The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-12-23
CONTINUED from page g.,

! ext the reference TO ADraham: lie
ooked for a city which hath foun-
iations, whose builder and maker is
,od." The man denounced minis
ers who are actively engaged in So
ial reform and national politics.;
denounced them on the ground that
)ur chief aim should be that of
cooking for an eternal city, that our
ife should be in heaven, the place
where politics is unknown. Now,
| though the statement was loudly APP
plauded, the preachers position was
very insecure OF course they have
no politics in heaven, but our main
business, 1t seems to me, is to make
it easy for men to reach that exalt-
ed sphere. To that end we must de-
stroy root and branch, the institu-
tons that debauch manhood, de-
base wOmanhood, and befOul child
hood. ! agreed with the man in so
far as he urged us not to forget our
destiny in God. 1t is we'll that amid
the tumult and turmoil of this pres
ent existence, we should cast long
| ing eyes to that enchanted cloud
land, looming with rose-tinted peaks
in the far aeonian future"
But the men who in days past did
think most earnestly of that life be-
yond this life; the men whose mag
ination was filled with the splen-
doris reserved for them in heaven s
eternal morning, and who preached
great sermons, and wrote heart
stirring hymns descriptive Of their
anticipations-these were the mon
who bent their gigantic energies OF
ameliorating human conditions and
aleviating human woe. They smash
ed iniquitOus systems of oppression
and wrong; they hurled tyrants
from their thrones; they freed the
| slaves; they brought to the ground
the men who had climbed to posi-
tons Of wealth and power over the
bodies of those whom they had ru-
ined. And this they did on this
earth of Gods; and this they did By
because they believed that politics
was part of that machinery by
which God alters the complexion of
the moral order, and secures upward
progress of the race. They aimed
at making the Politics of the King
dom, the politics of the country in
which they lived Who follows in
their train?
Look you, at what this involves.
II means that we shall strive to elect
men to the executive positions OF
city, state and nation who are wor-
thy TO fill them Men whom lust OF
Office does not kill. Men whom the
spoils of Office cannot buy. Men
who believe with the marrow OF
their bones that what is wrong NOR
To our shame be it said, that we
have neglected this duty. Thus the
government of some cities has been
controlled by men of ill-repute, con.
scienceless men, men not to be ad
mitted to the door-mat of decent
people. Thus again, politics became
degraded into mere vulgar strug
gle for money and power.
But something else is involved. II
a country as this is, the responsible
titles Of government should be in tht
hands of the people. They may be
So when we behold men in high au
thority, who are incompetent ant
corrupt, the people are to blam,
This means that we are to create {
jealous and enlightened public opin
ion. 1t means that in this city W,
will evolve an electorate, every MAJ
of which will obey the law, will pu
the good of the whole before his pri
vate gain, and will live, not on Owes
so, but for Owosso. This is tru,
politics, and consists, as someon,
says, ''in discovering what cours
God is taking, and then getting tn,
obstacles out of the way"
The second force we must harness
to enable us to reach our desire t
end, is that of religion. BY th,t
do not mean the acceptance of Ger
tain creed, or affiliation with a Ger
tain ecclesiastical organization.
mean the incoming into numan If
and human affairs of that power
not ourselves, that makes for right
eousness. Man may exist on tn
things brought, up from the earth
but he lives on the bread that com
eth down from heaven.
This is the era of Democracy. B1
let us not forget Mazzini's burnin
words: Democracy without God
hell, let loose" Yet we do forge
1t. We think that If we get certai
laws placed on the statute boox, o
inaugurate certain regime, OF
work is done. And we will rot IL
member what thousand pages {
history show us, that the welfare {
a nation is matter of probation Gt
pending upon the favor Of the Lor
God Omnipotent, which in its iur
depends upon the nations att ituJ
/. toward God.
The problems that confront US al
too old to be solved by nan MAD
laws; the evils we have 20 face al
too deep-seated to be reminded /
human panaceas. There are ,rag
dies Of broken hearts, and desc "a
ID &c h.