The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-01-22
RELIGION IN POLITICS.

are TcloIce0 10 learn t02t the n1OTaI anu ~
Iiginus portion Of the community IN IN
City of New York are beginning to awak
to their responsibilities, and we hope tha
The awaking may become general. W.
have always lamented the backwardnes
Iof religious men in our own State to per.
form their duty upon this subject. W.
think The times now demand the conscien
tiinns devotion Of the influence aod energies
If moral and religious men 10 the direction
of the political affairs Of the State Of low
nd in every County, Township, snf
School District 10 the State
We commend the following to the aiien
lion Of feverv Citizen of Iowa:
sWhile there is very much to deplore in
The Politics Of the Day, there begins to be
II infested spr, from which We conf
IDENTIFY expect the most heneicent results
Within The last month, we have met mum.
bcr of quiet, scdstc, unsmbitious citizens.
of that class hitherto inclined to boast that
they were no politicians or had 'no'hng
70 do With politics. who have each been
ed bv calm observation and their own sol
itarv reflections TO conclude that such a
nng story attitude is consistent neither with
their position as citizens If Republic, nor
with their profession as disciples Of Christ,
nor as moralists and well wishers Of their
race, no matter how designated. These,
without concert or external impulse, have
| been led TO the conviction that they cannot
hereafter keep away from the Pnlls, nor
even from The Primary Meetings or other
initial proceedings Of whichever psrtv they
my severaIiv deem most deserving Of their
support without consciousness Of in6deli-
~ and guilt. They realize that the prac.
ricsl control and direction Of our political
affairs has been too long surrendered bs
The Church to the Groeshop, and they have
resolved that henceforth such surrender
mnst be effected, If At all, in defiance Of
their most earnest nnd concerted resis-
lnnce.
II was high time for the manifestation nj
this spirit, especially in our City. We can
remember period when the erea, body oi
our exemplary, ,rious, unaspiring mer
chants, mechanics, &c, took promine nj
pari 10 the selection of candidates and thf
general direction of our Political affairs
That interest has. to a great extent, died
out, or been transferred TO other fields of
effort L., list be made Of the One
Thousand foremost men in our City--men
&c tried prohiiv, large experience, eminent
capnci.v, and generous philanthropy
there shall not be found dozen Of them
Iin the four Genera! Committees of the two
great parties. nor one-tenth Of them in nnv
manner influentislIv engaged in the direc
tion Of our City Politics. Every keeper oi
a groggerv is an influential politician. but
there is no probability that Of all the party
Ward Meetings lately held bv the tive
great parties throughout our City, there
was n single one in which the members Of
churches formed majority. Should like
state Of things be presented at the Ward
Nomination Meetings soon to be held, the
grngshops will make out the two sets Of
candidates, from among which our next
Common Council. Members Of the Legis
la,ure, &c., &c, must be chosen. Then
we shall find the church members alleging
in excuse for their Indifference to The re-
suits, and perhaps their neglect to vote,
that the candidates are unworthy-thus
making The consequence of one neglect Of
daily the excuse for another, and so on in
definitely. But the evil has grown so fla
gran, that il cannot be much longer endu-
red as il has been.
The consequences Of this detection are
seen on every side. Our CITY swarms with
gaming. houses, haunts Of dissipation and
lens III nf-mv wherein thousands are an.
uuaiIy ruined in mind, body aud estate, in
1sgrnni detipnce Of Law. Our Chief OF
Police well knows, our Mayor easily NAV
know, where these haunts of depravitv are.
but no fneer is lifted against them. Nas
the Chiefgrsvely reports that three.foarths
Of the groggeries are kept open and driving
their deadly trade al double speed through
the Sabbath. though the law and their licen.
ces expressly provide that they shn'l be
kept shut on that dav. lie reports that
some fifteen hundred drinking.dena--oi
course, nt the lowest and worst class--are
kept without license, though the law ex-
pressly provides that this shall not be-
.e have had horrible number Of murders
snd kindred crimes in our City during the
past year, nearly oil growing directly on,
IT The prevalence Of the Liquor Traf1ic, but
the Traffic is extending daily. partly under
the protection and partly in defiance Of
Law. Policy offices aud other dens Of
9 ,mhling abound, in spite Of the new and
stringent anti gambling law; because The
officers whose duty il is TO put il in force
are false to that duty. And now We know
that the gamblers Of our City have secre.
and powerful organization in progress, de-
termined to control our coming Election
and force repeal or virtual nullifcation
of the law. Thus the armies Of Evil are
alwavs alert, resolute and efficient, while
the forces that should be arrayed on the
side of Good are scattered, disorganized
and Indifferent. The victory Of the former
is of course inevitable, uplsss tho latter
can be brought TO realize aud fulfill their
duty.
We rejoice to hear that this latter con-
summation is moi improba bie-thnt meas,
ures are now 10 train which contemplate
the bringing into effective cooperation and
action Of all those who desire and will
work for ,beI perfection and enforcement,
ofthose laws which array the power OF the
State OH the side of Morality and Virtue.
tna A. ,,nt l,,,a,,, h>,x ovto !, mr. how