The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-04-07
Religion in Politics.

We are on the eve OF an exciting politi-
ical campaign. Tho plotters are plotting
and the planners arc planning, and the
leaders arc niarshaling their forces. What
shall Christian men do? Stand aloof?
No, indeed. Go in, and take your religion
with you. You need not be afraid. 1flt
is genuine, it will stand the strain. If
your religion will not servo you in the
Caucus or Convention, or at the big po-
litical rally, it would not be much loss to
You or to any else ifit were to cvaporate.
The political sea is full Of breakers, and
tho horoscope indicates a storm, and if
good men all go below and leave the care
and guidance Of tho ship OF State to roughs
and professional deadbeats, she will be
wrecked. Don't listen to the pot house
politician, who muddies the political
pool, and then tries to keep decent men
away by the cry, "Takc care there, you'll
soil your robes" The patriot is the friend
Of God as well as Of men, and God eX-
poets His children to make the impress Of
their conscience on affairs of State. Go
to tho front, in the name of your Master,
and assert our privileges and discharge
your duty.
You will need to watch and pray. The
moro religion one has the keener the
sense of danger and dependence, and the
more he watches-tho moro good it does
to pray, and the moro he prays. Pray to
be guided in opinion and action. But
cont initiate John Smith, who was ex-
Cecdingly anxious about tho choice of q
wife, and prayed devoutly to be divinely
directed i'll the matter, but always wound
up with the tervcnt petition to be able to
gain the affections and the hand Of Miss
Lucy Jones. Proceed on the hypothesis
that you and your party are liable to err,
and that there may be some wisdom and
honesty in tho other parties, notwith-
standing they commit the grievous
blunder Of refusing to see everything
through your spectacles. Pray for the
moral courage to change your opinion
and turn out of the old groove, when you
find you arc going wrong. Ittakes an i'm
mense amount OF grace to enable man
to do that. You'might pray occasionally
for similar blessings on those of opposing
your praying for yourself. And be sure
time with telescope scanning tho politi-
cal field, but keep an eye at home. 1t will
pay.
BE self-possessed. It is no use to exhort
you not to get excited, for if you are
worth anything at all you cannot 60
through heated political campaign
without becoming excited. But you need
not lose your self-control. It is the en-
gine with the biggest head of steam, but
under complete control, that pulls the
heaviest loads rapidly and safely across
the continent. Don't get angry, if you
can holp it. And, if you do, obey the
Scripture injunction and sin not, neithor
let the sun go down on your wrath. There
will be plenty ct temptations to anger.
Some shallow-pated gentleman, with
perfect nonchalance, and in the most
approved form of the most exquisite eti-
quette, will tell you that you are both a
knave and fool because you differ from
him. Eut don't get angry. 1t will spoil
the fun. 1t has not been long since we
had the most perfect specimen Of little
single idead fanatic wo ever met tell US he
was praying regularly for the opening of
our eyes. That was temptation indeed.
Why wo thought we were wide awake
and looking through the clearest medium
Meyer mind. We didn't get mad.
We laughed it off, and came to the con-
elusion that his prayers would do us no
harm, and-and-it was hard to Confess
that there might be just little film over
one eye. At any rate, wo would let tho
praying 60 on and try to keep in good
humor.
You will find somo Of the funny phases
of our imperfect humanity drawn with
grotosque distinctness on the political
canvas. Tho man who has the fewest
ideas and the least ones will nurse them
with more than motherly devotion and
fight for them with the fierceness of IT,
ger. The man whose positiveness
amounts to brusque domineering will un-
dertake to cure your dogmatism by
dogmatic arrogance that is perfectly re-
treshing in its sunsophisticated simplicity.
The man whose opinions are inherited
and deeply imbedded in the mind by q
transmitted prejudice the growth of gen
erations will condemn you for your want
of independent thought and chide you for
your turbulence. Poor human nature
frequently uncovers it's worst deformities
in politics and then blows trumpet with
upon it.
But 60 in. Your country needs you.
Play the man. Don't be milksop.
Don't fall into the noisy parade Of cheap,
pinchbcck patriotism and drift along
with the unthinking mass. Read and
think. Criticise men and measures. You
are one Of the sovereigns. Don't surren-
der your macs, nor place your sceptre in
the hands of ignorance or corruption. BE
firm and manly, but be justand generous.
Keep passion in subjection toi reason.
Hold the balance Of judgment above the
shifting and the confusing currents of
popular prejudice. Only few mon can
do that. Sock to be one Of that royal
number.
Women and preachers will exercise po-
litical influence in the inverse ratio Of
the amount of noise they makc.-Hotston
Methodist.