The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1904-04-13
BODY POLITIG.
BY REV. j. R. HOBBS

| The recent unfortunate turn OF
affairs in our city administration
furnished cause for the sermon
preached at the Baptist Church
Sunday evening by pastor, Rev. D..
R. Hobbs.
Mr.. Hobbs before entering into
his theme said: Something may
say may appear harsh but it will
not be SAID because ! love barsh-
ness but because l hope that good
may come out oft" His text was
Mathew 22:21-"They say unto
him Caesars. Then saith he unto
them, render therefore unto Caesar
the things that are Caesars and UNI
to God the things that are Gods"
He said, in part;
FIRsT.-Jesus was law-abiding
citizen as is amply shown by inn
plicatien ia this scripture and as
definitely manifested by his pay
ment of the tex when the money
was gotten from the fishes mouth.
That He was obedient to the law
whether it was after his idea OF
Justice or not and so the people
should be obedient to the laws on
our statute books. The head OF a
family who is a trangressor may ex-
pect nothing more of his children.
Likewise those who execute the
laws must themselves respect and
obey them and the subject whom
they are to control may follow the
example.
SEooND.-The difference of stat
us in law in a democratic and
monarchical government. In dem
ocratic governments law is posi-
lively active only when backed by
public sentiment. If sentiment be
against its enforcement the officers
and courts are powerless. If the
courts and officers do not mete out
Justice then public sentiment must
be wrong or else there will be
speedy change in government. In
monarchioai government the law
may be enforced though every bay
onet of the realm be required to do
it. Our government being demo-
cratic we must not only make law
but we must prepare public senti-
ment that the:law may be executed.
Here the preacher illustrated by
bringing to mind the reconstruction
period of the South, when carpet
bag rule was supreme; when the
negro held the offices, and riot,
crime and insults pervaded our
once beautiful and once peacable
Southland. This conduct went to
the limit, when the people who had
been insulted by the lower classes
rose in their might and met the
outrages with heroic measures, and
while much blood was split and
many of the best people went to
death, wrongs were righted and the
spirit of morality and righteous
ness restored though it cost much
to do it. Here the speaker grew
intensely eloquent and a suppress
ed approval was seen on the i'm
mense audience. Men must stand
BY what is right and thus bring
light out of darkness.
THIRD.-Public sentiment is
largely determined by the moral
status of community. If as a
whole it be high then the senti-
ment may be depended upon as
correct. If it be low as whole or
in any appreciable part then the
sentiment may be calculated upon
as dangerous to good government.
The people may we'll consider the
respect as shown by our people to
that which is uplifting and emo
bling in our community and see
it is that stand for. it. If the
majority be for that which tends
downward the right about face is
at hand and good people must act.
FoURTH.-The moral status of q
community is largely determined
by causes which work moral deter
ioration and breed crime. If these