New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-19
TIE CHURCH AND TIE CITY.

"a church with political attachmenh" Ger
tain Tammany organs sneeringly call the ef-
fort of clersymen to make their influence felt
IN public affairs. Perhaps 1t is time that there
should be some plain speaking on this sub
,ect The seoundrels in politics naturally
dread any interference in matters OF public
concern by men who apply Divine law TO
human controversies. They have 70 long and
persistently sneered at political parsons" as
out of their sphere, and neglectng their proper
business. and unfsithful to the wishes and in
terests of those Pensioners who take the scoun-
drels' side in politics, that great many very
good men have come to wonder how falthlui
clergyman can aid any political movement
without sacrificing his influence tor good IN
the church.
circumstances differ, and some can while
Others cannot 1t is for every religious teacher
to act AZ his own conscience dictates, with due
regard to his surroundings and the nature OF
the influence no has. But no scoundre In pol
itics has any right to scoff because the Master
who drove the thieves ont of the Temple hnds
nm imitator to-day. No good citizen, Jealous
for the influence of the Church, has any bust
ness to set himself up as conscence-bearer for
any clergyman. To his own master each must
answer, and not before any human judge.
This at least may be said. The noble ana
true-hearted ministers who I" meddled with pol
itics" in the days Of Kansas outrages were also
clear headed, and did not thereby destroy their
influence for good. The faithful pastors who
spoke plainly of the sin of human slavery felt
that they would have no right to teach or
preach the Gospel If they kept silent about such
an offence. The great army of devoted clergy
men who strove with all their might to be
patriots also, when the existence OF the Nation
was at stake would have found men asking
what their religion was worth, If 1t had no WORD
OF guidance to offer at such time. 1t may be
seriously questioned whether the influence OF
the churches in the lives of men would not have
been greatly impaired if in these emergencies
they had been without voice or prayer be-
fitting the occasion. Yet through all these
struggles the Democratic party constantly
sneered at the political parsons" with exceed
ing bitterness, rightly judging that in preach
ing the Gospel they were hurting the Demo-
cratic party The fault was with the party,
which placed itself in such an attitude that
neither Christianity nor humanity could pray
for Its success.
Is not that the case when the scoundrel III
politics is permitted to use the same party as his
tool, and through it to rob the people OF their
earnings or their righsP II this great city
has been plundered by q combination of ras-
Gals, and good citizens come together in an hon
est End earnest effort to put down rascality
and give the people clean government, IS that
matter about which the lips Of religious
teacher must be sealed? Has the Gospel OF
Christ nc practical application to theft any
where except in JerusalemP
Every clergyman has personal right, as it
is his solemn duty, TO answer such q question
for himself. He alone can know what good it
Is in his power to do, or what harm. He alone
can measure the circumstances which make 1t
fitting or uniting, duty or wrong, for him
to speak about such an emergency in public
affairs. But the men who have no right to
oen,ure or to sheer, If q sacred teacher appears
with the whip of small thongs, are the scoun-
drels In politics.