IS IT A REFORMATION?

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 6, 1876

IS IT A REFORMATION?

There are some sanguine souls who hail every fresh exposure of political rascality, and every additional example of sharp and decisive retribution, with patriotic delight, as the victory of an aroused and indignant nation over a brood of treacherous spoilers whom she has just discovered and is fast exterminating. The smashing of the Tweed ring in New York, and the Canal ring at Albany; the exposure of the Credit Mobilier corruption schemes; the overthrow of Secretary Belknap and the flight of Minister Schenck from the officers of the British crown, have each in their turn given them unfeigned delight. The verdict just rendered in the Tweed suits, under which the city of New York will recover six millions and a half of her stolen funds, provided property to that extent can be found belonging to the thieves, is the most recent ground of congratulation. We should imagine that, by this time, the joy of victory and the satisfaction of offended justice had come to pall upon the taste, and exulting patriots were beginning to inquire when the end would be reached. These victories are very gratifying, but for every serpent’s head which is bruised beyond recognition a hundred others seem to start forth in its place. We find the great political parties equally corrupt. We see accusers and accused resting under an equal stain, and we begin to wonder whether the whole nation is depraved.

We would not disparage the value of these investigations and their results. They will serve as a temporary check upon dishonest practices, and they will shame into the decency of concealment much which they will be unable to correct. But we shall not cease to testify that in all this there are no evidences of a true national reformation. Individual wrong-doers have been detected and punished, but other men of the same general character have stepped into their places. Political affairs have not been lifted away from wicked hands to the care of God-fearing men. That can only be accomplished by the elevation of politics into their true sphere, as a part of religion, or as the nation’s conscious service of God. Of the more general acceptance of such a conception of politics, the times do not afford a single token. It is sufficient, for proof of this, to remember that no movement for the exposure and punishment of corrupt officials has been undertaken in any higher name than that of the taxpayers. We hear much of the wrong done to the people whose hard earnings go to replenish the treasury, but nothing of the honor of God who abhors theft and bribery, and before whom the land is guilty for these crimes.—Christian Statesman.