war
wrought it's horrors n desolat1ons
. and filled graves with more than 100,-
INA $1,000 DIT WOW h1octc DESTROYS cnn-
sumes, degrades afterwards. It's Inger-
ing influence pollutes. ~Derverts. blinds
for decades succeeding the declaration
, OF peace. 1t has always been so. We
could fill ten columns with cumuiating
proof of the accusation. 1t leaves It's
loathsome trail and scatters in corrod-
ing poison upon society to make 1t fes-
ter and feverish and unhealthy. A con-
+, siderable part of mankind is corrupt.
History abounds in evidence Thereon.
Are the American people wholly pure,
or are a part corrupt. vicious, sick?
There must be renovation. repent
ance reformation. and this must begin
in the very hearts of the people. That
is the diagnosis, the prescription, and
God only is the great Healer ana
Renovation and the sole authority to
treat the case. There can eve be a
righteous, moral, great people without
God as Ruler and Redeemer. Righteous
ness exaIts a nation. whilst corruption.
infidelity and rebellion against Jehovah
will o or late provoke the almighty
wrath and the consuming vengeance OF
the Goo of Nations. the High and Holy
One who inhabiteth eternity. He only
sits in majesty and power above the
circle Of the heavens. The true foun-
dations of society and good government
rest upon pure, undefled. genuine re-
ligion-upon a profound reverence for
Gods law. submission to His will, and
obedience to His commandments. Rev
DR.. Carmichael in his fine funeral ad-
dress on Thursday dwelt more or less
on obedience to Authority as funda-
mental and imperative. His remarks
were particularly cogent and impressive
here.
Politics and craftsmanship are identi-
cal. In the true meaning they are the
same. Unfortunately since the war,
politics and trickery. demagogism and
fraud are one and the same-made
Synonymous in practice. But really
politics belong to a much hlSher
plane than that-they are a branch and
part of ethics. Political science IS akin
closely-is a part in reality of the
science of morals. divorces them and
there are gangrene and corruption run
mad. Read American history for thirty
years and behold b truth OF this
Political science has been APPLY, right
~ defined Righteousness as applied tic
Government and Citizenship" This be-
ing true there is truly a connection be
ztween politics and even religion. That
is tt say, there is no such thing as a
state without a God, for as a Mas
schusetts author Of the past. DR.. Orestes
Brownson. said. there could be no poll