The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-12-06
THIS is BAD.
CARRYING POLITICS A LITTLE
TOO FAR.
Furnishing Preachers for Voting as
They PIeased-Trying to Freeze
Them Out by Withholding Their
pay-And this is an Enlightened Age.


We observe that church members
who get out of sympathy with their
pastor because he sees fit to vote the
other way" have a rather meagre
conception of the principles OF the
religion of Jesus Christ Biblical
Recorder.
We hardly think this observation
will or can be questioned, but if we
are right in our belief, brother, there
are great many church members in
this country-yes, and right here in
North Carolina, and in lredell county
who have ga rather meagre con-
ception,' or no conception at all
"of the principles OF the religion'
which the Great Nazarene taught.
Within the past two years members
of church within very few miles of
Statesvllle refused to help pay their
good pastors salary because he voted
the Democratic ticket. They were
Populsts. There was no other charge
against the pastor. He is godly,
pious man, who had faithfully minis
tered unto them in season and out of
season and doubtless they had helped
to lead the singing in the meetings,
had prayed long and fervently over the
wicked without the pale of the church,
and had shouted and shed tears of JOY
over sinners that were brought to
repentance. But when time came to
pay the pastor these hypocrites, who
for pretence had made long prayers
and occupied the chief seats in the
synagogue, remembered that he didn't
look at politics as they did. "He
didn't vote for our principles" they
said, ''and we'll get even by refusing
to help pay his salary" 1t made no
difference that the salary had been
doubly earned or that the church had
promised the pastor SO much for his
labor. Oh, no. That was a matter
of principle that could be laid aside at
will. 1t was only question of strlk
ing the pastor somewhere, and this
was the most suitable point to injure
| him.
1t was of such as these that the
Master said, " "Verily, they have their
reward"
Again: Last summer members of
a church within the bounds of States
Vile district asked the presiding elder
to remove their pastor. When he
asked the grounds on which the re-
moval was demanded the answer was
| that it was because the pastor was a
| Democrat.
These, too, were Populists.
But while these two cases are bad
enough in all conscience we have
saved for the last one that is still
worse There is no evidence to show,
in the case first mentioned, that the
pastor was threatened. in advance with
a loss of salary if he didn't vote a
certain way. The men who were
opposed to him in politics simply
knitted him, as we understand it, with
out having tried to force him to
change.
In the second case there is no evi-
dence to show that the members had
threatened their pastor if he didn't
change his politics or that they had
refused to pay him without asking him
TO change. They wanted him removed
because he was not of their way OF
thinking, and after the elder laid
down the law to them, as he doubtless
did, we do not know that they kicked
any more.
But here is the last case: A citizen
of South lredell, prominent Populist
and, probably, an equally prominent
member of the church, told his pastor
"a short time before the election, as
we understand IT'D that if he (the
pastor) voted the Democratic ticket,
he (the Populst,) would see to it that
he didn't get his salary. This IS no
ncighDorhood rumor. We have it
almost direct from the minister him
self.
Here was direct intimidation here
was threat that IF you don't vote
4 certain way, not only will | refuse tC
help pay your salary, but III see that
you don't get any; I'll use my in
fluence among my brother members tc
prevent their paying you
The man in question is not an IS
norant man; he has intelligence and
a fair education. But he has so mucf
hate in his heart for those who oppose
his peculiar views that he wants tc
injure them and that the man that /
comes in his way to intimldate b,
threats is a minister OF the Gospe
matters not one whit to him.
And it is of this class that our ruler
are to come 1t is men Of this callbrt
that were swept into place and powe
}. in North Carolina on the 9th.
i May God save the State. States
n Vile Landmark.