The Newtown bee., 1903-06-19

who stands for the highest and best manhood all the time and everywhere? Is this manhood to saddle all the re- sponsibilitv for the direction of public affairs onto the worst element of the and then stand off and say what dirty business it is? Shame on any such conception of the Christian and his duty. Rather 1 would say to him: Go into it
 AND BY KEEPING YOURSELF PURE AND
 CLEAN,
 make your influence felt, and if politics is dirty make it clean. Make the Christian people of the community the element whose power will be felt and which must be reckoned with, and who can be counted on to down any corrupt or evil action there just as surely as they can be counted on to down sin in day it is not the power of honest Chris tian men that is feared or that is sought after in any political move, but rather that of the very lowest element of the town-the man who has no prin- ciples at stake and who is ready to bid for the vote. Here is splendid op- portunity for the efforts of honest Christian men.
 There is another point also from which the Christian should view his place in the public life of his commit nifty. The community has right to make certain demands on every man for service in it's behalf. If any man has an especial fitness for any position the community has right to ask him to exercise it there. He owes it to the community in which he lives, that in return for the benefits he in common with others receives, he should be ready to render such service as he is in their judgment especially fitted for, and whether that position be one of large or small importance or responsi- bility our Christian should be more ready, l think, than ony other man to fill it if he is capable of doing so, recog- nizing always his need of sacrificing sometimes his own comfort and desires for the good of the whole community. Such standard as this set for the office holder would at once and forever lift political life from it's slough of dis ] respect and place it on plane of decencyrand honor. And who better than the Christian man in the place should be the one to substitute such a standard for the standards of money getting which now prevail?
 In making practical suggestions along the line of this thought, for this is intended above :lll else to be a practi- cal sermon and not merely a collecti n of theories: let me lay emphasis first of all on that which is the very groun1- work of system of government-5ha which is the inherent right, priv lege, the duty of every free American, namely the exercising of the power of the ballot. I speak deliberately when say
 TT IS EVERY MANS DUTY TO VOTE.
 It is little short of criminal negligence for man to allow an election, wheth- CT town, state or national to go by without casting his vote if it is in any way possible for him to reach the polls. It is to my mind clear evasion of re- sponsibility. It is this sort of man who stands offiafter election and says | he is not to blame for the condition of things for he didn't vote. He didn't vote and by that very act he gave one more vOte'to the side of wrong and evil. It is every mans duty likewise to vote as his conscience tell him is right. I have very little use for the man whose only slogan is "The Party''-
 'The Party''-the man who would vote for Satan himself if. he were the name of the party nominee. In my mind he is very little better than the man who sells his vote to the highest bidder. Wherein lies the difference? The one is counted a sure thing by his party without regard for the points at issue, and the other with an equal disregard | for these issues can be made sure only by the gentle persuasion of $5 or SlO bill, Tor have 1 put the figure too high does it take only $2 to make him cast freeman's ballot? Is one of thes e men any more of man than the other or is any more voting a free ballot? I would not be misunderstood as de-