Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-05-09
The CroakerS are all Wrong.

me CToaKerS are all wrong.
Among the other institutions Of
Chicago is a system of meetings held
by Methodist pastors each Monday.
At the meetings subjects cf a great
variety of interest are discussed in a
manner more or less profound, &C
cording to circumstances but always
with extreme dogmatism. Ques-
tons of the greatest Importance are
settled off-hand in these critical
symposiums. Matters that statesmen
and politicians have had under con
sideration for an era of thought and
progress these clergymen decide in
one sitting. As class, ministers
are supposed to have devoted their
studies to subjects regarding the
spiritual welfare of mankind-to
matters that concern their hearts,
their moral condition and their
salvation. A pastor who, in both
preaching and practice, does his
duty, and his whole duty to his
congregation, will have little time
left outside Of his study and closet
and outside the circle Of his relig-
ious ministrations to discuss ques-
tons of politics with intelligence;
and without Intelligence be can not
honestly discuss such questions at all.
Here is an instance. A Rev. c. j.
Stoughton read a carefully prepared
address at one of the recent meet.
ings as above described His sub
ject was "The Relation Of the Pull
pit to the Ethical Element of Civil
Government" From the extracts
given the paper must have sounded
like a slangwhanging campaign
newspaper editorial directed against
the opposite party He is reported
as saying that ga century has proven
that the Government was weak"
that "there was moral faint pre-
yading the body politics" that heI
"saw revolution in the corruption
and fostering sores on society in the
slums of the city;" that the repre-
sentatives "sent from these hotbeds !
of vice made the laws for the
people," and ii was "only a question |
of a few years when these vicious
and dangerous lawmakers would be
in the ascendency." "Our republican
form of government hes proven a
failure" "Villainies and jobberies
were the sum total of the work of
the political parties" The govern
ment of these cities is not good,
and in them liberty is failure. The
municipal government is kept rs a
shield for robbery and murder, and
what is true of cities will soon be
true of the whole nation if it is not
checked. The governing politicians
in the great cities of this country
are overwhelmingly corrupt"
This man bears false witness. lie
is slanderer. His picture of
American politics, even in the cities,
is not a true picture, but Is a CHASTITY :
and absurd cancature. 1t possesses
no yerisimiGtude. 1t is drawn from
a single low quarter or nest of vice
which its author never saw, and he
alleges that the worst and smallest
phase of city life correctly Illus
trates the whole. This is prepos-
ferrous. 1t is false, sensational and
scandalous.
There is no government under the
sun among men rs good as that
under which the American people
live. There are no cities IN the
word as well governed in the main
as American cities. Nowhere else
is life as secure, are property rights
better protected, DO law and order
SO universally prevail, is public NOR
ality 50 well sustained, is the home
50 highly honored, is religion SO
reyerenced, as in America and /
American cities. The conditions /
described by Mr.. Stoughton are the
few exceptions, not the rule, as 70
American political and city life.
Ii is true that in this country cor
rupt men sometimes get into office I
Ii is true that bad party some
= ,,,..s watts tr,+, mower is true