Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-18

Of the denomination under whose
patronage il was established, and has
obtained its patronage here because OF
its distinctive character as achurch jour
nal. At the last General Conference OF
the church, the Rev. Mr.. WHEELER was
chosen to the position OF editor, and it
is now being conducted by that gentle
man.
II may appear TO the editor OF the
Adrocais that he is doing the church and
its journal good service in making 1t
the organ and industrious agent
OF a political party, and thereby render
ing its columns unpalatable and Often
siye to a very large proportion OF It's
subscribers, but to an observer from a
distance and Judging by the comments
Of those more deeply concerned, we
opinc that all intelligent and sensible
readers agree that il would be
much more seemly and much more
satisfactory to them il they were per
mitted to take their politics from a more
secular. il not more reliable source, and
not have their politics and religious in
teligcnre SO sandwjched that it is in
convenient to take either one or the
other separately.
We cannot, from our standpoint, ex-
artIv comprehend how the editor of
that journal can justify his course in
converting a church paper, over which
he prcsides, into political, partisan or
gan, more than he could justify himself
in converting pulpit to which he was
called to preach the Gospel into Politi-
cal platform; or OF prostituting his posi-
ton, # called to preside over an unde-
nominational institution, by proselyting
its patrons 10 his religious faith. Nor
can we understand how it is that the
church, whose property this journal is,
will passiyely submit to have their agent
divert it from its mission and make it a
means Of scandal AMI reproach instead
Of an agency for good
The members of church have Il
right to their political views and right
10 express them fully AM freely when
occasion demands so has the editor of
the .Il,orgts. But neither the one nor
the other has any right, nor can they
with any propriety intlict them upon
persons OF an opposite belief, and COM
pei them 10 pay tor the iuiliction, too,
a,ainst their will. There is a time and
place for political discussions, and also
for religious discussions, but we know OF
no religious sect or political party that
admits the propriety Of taking them to-
sether. II the Adrocute is what its name
implies, let it contine itself to its mis-
sion; il il is a vol in sleeps clothing
partisan organ under false name -
then the Church, ont Of respect to itself,
should openly repudiate it, as will every
conscientious individual who has been
deludcd into its support.
We advance these views in all kind.
ness, because they are just. We would |
say the same, itthe journal in question
were partisan Democratic, instead OF u
partisan Republican journal, which it is.
We are confident that We express the /
views of many of its subscribers. who |
desire To have a church journal, but are
not willing NJ the same time tn paw for
political organ that is opposed To their
views. We are in receipt, to-day Of a
letter from one Of the subscribers Ia the
4droc1i. living ut Pittsburgh, and an ac-
tive and influential member of the de
nomination which it prrtends to rep
resent, in which, speaking Of the
partisan course oi the Aduc1is, he says;
81, for one, am heartily tired of tins
thing Ii the VI. T.. church
had no Democrats in it, nor wanted
none, then ! would have nothing to
say. But rs the paper Processes To rep
resent the church and is supposed to be
HuhllNllNNA III Us AAAtNANoNt a. q CNulpN latt
| do not like to hear my party de-
nOunCed, vilifed, and maligned each
week, as in the IdrOcats."
We give the above as expressing the
views not Of one subscriber only, but
there are large numbers Of people in
Western Pennsylvania, and Eastern
Ohio, and a great majority in West !
Virginia, who are, or should be, if not !
Democratic, by reason of their location,
readers of this journal. They desire to |
have a Church journal, but they cannot,
nor will any fair-minded man say that
they should, give aid and support to
partisan journal that makes itself offen-
sive by a narrow and bitter denuncia-
ton ofthose who ara of opposite polite
al opinions, Certainly they win not by
our advice.