The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-30
Mlls}elE5gle
III. N. MURDOCH. EdIto-
THE PREACHER IN POLITICS.


ever did SO much for rectitude or evel
sngrafted SO many moral and temper
ance tenets in its platform. or ever
brought about through legislation sc
many noble reforms, as has the Repub-
lican party, yet through its advocacy OF
these and kindred progressive idea, il
has met its principle, if not its only de-
feats.
1t would seem that systematic effort
is again being made by the third party
and other prohibition leaders of Kansas
to defeat the Republican party in the
pending city elections. And from a
glance at our exchanges it appears that
in some instances the pulpits of the cities
and towns were enlisted, on last Sab
bath, whose preachers in exhorting tenn
perance, and bewailing the non-enforce-
ment of the prohibitory law, held the
Republican party not only responsible,
but held it up to scorn. The hsincerity,
nay hypocrisy, of this pestiferous ele-
menU who thus sought, and in many in
stances succeeded in having the Repub-
lican party threshed by ministers of the
goepel, whose great influence is every
where conceded, is astounding.
Why these perpitetetic appostles OF
political reform should year after year
go about from community to community
ana from state to state, spending their
time-but other peoples money-in en-
deavoring to defeat the only political
party that ever did accomplish anything
for temperance and morality, is past all
understanding.
AS for Kansas, the mayors and coun
ellis of her cities have no more to do with
tie enforcement of prohibition, under
the Murray law, than has Grover Cleve-
land or the congress. The governor
who heads the party they thus seek to
endorse by defeating the Republican
party, is alone and solely, through his
commissioners and through the marshal
and police force appointed by them. re-
sponsibie There is no power that can
stand in Governor dwellings way in
the enforcement of this law except, per-
haps, an overwhelming opposition senti-
ment in the community itself. The Re
publican party as an organization is not
responsible even to the extent that the
Democratic and Populist parties are, for
these last. elected and now control the
executive whom the law only and alone
holds responsible for the enforcement
of that solitary and especial enactment.
The Republican party LOST this state
last fail through the efforts of that fanat-
ical clan, rs Blaine lost the presidency
through them eight years ago. So far
as the prohibitory law is concerned the
mayor of city can cut no figure, unless
he should own drug store and have in
fuence with his gatling gun governor,
all Demo-Pop bowling to the contrary
Notwithstanding, and the most surprising
thing is that people can be found whose
prejudices render them blind to that
fact.
Thequestion to be settled next Tuesday
is not whether at the behest of outside
agitators the Wichita joints hall be clos
ed and the revenues of the city cut down
by just so much. while the whisky is
sent up the dark alleys and into garrets
10 be drank, but whether the revolution
airy policy and attempted high handed
usurpations of Lewelling and his Guy
Faulks methods shall obtain in Kansas.
AS this man Lewelling is like the reed
shaken by the wind, always
yielding to those who press him
last, let these hired howlers
against the Republican party turn their
tongues on the Adventures and revolu-
tionists who have the ear of the chief
executive, who under the law absolutely
governs every city in the state-without
reference to the desires or convictions of
of the people who are compelled to foot
the bills.
Preachers are not producers, in any
sense, nor as rule taxpayers They
are, or ought to be, only simply and
truly religious teachers and moral
leaders. When in contending for the
good and true they resort to threats or
force Of any character, political, legal or
physical, they lose that power which
The Divine Nazarine solely EMPLOYED
in winning the world and its
generations for his own; not onlv that
but they engender antagonisms which
largely defeat all their efforts TO lead
mankind into that better way, The
great majority of mankind, who control
the affairs of this world will not brooi-