The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-03-12
A QUEER POSITION.
appeals.

Auc AUpSfIllo <Ttdo ana OanHcF, III hIl
editorial article headed Should Kiln.
Dried Deacons become JudgesH" among
other thugs, says:
"On the ground that preachers or min.
many Of the public duties which ordina.
intensely pious church deacons should
not be called upon to execute the lava of
the country. Their lives no doubt beau.
tiful and strict in their daily walk, 10 to
be admitted, and their e1nmples are ever
to be regarded, but when it comcs to
placing them OIL the Bench to di.peDue
justice between the State and sinner, the
saint aud the wayward, we submit that
the intensity Of their religious convic
tlons must sway their Judgment and
make it next to impossible 10 hold the
scales in exact equipuse. Their religion
cannot be forgotten, and under the super
hlitious belief that the Lord will reward
them for bearing down heavily upon the
dinner, they too often are excessive In
The punishment uf those who have
offended their Lord-apparentIy forget
ting that 10 Him only belongs vengeance
We ank the reader To observe the rulings
of our Cuur,n, and if the sentences aud
acts Of intensely pious Judges are not
more cruel and more dispr0pnrtioned to
The grimes than those Of Judges whose
religiun is only of u mild type then we
are mistaken. We say then that in.
tensely pious men, and kiln dried dea.
cons are and should be disqualified from
holding judicial p"siti"ns, where saint
and sinner may be compelled to apply
tor equal aud exact justice. We hope
our Legislators may hereafter exclude
from the Bench all such men IN have
sought high position In the church, or
are Ianatically religious. III our opinion
their very enthusiasm on the subject
must at least To some extent iucapacitate
them from proper discharge of the
high and important trust. Let the
Church and the State forever remain
separate. Let politicians fill the offices
of the Slate, and let Christians hll the
offices OF Church. AS we'll ask q politi
clan to fill the Office of Church AZ to ask
the fanatically religious christian to Gil
the office OF State. Let the offices re
main separate and distinct, as we'll in
fact as In name.
The religion Of our brother Of the
frcss and Banner must be of b peculiar
kind, If it does not promote merciful
pity for the wayward aud erring, and
teach hizA the beauties Of justice and
forgiveness. No real Christian can be
otherwise than considera,e aud merciful
In the discharge Of every duty in life,
and these qualities become conspicuous
In proportion to the sincerity of thei.
piety. OF ell tho offices, either In
Church or State, there 10 none In which
the real Christian man 10 needed 10
much as in the position of Judge,
| whose duty it 10 to hold the scales Of
justice with equal hand. He has in q
large measure the control of the rights
Of person aud Of property, and it is i'm.
posaible to conceive that religion unfits
man for the proper exercise Of these
duties. In our opinion, tho welfare of
the country would be promoted by the
elevation Of none but pious, Christian
men. to s,ations Of public power, aud
therefore we take the opposite view of
this matter from the one presented by
the Press and Banner. The moat dis.
tioguished Judges our State has ever had
were protesting Christians, and the State
has never yet had occasion to regret
committing any public trust to Chriatian
men. This does not lead to an estab.
lished church, which we agree would. be
much to be deplored. In fact, 1t would
be eubverslve of ohr government, but It
would lead to having our government
directed by God.fearing and God serving
man