624 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



aged? Is it for its gain to have justice dealt out with an even hand, 

 and crime properly punished ? Is there any profit in keeping the vicious 

 at the rear and at the foot rather than at the front and at the top ? Are 

 plenty of churches and well kept Sabbaths a gain or a damage ? I think 

 you will agree with me that all such queries must be answered in favor of 

 good morals, justice, order, and religion, and that from a commercial stand- 

 point, even if we go no higher. Some of you have often told me this. Some 

 of you send your children to Sabbath school with a view of making them 

 morally stronger for the business battles in store for them. Our good repute 

 for morality, etc., attracts the best classes to us, and correspondingly repels 

 the vicious. Churches and Sabbath schools are the most efficient police reg- 

 ulations, first class recommendations, and strong factors in building up and 

 developing the material prosperity of any community. Dr. Strong in his 

 marvelous book, " Our Country," which you can get for 25 cents at any of 

 our book stores, and which is well worth your perusal, tells of two adjoin- 

 ing townships on the Western Reserve in Ohio, which, in their original set- 

 tlement, presented the contrast of Christianity and its most rigid exclusion. 

 A Christian founded the one and an infidel the other, and each did his best 

 to impress his ideas on his settlement. Each succeeded to a remarkable 

 degree. The one township was settled with Christians. A church was 

 organized under the roof of the first log cabin. The school house and the 

 public library soon followed. An academy was soon planted. Several 

 benevolent societies were organized, and here was opened the first school 

 for the deaf and dumb in the State of Ohio. The other township from the 

 very beginning barred out the church. It does so to this day, being still 

 without a church organization. Though within five miles of one of the 

 best colleges in the West, no young man from it has ever, taken a college 

 course. But few have entered professional life, and none of them have 

 gained a wide reputation. The other township is widely known to-day for 

 its moral and religious character, its wealth and liberality, and for the 

 exceptionally large number of young men and women it sends to colleges 

 and seminaries. Though it has a poorer soil than its neighbor, its assessed 

 valuation of real and personal property exceeds it by 56 per cent. It has 

 furnished many members of the State Legislature and Senate. It has been 

 fruitful of ministers and educators, some of whom have gained a national 

 reputation. It has furnished college professors, members of the Supreme 

 Bench of the State, and of the United States Congress. This is only one 

 of many examples that might be given, all going to prove that the moral 

 and religious tone of any community is a most important factor in promot- 

 ing its general welfare. At present, when we are so desirous to attract the 

 best classes of people from all quarters to settle among us, we must not 

 forget that morality, good order, justice, decency, etc., at the front and on 

 top, are prime essentials of success. Their opposites are sure to discount 

 us in the race for success. 



5. Another essential of a good country is a spirit of public improvement. 

 The time has come when the "Sleepy Hollow" community, as well as the 

 " Sleepy Hollow" citizen, is sure to get left. An unkempt town, with poor 

 street improvements, or none at all, without waterworks, gas works, elec- 

 tric lights, fire engines, and other necessities of modern civilization, is a 

 modern abomination. Mud roads in winter, dust roads in summer, and 

 bridgeless streams are a sad discount on a country at the present time. 

 Let me congratulate you, fellow citizens of this district, that we are grandly 

 redeeming ourselves from all reproach in this respect. It is a real pleas- 

 ure to me to have a "prior resident" — not of the Mongolian type — return 

 and note the improvements that are in progress on every hand. Let us 



