The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-08-06
A SER }
ON The POLITIC ICALssITUATION IN
WEST vIRGINtA. #g@I
baptist Minister Speaks in No Uncer-
/. tain Tones ON Duty Of Black ,Vo- 4
ters Support Republican Party, ~ ~
~ Which Guarantees His Man. :
t%2, r %,.. e hood Rights. 81 s&T :,

1 - tSEi .#ir-- ri. EEa .
| Prov. IA: 81: ''Righteousness ex-
alteth nation, but sin is a reproach
to any people, r, = x. ~
Subject: National exaltation and
degradation Il. W. 1,ai. /,
This is a proverb, and we may ask,
What Is a proyerb?, 1t is short,
lpithy sentence expressing much. 1T
is often, as here, q sentence contain
Ing q principle Of the philosophy of
llife. .<<. st,s.'": ~. =, <T% d..
righteousness exalteth a. nation. ,,
What ts a nation? A people inhabit-
ing, certain district or country, and
united together by common political
institutions, :, -. -. u. !
Now, .let us cbnsGer the, positive
side OF the question. righteousness
exalteth a nation. - p; What are we to
| understand by the expression.
"Rtghteousness exalteth \ q / nation?"
To exalt, primarily, means to- lit up,
to- place pn$;high. From the express
sion, righteousness exalteth ma
tion," we learn both the directions
and character of the movement The
/ q.
This is}grand,, glorious, beautiful and
delightful. The grass springs up and
the birds fly skyward, - and the, sun
rises and all give Joy and g1adness. =
The principle or means that caus-
es the upward movement, and gives
character to the same, is, righteous
ness. - .s,: ~ >.... - - -. -. 4.
Let US consider some Of the ele-
ments that constitute righteousne ess.
i. Justice. Justice reigning in a.
nation puts honor upon 1t and such
a nation; will enact just laws, and its
ipeople Will be patriotic. ,e.&-s -,
~ Equity VIII lead the strong
to help, the weak, They VIII strive
to be just, and do right, even; where
there is no law compelling chem. =
eS So Virtue, Is a, quality Of right
| Eeo4shsag. /: IT enables the" ,audtytanal
3to, 3yith stana the ytI tempt a md
| E1t1lae nfiuenEss absiit Il, fms !
asfa str3ng to Ksfp 5 Tiers
both an van example and as an active
factor as Lincoln, Sumner. Garrison :
| washington, B. r.
4. And they should have lofty
ideals and love. of liberty. "Give me
liberty or give me death y '(Patrick
Henfy:}) : Love of right, TT would
rather be right than be president"
g. @. Adams) .j -. .' ~
| D.. Strong conviction of political
and duties. Duties and the courage
OF the same We must have conyic2
tons; strong ones of our duty to
god our country, our home, and we
must have the courage to stand by
these principles. ...s. .~e.'.
| Let ms consider the negative side
of the subject. r ~. -.
But Sin Is a reproac8 to any peo-
pie. Sin degrades, sin drags down,
sin leads to injustice and eternal
ruin Injustice is wrong, Is dfshon-
orable. Sin Is a reproach. Injustice
springs fromsa mean, impure, preju-
dice heart Injustice destroys patri-
otism and drags nation down. .
| "Righteousness' Is the thing She
home needs, the community needs,
| the nation needs. Let us pray .. for
Righteousness; let us struggle for 1T.
WORK for 1T, and contend for it In orr
MONIES, on the streets, in our schools,
IN our churches, and In our nation
and God will approve and give us the
victory @~% - -
Never In the history Of my life have
been stirred as now, and never have
l telt 80 ,keenly the duty Of every
| race-lov'ng minister in the United
States, TO take the sword of the Snfr-:
IL, VIE the Word Of God, and of going
Tort hto do his duty in the world. for
the -raca<and for the party who have
| done so much for u.s. Say. what Won
WIFI about the grand old party, II ia
settled fact that the privileges Of
becoming what we are and Of obtain
ing of>'what have in the way Of
political rights, have been secured to
us by the republican party. We should
| not expect to gain In a day what we
have lost In $50 years Of slavery. Be
patient. And neither do we believe
| {nat GOD would be pleased for us to
Islt st1ll and see our rights filched
from tis by party who for the last
t'40 years have tried to rob us Of ey-
cry political right given us by the
| lSth, eth and 18th amendments.
Fhey are >as Dan" Dan shall be q
serpent by the way, an adder in the
path, that biteth the horses heels, so
] that his rider shall fall Backward e
| The epetform adopted by the, demo
Gratis Jhly, 30, 1908, simply shows
the, Negro just what they have in
store for him as race. <'
J. want to ask, How can a Negro
vote for o. party who feels this way
| towards him? Every Negro IN the
state of West Virginia and in the Uni
ted States, who votes the democratic
ticket, is selling into political slave
ry his Wife and children, and is sell.
ing TO the enemy all the rjgbta ba hos