Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1888-03-22

knew his duty as an officer and
dared do it. sRuNK.n
Reviewer Reviewed.
To the Editor Of tie Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, March 17.-Ordi-
narily the preacher makes poor
reviewer. He generally takes a
pessimists view. He looks upon
a growing and vigorous population
as one ripening for hell. From his
standpoint there is little virtue
any where and none outside the
pulpit and its supporters. By con-
slant contemplation of moral law
he comes to regard as crime ev-
erything that is short of perfec-
tion. At the same time he has an
idea that perfection is unattaina-
Bile. His favorite song is, "There
is nothing perfect here; below"
But when the preacher becomes a
politician he takes a very different
view of human capability Civil
legislation is based upon the idea
that men can and most comply with
it. 1t has fines and imprlsonments
for those that willfully violate law.
In the political role the preacher,
especially if he inclines to fanati-
cism, readily adopts the civil idea
of responsibility and demands that
his policies be enforced by
the usual criminal penalties. On
account of this ever recurring in
consistency the public very proper
ly discountenances descent from the
pulpit to the political arena. It is
indeed rare to find the conflicting
publications of politician and
preacher combined in the. same
individual. It will not do to say
that religion and politics ought not
to be antagonistic. The fact re-
mains that the public has wide
and keen perception of the incon-
sistencY of alternating fines and
imprisonments with clemency ,pur.
suation and pardon. It knows the
successful politician seldom makes
a good preacher or an acceptable
divine a reliable political guide.
| We have been led to make these
remarks by the criticism of Senator
MeGinnis' speech on Prohibition
in one of our dailies by a city
divine, and the appearance of othel
preachers on the political forum
The able Senator reviewed the
history of Prohibition and proved
that temperance reformation had
not been assisted by it. To this
lust conclusion is opposed by his
clerical critic the objection tina
this proposition was maintainee
before the Personal Liberty
League composed mainly of saloon
| keepers and opposers of unneces
sary Sabbatical restraint. Blu
what has this to do with the failur,
Of Prohibition to promote temper
ance? or Senator McGinnis' in
quiry into the best means of miti
eating an existing evil2 Or wha
relation does the character o
the Senator's audience have to th,
condition of society in our midst
Can that prove that drunkenness i
on the increase here under the oper
alton of high license? it not
tmatter of daily observation and con
graduation that intemperance is ol
4 the decrease in Audrain county an,
that outside of few of its town
there is not saloon within it
bounds? What if Senator Nc
Ginnis did address Personal Lib
erty League? Does that show tina
Local Option will furnish bette
protection for farmers families an
their interests than existing laws
And what has mistaken oppositiol
Ito Sabbatical restraint or the prope
constituency of ofsacramental wine o
, the discussion of the power an
right of the majority of society
within limited districts to enforc
Prohibition, confirmed as it is b
our highest court, to do with tn
question soon to be decided fo
j veal or woe by an agriculture
BALLOT We have no disppsitio
to unierrate, but the inevitabl
cosclusion forcing itself upon U
while reading this clerical criticism
was that the reviewer was. ovel
Weighted: lodged the issue an
made the resort common to his elias
iof appeal to prejudice and that i
doing so he furnished additions
proof of the unfitness of preacher
. ito deal with practical politics.
DEMOCRAT.
Miss Annie Sam Jones, daughte
of Sam Jones, the Georgia cvang,
! list, IS reported to have left We
!. Ileyan College at Millesburg, Ky,
because when she attened church