The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-02-21
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credited with the following remark
nfhe political primaries are left 10
the rough element, When the prayer
meeting and the primaries are on tho
same night, We ought 70 leave the pray
o. meeting and so 10 the primary"
The above sentiment may shock
some people, who think q preacher
should be kept Ia some secluded nook
during tho week, aud only exhibited Ia
the pulpit on sunday
What does tho Rev Van Camp meant
lie means that tho way 10 purify our
politics Is 10 commence NJ tho pflma
ries. and the way 70 Improve the oharaer
Tor OF tho primaries, ia 10 got tho best
mon 10 20 there, The tendency OF the
best thought Of the time Is towards tho
enlargement OF the scope OF ministerial
duties. The faithful minister should
BIO the eyaugel OF q better national NE
as well as a purer private hfe' Tue
tendency Of tho ago Ia unQuesllonably
towards yenality in politics, ana unless
this tendency il checked, we shall soon
be AZ the end Of representative govern
ment in this country, Our political
methods are bad, and are rapidly grow
ine worse. We can think OF no potent
Influences In the way Of betterment
unless il come from the pulpit We
have no public forum, aa in the ancient
Latin race, whore the masses can
gather knowledge and wisdom from
recognized oWclea and public teachers,
Hence, 10 paraphrase slightly from Nil
tom
fuoib has uua ssnt ME living oracle
Into this wicked world 70 leach ME- hNA VIII
II rs the preacher,
There Is now no great oyerahadow'
ing questions before the American
people, Neither Is there any q%ueallonso OF
international politics, dividing the two
great PARTIES, There IL no question TO
arouse mems ire and stir mems blood,
like African slavery, Tho atmosphere
of a universal liberty and equality
seems to peryado every iber OF our
National Ne, But we seem to forget
that liberty Is a negative virtue ~
means tho liberty 10 do wrong ~ well ~
right. Gus matchleaa form OF govern
mont cannot secure as against oorrop'
ton II the people are corrupt
The true preacher should aim to be
the Delphic oracle Of the people, lie
should feel free to laud whatever IS best
In society and government aud TO de-
nounce whatever 10 bad, We are not
touching on cherries or PHILOSOPHERS
now, but ON questions Of morals Asa
man may be moral without being plous,
so A government may be pure ana
cnnobling In los methods and influences
without being under any religious or
denominatlonal control, And, rs II Is
equally true that no man can DO Truly
pious without being moral, 80 no gov
eminent can bo benotcont without
good aud faithful officers, sustained and
upheld by good and wholesome inllu
onces. There cannot DO such q thing
as a good government, when the officers
who make and administer the laws are
yenal, selfish and corrupt, no more than
there can be q pious man with bad
morals,
with these slight attempts at moral
philosophy let u8 proceed to observe q
few things that are pertinent, here and
now. A minister has just W much
right 20 discuss all questions OF public
concern as q statesman or politician
moreover he has more right II II In
wolves o question OF morals,
In discussing any question, however,
he has no right 70 infringe on the nat
ural or political rights Of any citizen or
any class Of citizens, who may hold diff
ferent views on the same question,
When a minister enters the arena OF
public discussion, he places himself on
q par with any other citizen, and Is TO
be treated Just the same, lie is only TO
be treated as q minister when he 49,
mmes the robes Of his sacred calling,
This does not argue however, that be-
cause a minister sees NJ to use thenews'
paper as his forum for public discus
sion or debate, that he Is violating min
isterial dignity or courtesy, Far from
10. Ills character In the discussion is
to be Judged solely from the character
of The discussion, lfit throws light on
q subject Of deep pablo concern, or If
sheds q wholesome aud kindly influence,
IL has tho same value, in the sight Of
God and man, as If uttered In clerical
robes and from the altar,
Let us not therefore, be misunder.
stood, We are not in sympathy with
those who assume that n minister has
no right to take part In q Public debate
on any question that interests society
We hold that he has,
Let the pulpit join tho press In the
discussion Of every question that
touches society, or, good government
Let the clergy mingle freely with the
people and learn their ways, and famil-
iarize themselves with the follies and
wickedness Of the world, They can
better arm themselves for the battle
against sin, and knowing both the
outer and inner acknowledgements Of The
devil, from pit TO parapet, will know
best where TO assault his works.