Evening journal., 1908-11-02
DIR. LIGHTBOURNE
SCORES BRIBERY
Pastor Of Wesley Methodist
Church, Dover, breaches
Stirring Sermon
.DENOUNCES THE METHODS

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL |
DOVER, Del. Nov. 2.-preaching to al
large audience against bribery and fraud,
DR. A. w. Llghtbourne, in Wesley NJ. L.
Church last night, urged all the men inl
his congregation to go out to the polls,
guard against miscarriage Of the ver-
dict OF a sovereign people. and particu-
lariy to discover and upset dispensaries
II found where liquor Is given TO voters asl
bribes.
Dr. Lghtbourne preached from the text
in Acts XIX. 32 some, therefore, dried
one thing and some another"
Il am not here to advise YOU about
casting your ballot That would be inn
pertinence. I'm not even here to ask you
to vote the Prohibition ticket, as soma
ministers do. for that too, is a political
party and the pulpit is no place TO boom
political parties The great trouble with
nc pulpit to-day is that # is either fool
ishly impractical or selshly violent
There are certain people in our coun-
try possessed of a perfect mania for
money. We're not safe, any Of US, for one
minute, so long as money rules us. IT'S
money that jingles the burglars keys;
money whets the assassin's knife; it's
money that causes fair womanhood TO
sing down into immortality.
And then there is another menacing-
the god Of party politics. Tn glad we are
getting more parties. and were getting
surely enough to choose from. But it win
/ haS a tendency TO break men away from
I this worship OF ones party Why that's
a d uinct menace-the appeal TO low vot-
ers and the intermingling with the bad
because ones party reaches out and takes
in that very element. no matter how bad
It is! All this is decidedly dangerous.
\ The worship Of party should have no
4 place in the solemn act when the
people come together next Tuesday and
decide what kind OF a government the S.
! 100000 odd people shall have.
\ Scores Campaign Methods.
Then / would not only warn you
against the idolatry OF party. but against
4 the use Of falsehoods in the treatment
Of a campaign. A political lie win 60 into
the record against you as sure as ~iil
any other black lie-YoY have no more
/ right 10 lie against or defame mar
who is candidate for ofncc than yol
haSc 70 use that lie against a good friend
'Then / would warn against fraud
We are approaching the hour, rapidly
enough, when we viii confront the ques
tion as to whether or not the govern
ment can be perpetuated as a Republic
because fraud is not prevented.
"Now / hold this-that the practice
of a fraud i'm connection with election
day is. before God. a more hideous
thing than if IL were a fraud perpetu-
ated in every day business. There are
some people who are getting to believe
that the government Of the United
states should be used, at any cost. as
a sort of hierarchy. sucking the life-
. blood out of the American people, the
people who comprise that republic
When you vitiate an election by fraud
you have perpetuated a crime that is
, a dark sin against Goo.
And then I want to call every mans
attention to a fraud. and a sin which
, have ~ragated. And that is bribery
, I regard bribery as essentially treason
And treason is punishable by death. II
had time tonight / could astonish you
with the frequency and the emphasi.
Of the utterances Of God. through tho
Bible. against this towering sin.
From all indications. wen have ar
i opportunity next IueSudN 10 lInWl
upon this greatest of iniquities. But
before God. it's your duty, every mar
f. of you. 20 stand erect and go forward
s and break down this iniquity and cor.
/. ruption wherever you see st.
= "Only recently ! have heard men de.
+, fend absolutely condono. bribery. T,
a think Of st. To talk in the prosenci
OF poor man who probably is mar
1 ried and has a family that needs tel
:, dollars. and suggest to that man tina
= II is not such a sin TO take ten dollar
n and sell his vote. sell himself and there
I by sell me. If he takes, IL. he not onl!
=. sells himself. but he sells every man
woman and child-who is concerned II
that decision at ,the ballot box. II
!, king were to sell his country. they'
!, cut his head or. Here. every man /
= a king as he marches up to the ballo
: box It's almost as sacred as going Z
= the sacrament"