The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-04-22
TRIBUTE TO GEH. Bate.
CAREER MAKES ILLUSTRATIONS
OF CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE
IN DR.. A. G. LOTIONS SERMON.
Pronounced One Of the Few Coming
Out of Recent Canvass With No
Smell of Smoke, Upon His Gar
ments.-Hls Defeat in Davidson.

In his sermon on Christian Elk.
ample in Secular Life Sunday morn.
ing at the Central Baptist Church. DIR.
George \. Loftin alluded to Christian
example in politics as illustrated in the
recent election in Nashville. After
dwelling upon the few men in the can
vass who came out of tie fire without
the smell of smoke on their garments
he paid the following tribute to Sena-
tor Bate:
1T is with pride and qualification
that we can point the young men of
the day to such men as Gen. Bate. He
is one among the few stars that shine
undimmed in the galaxy of honest and
honorable men in politics and in Office
Through his long public career in the
affairs of his country he has never sui
| lied his character as a man or as a
! Christian. The exalted citizen and
the dignified lawyer-the gallant
soldier, the efficient Governor and the
noble Senator-he stands out in our
history like some lofty mountain sum-
NIT, sun capped and cloudless among
many an obscured peak and far above
much of the foggy range below him.
In ali the high stations which he
has occupied he has been inyulnerable
TO the touch of fear. favor, brlbe,
policy or popularity, and with patriotic
scruple for his own honor and his
country's good he has ever scorned the
appearance of evil in dealing with the
temptations to corruption. Always at
his post, he has stood faithfully by the
South, and he has proven an mistaken
bulwark aginst official advice, monop-
oily and unfriendly legislation. Dis
tinguished for his active efficiency in
the promotion of many good measures.
he has always voted right upon every ,
moral question involved in legislation
for the good of society. Be it said to
his honor that he stands for the Hep |
burn bill. In the late election here he |
was chiefly the victim of monopoly |
agents and whisky influence; and it |
stands forever to his credit. as a poll
tician and statesman, that he re-
fused to drag his constituents through |
the slums or to Doodle them with pelf |
in order to get single vote. Charac
teristic of the great and pure man he
stood upon the dignity of his high
office and manhood for the suffrage of
an admiring following.
But one objection was urged against
him, namely, that he was dead
man, or old enough to die. Let me
say that he would be worth more in
the Senate dead than many people
living. and had rather vote for tine
corpse of an excellent character, with
everything to the life of a nation. than
for the living carcass of the most
guided demagogue Character is
worth more to America just at this
time. than all its talent and money
debauched by vicious politics and leg
islation, and the moral balance wheel
Of the United States Senate is as much
essential to the good of the nation as |
all the active machinery of its intellec-
-ual and business forces. Aside from
heir intellectual and business value
such men as Gen. Bate in high place
ire absolutely necessary to the future
If our free people. He is the i'm
and power of example
lnder the test of political temptation, !
If long -lived integrity and honor, the
yital force in social, national and re- /
igious life. He is Christian gentle
nan, typical Baptist of the highest
rider, and let no man say that. under =
he most trying ordeal in an age like !
his, he cannot exemnlify his character !
n any calling or relationship, even in i
olitics c