Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-06-16
PREACHERS AND POLITICS.

| PREACHERS AND POLITICS.
The LEADER publishes to-day a char
acteristicly able article ON the above
subject from the pen of Rev. DR. j. b.
Gambrell. so we'll and favorably known
to all Mississippians. How we should
come to publish an article, however.
which was written for. the Baptist
Record. but which has never appeared
in that paper, it may he well here to
explain. As is well known to all who
are acquainted with the record Of the
LEADER. it has never had any sympathy
or respect for that mischievous doc
trine industriously promulgated by
tricky politicians and saloon men and
practiced by some dudish and Miss
Nancy" style of preachers, that Chris
/ tian man alienates and de-citizeniZes
/ himself by entering Gods ministry. and
may not. on that account, take the
same part and interest in political af-
/ fairs. if circumstances demand, as any
other Christian man or patriot. 1t be
lieves il we had more loyal preachers
taking a hand in politics we wo%.d
have cleaner politics and better GOV
eminent. and that the whole people
would be happier and more prosper
Gus. True preachers are the real salt
of the carth'-the brave pioneers in
every great reform movement that
blesscs the world religious. moral so
cial or political.
But to our explanation. While the
editor of the LEADER was in Meridian
about two months ago. he CHANGED to
step into DR.. Gambrell's office just as
he had flushed writing the article
which we to-day publish. and heard
him read it. Though written bya Bap
tist for Baptist paper, and most of
the illustrations are drawn from that
denomination, it impressed us as such
an interesting. strong and unanswera-
bic presentation of an important sub
ton in secular paper, and we at once
declared our intention of republishing
it as soon as it appeared in the Record.
After watching the columns of the
Record for several succeeding weeks
and failing to note its appearance. a
letter was addressed to DR.. Gambrell
asking why it had not been published.
In reply he stated that it had been sub
mitted to DR.. Hackett, one of the edi
tors of the Record. who had referred
it to his associate. Rev. G. w. Gardner,
the observatory man. who declined
to publish it, and it was only by urgent
insistencc, under these circumstances,
that the LEADER obtained copy of it
at all.
What good purpose the Record hopes
to subserve by endeavoring to belittle
ministers who have the moral courage
and patriotism to fight the political
of the day, and then refuse
to allow those who differ with it re-
Spectful hearing, it is difficult to con
,eive. Senator Coke, when making his |
to save the saloons of Texas !
A few years ago. declared that every
preacher who took the stump for the
protection of the women and children
and homes of that State. ought to be
tiayed back into his pulpit with "a whip
of scorpions. 1t was a whisky politi-
clan who said that: but the Record APP
pears to entertain much the same sen
timentS.
DR.. Gambrell's article speaks for it
self and really leaves nothing to be
said on the subject treated. The LEAD
Err, which is proud to number among
its regular readers a large number of
ministers of nearly all denominations.
and especially of the Baptist and
Methodist faith, is glad to be able to
publish it, and bespeaks for it a
thoughtful reading by all.