The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-12-26
AN EDITOR CONVERTED.

We understand that q revival of re-
ligion is in progress over in Polk
county; aud that Mr.. Upton, of the
Polk. County Signal, has been convert
ed and has Joined the Methodist |
church. - ssr ,tat5 - .T.bra
We are glad to hear this of him -
as there was certainly some room for
improvement in him. We hope now
he will stand fast in the faith; that he
will not go back, to the "weak and
beggarly elements of the world"-
that he will not, like the SOW that was
washed, go to wallowing in the mud
and flthagain.
We can, however. assure brother
Upton, that though the way he has
just chosen is full OF flowers, yet that
it is not entirely devoid of thorns -
some of which will occasionally be
jammed into him something less than
rod. He may now be in sort of
blissful exaltation-a kind of ecstatic
bliss let him remember that this
will not last always; and that some
things will occur to shake his faith in
humanity.
We feel very much in the notion of
preaching a sermon Just now. Some
may say this isn't in our line. Who
told you SOP We are not necessarily
confined to politics We have far
better right to preach than political
parsons have to preach politics from
the pulpit. The fact is they have no
moral right to preach politics-and
many Of them viii find the blood of
souls cllnging to their skirts because
they have preached politics instead of
Jesus Christ and him crucifed, as
Paul did. Il is generally admitted
that the people of the United States
are more licentious, more debauched,
moro prone to infidelity and the devil
than they were twenty years ago.
Divorces are more common; infdelity
to the marriage VOWS are more fre-
quent tbeffs, robberies, murders
crimes of all kinds-are much more
common now than they were in the
better and purer days of the Repub-
lie, when preachers wore plain clothes,
and lived on small salary, and
preached the gospel instead OF poll
tics.
Brother Upton, We are very solicit
Gus for you-in fact our bowels are
moved in your behalf Some of these
political preachers-these wolves in
sleeps clothing-will preach very
well for awhile. They will come very
near deceiying the very elect. But
they will eventually throw off their
disguise-their cloven hoof will stick
out and when they think they have
drawn you on good, they will COM
mence stirring up the devil in the
church by preaching politics in the
pulpit; or by seducing some weak
sister-just as Kalloch or Boyakin did
and kicking the fat in the fire gen.
orally. Then they will ask you to
fork over your quarterage. Will you
do itf We advise you to do as we
have done for some time past in such
cases, and that is, cut off their sup
plies of bread and butter. There is
no use in arguing with them the on
ly argument they can appreciate is
that which cuts off their supplies.
We would not have anybody be-
lieve, from anything we have just said,
or have ever said, that we think there
is no reality in religion. The truth is
the very reverse and We would not
utter word that would shake any
ones faith in it in any manner what
ever. What we would guard the
public against is the impostors-the
wolves in sleeps cIothing-that use
religion as cloak to cover up their
own dark designs and still blacker
hearts. Selah.