Newspaper Page Text
Banks County Gazette.
VOL I.—NO. 51.
Morality And Business.
Christian morals are designed to
influence and control the lives of all
who accept Christ’s teaching as su
preme. That all men ought to reg
ulate life’s affaire by the ethics of
Scripture is generally admitted as an
abstract truth, while those who pro
fess to accept gospel teaching are
under imperative obligation to con
form their practice to their belief.
Few, however, will be found to main
tain that the concord between creed
and conduct is very general in mod
ern life. llow does it come that
there should be so marked a cont rast
between the Christian theory of life
and its practice? Must men from the
nature of the case lead a dual life ?
Is the separation of religion and
business inevitable, or are the spir
itual and material interests so diverse
and antagonistic that hey must
always continue to be contradictory?
There is a sharp distinction drawn
between the sacred and the secular.
It. is asserted that honorable and up
right men will do things in busiuess
and jmlitics that they would not
think of doing or sanctioning under
other conditions Questionable trans
actions, usually described as sharp
practice, are only too common in every
sphere, and they ar not without their
defenders. The line of defense,howev
er, is not drawn from Christian ethics;
its course is in present-day economic
theories that command a large meas
ure of general assent. It appears to
be far too generally taken for granted
that self-interest is the basis of human
activity, the amassing of wealth the
chief good. Our economic systems
mostly proceed on this assumption.
The production and distribution of
wealth and that pertains to business
and commerce are supposed to de
pend exclusively on self-interest.
H once many conclude that every
opportunity is to- bo seized, every
conjecture of circumstance that an
alert ingenuity can discern must be
taken advantage of, whatever the con
sequences may be to others, so long
as the supreme purpose of life to the
individual can thereby be advanced.
Is this complete severance between
economics and ethics well founded,
or is it possible at all times to keep
up the distinction? However close
to the line that separates legitimate
from fraudulent transactions some
may keep, even they recognise that
if that line is crossed, they become
amenable to the law of tire land. Hut
there is a still higher law which de
mauds recognition. Scripture has
much to say about buying and selling
and getting gain. It would be diffi
cult to reconcile some of its maxims
with the postulates of modern eco
nomics as they are at variance with
some of the practices that many fol
low without any apparent compunc
tion. There can be no doubt that if
the morality taught in Scripture were
more closely followed in daily life,
society would speedily undergo a
marvelous transformation. Take the
one precept embodied in the Sermon
on the Mount, so universally lauded,
yet so indifferently followed: “All
things, therefore, whatsoever ye
would that men should do unto you,
even so do ye unto them: for this is
the law and the prophets.” Were
this acted upon in letter and in spirit
by any considerable number of people
in a community, a very decided im
provement would be at once apparent.
It may be said that the force of
circumstances is so strong that it is
next to impossible to follow higher
and better counsels while the average
standard of business ethics is what it
is- .Tnat will to some extent depend
on what a man’s principle aim may
be. If what he strives for is
that he may become rich and in
creased in goods, it is not likely that
he will exercise any perceptible in
fluence for good on the moral tone of
his business associates. A man who
has a strong perception of what is
noblest and truest in life, and who
realizes that the life now is indisso
lubly related to the life hereafter, will
not continue to sink deeper into
sordid ways and intensified selfish
ness. He will by his methods of
action exert a wholesome influence
in the sphere in which he moves
His progress will be upward, and he
will help others upward with him.
Modern business and comineeial
methods are being concentrated under
control of gigantic corporations, but
these are composed of individuals,
and it must be remembered that com
binations do not and cannot absorb
individual responsibilities. Many of
the industrial evils complained of will
only be removed by the development
and exercise of a higher and purer
individual morality. Only when the
morality of Christ’s gospel 'becomes
the predominating power in individ
ual life will the prediction be fulfilled
that “holiness unto the Lord shall
be written on the bells of the horses.”
Then only will commerce be Chris
tianised and the demen of selfishness
be csst out of it.—Canada Presby
terian.
Popular Preachers And Saloon
keepers.
The St. Louis Republic has made
an arrangement to send the most
popular preacher, minister, or priest,
of St. Louis, on “a free tour of the
oriental countries, including the holy
lands, at the expense oftae Republic.”
The popularity of the priest or
preacher is to be settled by a free
ballot of everybody. It is tinder
stood that every person will have as
many votes as he buys copies of the
Republic. If lie should buy a thou
sand copies, he has a thousand votes.
Saloon keepers, whisky-men, profane
swearers, blasphemers, infidels, thieves
and cut-throats, have an equal voice
in determining the popularity of the
priest, or preacher, with all others.
As no faithful preacher of the gos
pel is popular with the world, none
but the false teachers or hypocrites
will be elected. This proposition will
be spurned with righteous indigna
tion and contempt by every true
gospel minister. It ft a miserable
trap to induce so-called preachers to
sell their self-respect and integrity for
a mess of popularity. The preachey
cr priest who gets the second highest
number of votes is to have a free ex
cursion in Europe, not so extensive
as the most popular man.
Asa compliment to this miserable
bid to the ministers to sell their man
hood to such an advertising scheme,
the Globe Democrat publishes an
other scheme to send “the most pop
ulnr bar-tender, to go gratis, to the
holy land.”
The conditk for electing the
most popular bartender is that every
satisfactory 15 cent drink” bought
by any one, will entitle him to one
vote to send the most popular bar
tender of St. Louis, on this
freo excursion to “the Holy Land.”
If any one person should buy 1,000
“satisfactory 15-cent drinks” of whisky
or any other poisonous alcoholic
drinks, he will be entitled to 1,000
votes for the most popular saloon
keeper. When the votes for the
most popular preacher, or priest, and
the votes for the most popular saloon
keeper shall have been counted, it
may possibly be arranged for this
popular preacher and j optilar saloon
keeper to go to the holy land as clnim,
traveling companions. Of course
they will take an ample supply of the
most popular whiskys and wilies on
this remarkable tour. It would be
expected if they do nothing more in
the holy land, that they will visit the
tomb of Saint Judas Iscariot, and
procure some bones or relics of that
patron saint to be sacredly enshrined
in the editorial rooms of the St. Louis
Republic and the Globe Democrat.
Whe will not say with our colored
brother, John Jasper, that “the sun
do move.”—American Baptist.
What Does The Alliance Purpose
To Do?
The Alliance makes its own deo.lar
ation of purposes. They are clear,
distinct, and no one need be mistaken
as to their meaning. Its purposes
are not to break up either the Dem
ocratic or Republican parties, but to
tench them the necessity, of going
back to the people once more for men
IIOMER, BANKS COUNTY, GEORGIA, WEIiNESIiAY. APRIL 29,1891.
and measures. It aims to present
the needed reforms in economic con
ditions in such a clear, reasonable
and truthful manner that they can
not be ignored or longer delayed. It
seeks not the destruction of either
political party, but to reform and con
trol them in the interest of the whole
people. It aims to take the politics
of the people out of the hands of the
political bosses, great and small, to
rid it of ihe incubus of dishonest and
tricky politicians whose solo purpose
is to perpetuate their own existence.
It is these political bosses and chronic
politicians that will in the end over
throw present political organizations,
because they will not be able to rule
them under Alliance influence to
serve their selfish ends. The ele
ments of destruction arc at present
almost entirely confined to the old
parties themselves, and consist of
those who are opposed to any and all
reforms and are fighting against a
purer and better government. Those
arc the factors that will destroy both
the old parties if permitted to exist
much longer, and not the Alliance
which seeks better laws, happier con
ditions, and “equal rights to all and
special privileges to none.” If the
politician,would forever destroy the
Alliance let him make such laws as
will be a lasting benefit to the people.
If he would end this agitation that
now threatens, let him remove the
cause for such agitation. The pur
pose of the Alliance is to better pres
ent conditions,blot from the statute
books unjust laws and restore the
government to that condition where
honesty and integrity are the neces
sary requirements of all legislators.
This purpose will be persevered in,
will be contested for on ail occasions,
and defended under all circumstances,
until they Lave become the law of
tli land and the inheritance of the
people. Let no one mistake that
fraud, deception, political chicanery,
or any other unfair method, will
block its progress or change its
course.—National Economist.
Desperation.
It is said that the national banks
are negotiating time loans and mak
ing them payable in gold only. These
creatures of the government are so
intent upon degrading silver and dis
crediting treasury notes that they are
conspiring to impair confidence in the
legal tender of the government.
The act is a treasonable one, and
their combining together to effect
their purpose is a treasonable con
spiracy and their charters should be
immediately revoked. To treat the
flag with disrespect is properly regard
ed as a grave offense, and to attempt
to discredit the Nation’s money is a
greater crime. It is an assault upon
the sovereignty of the government,
and these creatures of the law assume
to be greater than their creator.—
Ciucinnatti Equirer.
Third Party.
Prior to the organization of the
Farmers Alliance and Industrial
Union, the -majority of the voters of
this country were divided between
the two great political parties. The
Farmers Alliance, acting in accorance,
with its declarations of purposes, “to
labor for the education of the agricul
tural classes in the science of economi
cal government, in a strictly non
partisan spirit,” has, irrespective of
party affiliations, drawn her numbers,
from both parties; and to-day we see
men all over the country acting in
harmony for the advancement of
Alliance principle and objects who a
short time ago were arrayed against
each other politically. What does
this mean ? To my mind it conclus
ively proves that these men have
awakened to the realization that they
have interests which are nearer than
old party ties, and wrongs which
could not or would not be redressed
under the management of existing
parties. If, as members of the demo
cratic or republican parties, they were
unable to get the parties to shape
legislation to thtir interest, is it not
stretching the probable a little too far
for them to expect, as members of
the Farmers Alliance and Industrial
(.tliiion, to get these parties to legis
late more favorably for thorn ? I think
■it is.-
t If, then, we have failed in the past
to accomplish our. aiffis as individual
members of existing parties, it only
remains for us as an organization to
do that which we have been unable to
get others to do for us. The realiza
tion of the need for different legisla
tion and tlic determination to accom
plish it creates anew party at, once,
.uid its existence is none xhe less
Whethcrtts existence is personated
by a particular , name, or only known
by. the pulsation of the public pulse.
Thu Alliance should discard the
idea of expecting to carry out, its de
mands by means of any existing
political party. It should put its own
Shoulder to the wheel, for until this is
done, it will accomplish but little.
In this matter it should more slowly,
conservatively and surely. Let us
send men who are fully in harmony
with us to our legislatures, to eon
gyess, to the Senate; and when the
organization has become accustomed
tq the wielding of its mighty power,
we can lay hold on the highest office
in the land. Until then let us wait
and work, not running the risk of a
backward movement by attempting
tp accomplish wlmt we are not fully
ripe for.—T. R. Hardaway, in Na
tional Economist.
Her Noblest Work.
A young girl belonging to a fash
ionable and exclusive circle in society
married not long ago a man whose
profession brought him into some
what close business relations with
many worthy but plain people.
Knowing that it would gratify him
she invited them all to her wedding
reception. One of her friends, amaz
ed at finding the house tilled with
these homely guests, asked the bride
what it meant. “It means,” she an
swered gnyly, “that in my marriage 1
propose not to advance his pleasure
but his life.”
A young girl usually looks forward
with delight to the love which is to
be given her; or if she is mercenary,
to the establishments; or if she is
ambitious to the social positiou that
she hopes to attain. Some girls look
no farther than the bridal pomp, the
veil, tbe gifts, the admiring crowd.
How many remember that it is not
only a ring which the husband puts
on the wife’s hand, but his honor and
his future!' She can make his daily
life broa*d and noble, or she can drag
it down to base levels and fill it with
trivial vulgarity. No rules, no duen
na can keep the thought of love and
marriage out of a young girl’s head.
It is right that they should be there;
but as the most pure and solemn re
alities which life can give her, not as
material for silly and immodest jest
ing. God may give to a young girl
the ability to paint a picture, to write
a poem, to earn a fortune; hut if ho
gives to her as a wife a human soul
to strengthen and to bring nearer to
him, he lias put into her hands the
noblest work which a woman can do
on earth.—Youth’s Companion.
Just Look at This.
We are sorry, indeed, that any of
our neighbors should so twist the
truth an to spoil its, beauty and make
it appear to be somethin-/ else, but
from the reading of the clipping given
below we must infer that our neigh
bor, the Echo, has been misled as to
facts. Here is tvhat he says: “The
Knight of Labor wants eight hours
work and the farmer works from sun
up to sun down. The Knight of La
bor want the pension list to grow, the
farmer wants it wiped out. The
farmer wants free trade, the Knight
of Labor wants protection. There is
no community of interests between
them and this is why the farmer is a
democrat and does not want a third
party, and why the Knight of Labor
persists in efforts to build up a third
party.” The imaginary difference be
tween the Alliance and the Kniglits
of Labor is about the same as the
difference between six, and a half a
dozen. . Anybody who knows any
thing about the principles of the
Knights of Labor knows that the
above is about as much a misrepre
sentation of them as could be en
couched in as many words. If Brother
Tate will take the time and trouble to
read the K. of L. he will
find more pure democratic senti
ments expressed therein than lie cau
compile from all the Democratic
platform Riuce the war. The reason
that the the third party question is
agitatiog the minds of thy people is
because the republican and the dem
ocratic party has refused to promul
gate the principles of democracy.
The Knights of Labof and Fanners
Alliance people having been forced
to organize under the * til of secrecy
in order to mature, aj platform of
principles and sot A forth dyinads for
su<ih legislation as will, give to the
humblest ti ler and torfsr tlie same
recognition by the government as the
most princely lord of wealth; having
done so it remains to be fern whether
or not the democratic party will
cease pandering to the whims of Wall
street tor boodle and take up the
demands of the people as proclaimed
at St. Louie and reaffirmed pt Ocala,
or whether people will of necessity
be compelled to organize a. third par
ty. One thing is certain, the Knights
of Labor and the Alliance have shaken
hands on the Ocala platform and no
amount of side shows or misrepre
sentation will cause division, weaken
their faith in each other, or elfect a
compromise or surrender oft principles.
—Alliance Vindicator.
The New York Sun, extreme demo
cratic; the New York Tribune, radical
republican, and the New York. Times,
acknowledged m igwu.mpkare all sing
ing the same tune in opposition to
the sub-treasury plan. Nothing else
seems to trouble them but cheap
money to the people. This shows
plainly that they are all actuated by
the same desire and governed by the
same motives. It is Wall street
against the sub-treasury plan from
now until the people decide which
they will take. Let the fight come
on; the enemy is now located and the
Alliance guns can he turned in the
right direction.—National Economist-
Urcna.
Hot Weather for April.
Cotton planting is about over with
in this community.
We were glad to see Judge Moss
and Colonel Edwards at Washington
court Saturday before last, on legal
business. While Colonel Edwards
was engaged in business Mr. John
Moss and Mr. Dock Dalton borrowed
his road cart to take a ride. The boys
had not gone far till they had a wreck.
The cart broke down. When the
colonel was told what had happened
lie did not say anything for some
time, thinking about how he would
get back home, l’he bailiff, Mr. J. A.
Martin, Mr. F. M. Bell and Mr. Phil
lip Martin soon had the cart ready
for traveling arid the colonel went on
his way rejoicing that it was no worse.
The wood workmen would like to
know whether or not he got home
all right.
[We reached home in safety, hut a
little sore on account of the jolting.—
Ed.}
Cheap.
Brother A1 Harris preached a good
sermon at Mount Pleasant third Sun
day. May God bless his labors.
There is a good Sunday school at
Mount Pleasant. Fathers, mothers,
where are your children on Sunday?
Are they fishing or hunting? There
are children in this community that
are starving for Christian training.
Parents are responsible for the souls
of their children. God forbid that
parents should be a stumbling block
in the way of children. Come to the
Sunday school and learn more of the
Master.
Mount Pleasant church intends
buying an organ.
The Way Will He Cleared As
We Go.
The driver of a tram-car through
the streets of our city starts with his
car upon a line which runs continu
ously to his journey’s end. If he
goes on straight ahead he will suftly
come to the destined place. Should
he be able to see all the route at once
he would observe many coal-wagons,
funiture-vans, timber-carriages, brew
ers’ drays, and the like, blocking up
his road along the rails, and lie might
mourhfully ask: “How can I move
SINGLEGOIT THREE CENTS.
all those?’ But he taxes no such'
lengthened view and asks ng,sstJctr
useless .question. As heaves along
all sorts of obstructive*' traffic gives
way before him—evstf the van de
mons yield him the road. When one
of them is a little slow in getting out
of the way, oifr driver blows his
whistle, ami, after two or three shrill
appeals, the obstinate vehicle retires
As the rails run all way, so does
(hear. Just so weare%„ ,| le raib
of eternal life. - Os' amt
beavrii there are n ’thousand obstruc
tions, and if wetlfink of them all, we
may yell lie fearful: "but they will '
one and,all disappear as we come to
them. If they should seem likely to
bar our progress, we must sound the
whistle of prayer, and in due season
tl icy-wili turn aside, and leave us a
clear road along the lines of covenant
gi'soe. Therefore go ahead, and fear
no impediment; for the iine is laid,
and wo have a legal right to travel
along it, and none may lawfully hin
der us. This is what I learned from
the driver of the tram-car.
Written for The Ciazette.
The Liquor Traffic.
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is
raging, and whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise.”—Solomon.
The dramshop is the great curse of
humanity, and license is but the co
operation of the government in crime
find murder, arson, wretchedness,
poverty and woe are hut tho fruits of
this traffic. The protection of our
political system, the protection o’ our
sons and daughters, our husbands, our
fathers and our brothers rests upon
the downfall of this terrible demon
which walks the halls of legislation
and grasps the throats of our legisla
tors. It tramples beneath its feet the
sacred rights of the Sabbath day. It
boldly defies the law, and drags its
victims from the highest walks of life
to the lowest depths of hell. It spares
neither young nor old, matron or
maiden. This liquid demon will burn
the manhood of the most gifted. It
will wring from a crushed and
starved wife the last morsel of suste
nance. It will polute all channels,
destroy all affections, degrade all
aspirations, breed disease, transmit
misery, damn and ruin the souls of
men. A. A. White.
It costs something to care for a
child aright; hut it pays for all it
costs. Said a wise matron to a young
mother, “Never think that you are
doing too much for your child. Never
think that you may be denying your
self too freely in order to give yourself
to the care of your child.” Aud that
was sound advice. There is no dan
ger of overloving. There is no dan
ger of excessive self-forgetfulness in
behalf of those for whom God would
have us live and die.
Hie Arena says: “It is idle to make
laws and leave the public impulse
dormant. Arouse the peoble and the
devil will disappear. Make men see
and feel that the rum-seller is a great
er curse to the community than a
professional thief; that a saloon is a
more positive evil to a neighborhood
thau a shanty filled with smail-pox
patients, and a fire will he kindled
which will purge the country of its
greatest crime and misery breeder,
whose colossal shadow envelops Chris
tendom, and carries a thrill of misery,
a pulsation of vice, a throb of degra
dation wherever it falls.”
My friends, did you ever think
that God seems to be partial to the
wicked? If you have, correct your
views on that point. If there be any
partiality, it is those who are ready to
die, and for whom he throws open
the portals of heaven, while he
allows the wicked to have more
time to reflect and repent —Rev. H.
C. Settle.
The police of Augusta, Ga., by or
ders of the new mayor, are keeping
close watch of the law breakers of the
licensed saloons. For the last three
Sundays, back doors have been c losed
as well as front doors, and eaery one
found violating the ordinance ha*
been fined SIOO. —Dcmorest Times.