Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1894-12-06

IN this campaign into Cabarrus
to solidify the negroes for fus-
ion? Find out, ye men of Con
cord, who heard him and fore
bore when he cried. eff I love
a white girl and she loves me, it
amt nobody's business but the
girls and mine"
That utterance broke down the
plans of Democracy in Cabarrus.
1t made fusion triumphant.
Let all men who loveNorthCaro-
lima pray, and let the prayer be
God save the State.
JNO. R. NORRIS.
Pulpit Politics.
Rev. Russell H. Conwell, who
has accomplished amost impor-
tant work in founding the great
uptown Temple and its educa-
tional surroundings, frankly and
pungently discussed in his
Thanksgiving sermon the dan
gers to the cause Of religion from
prostituting the pulpit to politi-
cal efforts. He urged the entire
separation of Church and State,
and gave very conclusive rea-
sons in support of his convic-
tions. He believes in the work of
the Prohibitionists but he doubts
the policy of adhering to it as a
hopeless minority party when
the great parties may be wisely
conserved in the interest Of pub
lie sobriety. His advice is for the
voter to adhere TO his political
faith and make honest efforts to
control the primaries of his party
in the interest of public moral
ity.
We have had many painful IL
Illustrations of the pulpit invit-
ing disrespect by ministers plum
ging into political campaigns. In
1881 when Cleveland and Blaine
contested for the Presidency.
one of the prominent ministers
of New York, in his regular Sun
day sermon, proclaimed to the
world from the pulpit that the
election of Mr.. Blaine should be-
prevented in the interest of re-
ligion and public morality and
that Mr.. Cleveland should be
elected. Within a week or a fort
night of tie delivery Of that ser
mon. another equally prominent
minister Of New York delivered
a sermon from hispulpitin Whic h
he declared to the world that the
defeat of Mr.. Cleveland was an
absolute necessity unless religion
and morality would bring public
reproach upon themselves. Here
We're two deliverances made by
men Of equal ability and stand
ing in the clerical profession
delivered from the sacred desk.
How can such utterances from
the pulpit be r~econciled? How
can pulpit teachings hope
to command respect when
ministers SO far forget them
selves as to prostitute the pulpit
to the merest partisan purposes?
a quite recent illustration of
the abuse of the pulpit by the
delivery of political sermons
was given in New York. DR..
Parkhust. who attained much
distinction in the battle for the
reformation of New York city,
lately delivered d sermon from
his pulpit in the Madison Square
Presbyterian church, in which
he launched out in most unspar-
ing denunciation of Ex-senator
Thomas c. Platt, WHO'S accepted
as the Republican leader in the
victory his party achieved at the
recent election in both city and
State. This was followed a
week later by a sermon from
Rev. Thos. Dixon, pastor of the
Twenty-third street Baptist
church, who not only denounced
DIR. Parkhurst for his attack
upon Mr.. Platt, declaring it ''the
most inexcusable blunder that a
great leader ever made" but de-
claring Plat to be "a born
leader among men, and honora-
BILE and upright" while denounc-
ing DR.. Parkhurst as zone of
the most beautiful of autocratic
bosses this city has ever pro-
duced."
Had these deliverances come
from the hustings, even though
given by ministers of the Cos
pei, they would be generously
judged as are partisan speeches
delivered by laymen, but coming
from the pulpit, and proclaimed
in calculation Of the word of
God, they cannot be judged in
any other way than as deliver
ances from those who assume to
speak with all the sanctity of re-
lision itself. These object les
sons are very much more i'm
pressive in teaching the absolute
necessity of entirely severing
politics from the pulpit than
any theory that may be dpre-
scented, and until our ministers
learn that the pulpit is the place
to preach only the word of God,
there must be constant and grow
ing disrespect taught alike for
ministers, for. pulpit utterances;
and for religion. - PhiIaieiphio
Times.
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