The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-06
REV. DIR. SPENCER ENDORSES
THE COMMISSION PLAN
Former Manchester Pastor Sermon Lexington Pleads
Beautiful Pure City.

and tie third was a politician who
had lost his job.
The first appeal to the State Leg
islature was turned down, but the
editors took up the matter and the
commercial club sent delegations to
Galveston and other cities to study
the practical working Of the plan of
government by commission and the
second appeal was rewarded.
Lexington u Be Congratulated.
Lexington Is to be congratulated
that it's newspapers joint heartily in
advocacy of this superior method of
city government. 1t La to be congrat-
ulated also that both Democrats and
Republicans in both houses of the
Legislature voted in favor Of granting
to our citizens the right to decide
whether they will Introduce and test
the plan of government by commission
OF VIII continue under the present old
regime.
Our city is to be congratulated
upon its large and increasing number
Vt patriotic citizens. business men,
professional men and even politicians
who dc sire that Lexington shall turn
over a new, clean leaf and show to
the whole Commonwealth that. al
though 1t In only second-class city
In population, II will become first-class
In Its clean. business-like. progressive.
patriotic and In every way exemplary
60, efnment.
The commissioners OF Des Moines
are not extraordinary men. But Mayor
Mathis said not long ago that the new
ptsn nHt wrought many changes for
the better.
Fifty Cities Under Plan
'Des Moines Ia not the only city
governed by the commission plan.
Mere than fifty cities are now operat-
ing under the plan and more than
sixty others are considering 1t. No
cities which have adopted this meth
cd since 1901 have returned TO the
old mayor-councii system 1t 10
wonderful flexible system with many
y;,ria lions. but the strongest point in
It's favor Its that II comes nearer to
government by the people and for
tho people than any method with
which we are acquainted
"John, from the Isle OF Patmos,
saw the New Jerusalem coming down
out OF heaven. We are told that every
good gift cometh down from the Fa-
Their OF Light Certain Il ~ that right
eouhness. wisdom. patriotism, love OF
ones neighbor. good hope. true pros
perity and progress come from God.
Measure OF the New City.
The measure of the new city which
John saw, we are told, was the meas
ure of a man. that is of an angel. or
perfect man. It was not the meas
ure of it's population or its wealth,
but of its manhood. Factories and
schools, streets. parks. public build
ings and the volume of boEiness--afi
these are important but nothing Ii
so essential to the greatness OF a city
as Ia its manhood
This new form of government
would serve, I am sure. to promote
manhood. Heaven is presented I'M
der the form of a beautiful city. To
try to make our city beautiful would
be to endeavor to bring heaven down
to earth. To strive to build ones
city for the honor and glory OF man
hood is angelic service.
Much has been said recently about
an exodus of men from the city to
the country. Let those who 20 to
the country who wish to do 30.
love the birds and flowers. the HILL
side and the meadow. the orchard
and the stream. But / love better
the multitude of men.
Religion of the Multitude.
IT believe in that religion which
gathers about 1t the multitude ana
shows them kindness and compassion.
do not like to see them taxed and
oppressed for graft and greed.
do not like to see them tempted above
the power of resistance to sin and
ruin themselves body and soul. Old
Jerusalem crucifed our Lord. Tho
new Jerusalem. and the new Lextng-
ton. will honor and exait Him.
John saw no temple in that new
city because religion had penetrated
the entire life of the city and every
man was temple OF God. II had
turned the very streets into gold and
the wallis into Jasper and the rates
into pearls. When manhood ID COM
plete the work OF the church will
have been contaminated. The light
of that city was not lamplight or
even sunlight. but the Lamb OF God
was the light of II. 1t was beau
tifui. moral. celestial city. whose glory
shall never fade nor pass away"