The independent., 1903-04-16
AFTER ELECTION
Rev. Herbert 8. Bigslsw's SermOn, Vine
Street Congregational Church,
Cincinnati


Therefore have my people gone
into captivity, because they have
no knowledge 5:13.
Diabolism in nature staggers ones
faith in God Diabolism in politics
staggers ones faith in the. republic.
The man who engages in noble
cause and who finds, the day after
election, that he has addressed himself
to deaf ears and that the people have
not been moved by his appeals, that
man is likely to sit down and ask
himself: is popular government a sue
cess? Is the voice of the people the
voice of God? Is it worth while to
fight the battles of those who do not
care?
1t was with such doubts as these
that Elijah betook himself to cave,
resolved to retire from public life and
let the ungrateful people shift for
themselves. 1t was here that the an
gel of the Lord found him and re-
buked him. The angel told him not
to be fool enough to fancy he was the
dom and admonished him to come out
of his cave of despair and go to work.
Pessimism means paralysis. Faith and
hope are the great watch-Words OF the
race.
What we need is more faith in the
republic. But this implies faith in
the people, for the republic means
popular government.
We have popular government. 1t is
the people who rule. Political ma
chimes may frequently balk their rule.
Money may do much to thwart the
popular will. Our representative form
of government, wherein the people
have no direct veto or initiative, is Of
ten subversive of the declared wish OF
the majority. Notwithstanding all
these things, the people get their way
when they are in earnest about it.
The recent election in Toledo fur
nishes striking proof of this. With
every political organization against
him, with every paper silent as to his
candidacy, Golden Rule" Jones has,
for the fourth time, won popular
victory. The people are stronger than
all papers and all politicians and all
corporate wealth combined. They can
not plead any of these things as ex-
cuse for their failures. They alone
are responsible. Those who work fo''
the upbuilding of the race have no
reason to despair Of the people. 1t
true, the voice of the people is fire.
Guently the voice of the devil. How
often through the ages, and even now,
do we hear the mad cry of the mob,
Away with him!" How often even
today, do the people choose Barabbas!
"Up with the tyrant!" "Down with
the friends of justice!" Give us
chains!" A heavier yoke for our
necks! More burdens for our backs!
These are, alas, how often, the un-
reasoning cries of the multitude.
Yet in the face of all that, the creed
of every American must be: II be-
lieve in the republic; believe in the
people; | believe in progress; | be-
lieve in the spreading light; believe
in the growing truth; | believe in the
future Of American civilization"
The voice of the people is the voice
of God. In spite of the sneers Of the
cynic and the doubts of the disheart-
ened, it is true.
The people are not right today, nor
tomorrow, perhaps. The people are
never wholly right. 1t is true, the
great majority are always in the
wrong. Truth is always in the minor
ity. The progress Of truth is the eter-
nal struggle of the few who see.
against the many who sit in darkness.
What then do we mean when we say
the voice Of the people is the voice of
God? We mean that if cause is just,
it must ultimately triumph. Under a
free discussion the truth must pre-
vail. There is no higher test of truth
than this, that it should have enCoun-
tered the. prejudiees of nation, that
it should have advanced in the face
of opposition, that it should have been
exposed to the light of day, and that
the people should have finally adopted
it. How do l know that this cause
which advocate is Gods truth? II
it prevails in the hearts of men. If it
does not prevail if it does not COM
mend itself to the human understand
ing, If it does not at last receive the
Endorsement of the people and hold its