The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-02-10

clans skirmish for positions. Men
have learned to love their party first,
themselves second, their country after
all else is played out. Party is put
before self simply because party is
expected later to serve self. Legisla-
tive majorities unseat their enemies,
the minority, on the slightest pretexts,
on strictly party votes. This is an
every day occurrence in State and
National capital, and is coming to be
regarded as a matter of course. The
most powerful politician in New York
Is said to have remarked: "Give me
the saloons, and you may take all the
churches in the land" The man who
"never loses O battle through the &C
tivity of his moral nature" is the man
chosen to command the party forces.
This is a literal statement of fact-one
of the saddest facts in our history.
Who is responsible for all this 2
Can the Church of Christ calmly say,
81 have nothing to do with corruption
in politics" AlasI this has been the
feeble cry of the timid for many
years. We have neglected politics
until it has become q cesspool, and
then advised everybody to keep out
of it. This is simply adding treason
to cowardice. Where are the prophets
of the Eving God? Where are the
men who should stand where old
Elijah stood, when he fesrlessly ar.
raigned the king, saying, 81 have not
troubled Israel; but thou, and thy
fathers house, in that ye have for,
saken the commandment of the Lord,
and thou hast followed Baalim."
Where are they2 On, they are
adjusting their collars, seeing if they
are cut in the correct style of two
thousand years ago. They are "visit,
ing the women and the children"
which a distinguished politician in
Brooklyn recently said was the chief
Legitimate function of the modern
preacher, when he was asked if par
son should touch politics. Where are
they2 Oh, they are lodging and
shivering behind high old,fashioned
pulpits, trembling lest they offend
some old c~urmudgeon who sits in the
pews, and smacks his lips with JUNCTION
over the Gospel in the abstract, and
lights like a child over medicine at a
personal application. This gentleman
is charmed to see his preacher make
the fur fly off the traditional sinner,
but he objects to furnishing any of
the fur. He decidedly objects to poll.
tics being mentioned by a moral
teacher. That field he regards as the
special domain of the devil, and when
the preacher enters thereon, he does
not propose to be fatigued by his i'm.
practical views. The preacher takes
the hint, resigns the function of the
prophet, drops to the level of the
Scribe, goes back a few thousand
years and gives Judas and Baalam
another thrashing, which the old man
greatly enjoys, for he secretly applies
it to his nelghbor across the way.
In the name of God, let the prophets
of God speak, Let the politicians
growll Let the curmudgeons howl!
Let the heather rage, the people i'm.
agine vain things! But do thou the
work of God with steady hand and
fearless heart
The people have a conscience. The
people are swayed at last by Christian
sentiment. They believe in the Deca
logue and the Golden Rule. They
have showed it in Kansas. Shall we
allow the newspapers of the nation
alone to stand as guardians of national
honor and purity and truth Let us
speak. Let us speak clearly, speak
directly to the people yer the heads
of the tricksters and political hacks,
and the people will hear at last.