St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-04
CHRISTIAN POLITICIANS.

Can man be Christian and poll
tician at the same time? is a question
that has often been asked and variously
answered. 1t is again brought into
prominence Dy The conviction of John
Y. McKane. the Gravesend boss and
Sunday school superintendent, for
frauds committed upon the ballot, and
the opinion seems to prevail that the the
DRY of Christianity is inconsistent with
the practice OF politics.
And yet we have had many notable
Christian statesmen. Probably the most
conspicuous of these was one who did
not profess Christianity at all-Abra-
ham Lincoln. An avowed agnostic,
confessing that the doctrines of Chris
tianity were beyond his comprehen-
sion, Mr.. Lincoln yet came nearer to
being model Christian statesman than
any other of our public men. We have
had, both before and since his time,
presidents who have been protesting
Christians and members of churches,
but none Of these seems to have been
guided as he was by that fundamental
doctrine of Observation-Disclosures tenn
ored to live up to the golden rule, which
is the first and greatest commandment
of the founder of Christianity.
Many Idols of the Christian church
have been shattered by contact with
politics. Of late years, and especially
since the growth Of the tariff system
and its accompanying monopollstic cor
ruption, the politician concerned in ma
tional affairs has been beset by extraor-
binary temptations. On The one side is
his duty to his country and his constit-
uents, on the other the promise Of DO
litical preferment and wealth. In a
majority of instances the politician SUBJ
mitS TO the latter temptation, and lends
himself willing tool to those who are
plundering the public. He loses con-
1dence in his own integrity, and his
steps downward are rapid. He fire.
quently remains IN the public service
for years, fer the corporations appre.
ciate faithful tool. 1t is matter of econ
omy with them to keep him in service.
They have bought him once, and he is
their property. 1t is cheaper to keep
him than to buy new man and train
him to the work expected of him. They
keep their promises to him and exact
literal compliance on his part with their
demands.
Ordinarily a politician is compelled
to res ort to methodsthat are inconsist-
ent with Christian life. While he is
running for Office he is compelled to be
all things to all men. He must show
esteem for religion, no matter under
what brand it may be exposed, and yet
he feels the necessity of pandering to
the enemies OF Christianity. He NAV
revolt against tie saloon, yet he fire.
quents it and associates with its habit
ues, or else furnishes money to his
henchmeD who act as his substitutes in
these resorts. But the delegation of
such duties" to others does not re-
| move from his shoulders the RESPONSE
bility of their performance. He is ex-
pected. TOO. to contribute to the bribery
of voters. The real nature of the work
| is thinly disg used. He is nominallv
assessed for Legitimate campaign ex-
| penses." This is comprehensive
| phrase. 1t is the creed of the politi-
clans that everything is fair and legiti-
mate i'll politics. 1t is consi dered quite
the proper thing to circulate defama-
tory and false reports about competi-
tors, and TO charge them with enter
tanning views on questions of public
interest as far from their ideas as pole
is removed from pole Such things are
not Christianlike, and yet so-called
Christian politicians are guilty of them
every day.
1t is. perhaps, possible for a Christian
to pass through the FIRE of politics un.
harmed. Yet the chances are against
it. A man cannot touch filth without
being defiled. Much is said about "ele-
waiting the tone of politics." but the
effect of the effort seems usually to be
in the opposite direction; for while
| politics refuses to be elevated it too fire.
quently drags down to its own level the
wOuld-be reformers.
1t is claimed on behalf of the interfer-
ence of Christians in politics that it is
their duty as good citizens to bring
| about reforms. This is a valid and suffi-
| cient reason for their doing SO. But a
great obstacle in the way of their sue
| cess is the fact that they do not act in