The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-05-21
LIKE JESUS OR JUDAS.
ON WHICH SIDE WILL THE
CLERGY BE FOUND?

yin "F1fIf olDE WILL HE
CLERGY BE FOUND?
Dhc Forces Now Mar~halIing for the
Greatest Battle of the Country-NOt by
Bullets But by E:allots-The Clergy
Have II Duty in the Contest.
The forces are now being marshaicd
for the greatest battle ever fought upon
this continent. A battle. however. not
to be fought with bullets. but with the
ballots of the patriotic. liberty y-loving
riti2cns of the United States. ON one
tide will be arrayed all the ptutocracy of
The nation with its vast horde of paras-
ties and cringing slaves. all who bow
the knee to the golden image set up by
the money kings in Wall street. On TIE
other hand will stand the patriotic farfr-
crS and Workingmru of the great Amri:-
can republic united in one grand inviI-
cihlc phalanX; contcnding for the ualicn-
able rights of man. The contest is al
ready begun. Tha Tongues and pens of
millions of frccmcn. who have been
awakened to Il sense of their danger,
are daily pleading for equal rights to all.
Wall street, working through Il suh>i-
died press and merrenary politicians, is
making Il desperate effort To crush ont
-
GLASSES. that the work of spuIiation and
robbery may continue til the 3,ioo per
SONS who now own thrcc-tfths
of the nations wealth may gobble
up the remainder As every in
t"iligcnt citizen must sooner or later
take one side or the other in this con-
test. i Very important question is. Which
side will the clergy take? Will they.
no. l. ~ Ia.
common people on with the plutocracy?
VIII they advucat" the cause of the
weak, the dow ntrodden and the
oppressed. or those who have kept
hacI, the hire of tn" laborrrs and laid
up their treasures i'll the last dayS?'
Occasionally We see filings at the Farm
crs' alliance. made by preachers in re-
ligioiIs Journals. Some good brother
says: "Wcll. that is a small matter. =
Very we'll: it may be a small matter.
originating in a small brain or narrow
heart. bat Straws show which way the
Hind blows. When for gold the par
SON breaches truth. for gold h. will
frequently do something else: for gold
or some other cause H.. will sometimes
step utit OF til" narrow way to fnisr"pre-
sent the farmers to whom. by God :
grace. he owes his living.
Her" l. Il sample; ''farmers demand
Spetia! legislation. So the government
can loan them munry for a song. and
cnabl" them to hold their products for
higher prices Is this trncn Have the
farmers ever asked the government to
loan them money for Il song. literally or
t.rurativrly? If the farmers depuSit
wheat. corn or cotton with the govern
ment. and borrow less money on it than
it Will bring on the market, do they get
il for song? i wheat. corn. cotton
only a song? Has not each an intrinsic
value? If the worthy divine were hungry
and naked Wnnld he not soon conclude
that the simple products Of the farm
have greater intrinsic value than even
gold itself?
l. ii not Il patent fact that congress
by one iuiuuitGuS act lifted S4>4.lI1 lSu
ont of the pockets of the people and put
il into the pockets of the hundhuidrr>n
Was not this special or class legislation"
Why is il. then. that the tongues of
many preachers clcaved tn the roofs of
their mouths while this and many such
like things were done, but a. soon as
the farmers ask only what is just and
equitable their tongucs are louscd and
they become eloquent over the evils of
class legislation:
Again. il is we'll known that in 1884
congress passed Il bill ioauing 81 600 900
to the worlds industrial and cotton
exposition and as far aS is known to the
writer 40 Clergyman entered his protest
against it: but the idea of loanng money
To the poor farmers, even on the best Of
security. is intolcrable to some that
wear the snrlbIice. as well as to to bank
els and brokers.
Wien Jesus dwelt Oh earth the hum
bic. suffering poor We're the special OBJ
jcctS Of His love. and those preachers
WHO do not follow Christ are doing more
to promote the cause of intidclity than
the cause of Christ. So long aS they re-
spcct mems person and money instead
OF their character. so long honest minded
..inucrs will fail to appreciate or heed
their teaching.
When men So" magnificent temples
built for the worship Of God from which
the humble poor are virtually excluded:
when they see tn" preacher Worship
ing The millionaire more than the lowlv
Rcdccmer: when they sec the immoral
holding high positions in the church be-
canS" they are rich: when they see all
this and much more of the same kind,
with luathing they will turn away and
sap. in truth. this religion is all Il SpIcn-
did farce. for Jesus is not here.
Reader. would You have an answer to
the question. Which side will the clergy
.2ke? Here il is: Many who are try
.;Ig to follow Christ will be fonnd on the
Lords side. and some who are vainiy
trying to serve God and gold will sooner
or later be found on the other side. The
Lords side is the side of the oppressed:
the other side is the side of the op-
preSsor.T. j. Stone in NGtinnut EcoHD-
mist