The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1894-11-22
SAM JONES' LETTER.
Some Plain Truths About the
Preacher in Politics"
The "sweet Dy-and-By Preacher" and the
True Now and Now Preacher"
Who Is Handling Corruption
Without Gloves.
copyright. Is94.I


Who and what is preacher? He is a
voice and conscience a sentinel upon
the watch tower. What do you mean
by politics? 1t is defined by some one
to be the science of government. Prac-
tically, it means the methods by which
votes are obtained sufficient to put the
candidate into office. We take the DO
sition BARRING all ideas of the political
parson or the partisan preacher) that
the faithful minister of the gospel of
Jesus Christ has to do with the govern
ment in which he lives and the country
that gave him birth. Patriotism is
love of country. A preacher must be
patriot. Love for his country demands
that he should champion every clean
method and every right aim which re-
suits in good government, and he must
denounce in unmeasured terms every
influence that would hurt civil liberty or
mar the character of the people. Candi-
dates for the Legislature who are success
full, no matter how they were elected,
If elected, make our laws. Candidates
for judgeships, when elected, are set
for the enforcement of law. Admins
trative officials, when inaugurated, are
set for the faithful administration and
maintenance of law. A preacher is a
citizen, with the ballot, with con-
science and a supreme desire for the
maintenance of all that is good, and
the destruction of all that is evil.
More than that. he is q teacher. Let
him teach his people what the right is,
and enforce upon them their everlast-
ing obligation to do it. Let him teach
them what the wrong is, and that they
are under everlasting obligations not
to do it. | have no respect for a
preacher who champions the democratic
! party, or the republican party, or the
populist party. The more he cham
pions either of these parties, the more
he loses influence with men for good,
and the more he loses his power with
God. Wherever a preachers voice is
heard, let it be known by all men that
candidates who are unclean in
life and character shall receive
at his hands just and righteous con-
demnation. 1t is his duty to denounce
them, no. matter what party they
represent. Preachers have not lost
their power, but they seem to have
lost their voice. The voice of the
preacher is what the powder and shot
is to gun; it is that something that
gets there. A preacher owes his al
legiance first to God and the right, and
then to whatever is right anywhere
and everywhere. A preacher has sworn
eternal enmity to the devil and to
&c &c 1,,t, 90 -
his oath and fight the devil in political
parties and denounce rottenness and
uncleanness wherever he sees it, smells
it or feels it. If every preacher in the
United States stood against rotten Of
ficials and corrupt candidates as Park
hurst, of New York, has stood, we
would soon put wings on all our politi-
clans and clean them up from head to
foot The secular press laughed and
scorned and ridiculed Parkhurst; to-
day they are looking upon him as he
wears his crown of victory, and they
are looking upon old Tammany who is
struggling for her existence. The
sweet by-and-by preacher is about out
of job and almost out of a congrega-
ton, but the true now-and-now
preacher who is handling with gloves
off the corruption in politics and
the corruption in society has
large audience, large place in
the hearts of his countrymep, and
a home awaiting him in Heaven. A
democratic preacher who can see no
wrong in his own party and poll
ticians, or republican preacher who
sees no corruption and vice in his own
party, or a populist preacher who sees
nothing but wisdom and purity in his
party, may help his party to victory,
but he will help no souls to God. Very
few preachers know anything about
politics, and care less. They are work.
ing seemingly for the other world.
They are not as wise as a Methodist
steward, whom l knew once, when he
said: "I'm broke, and away from home.
] am hunting a Mason" Says /: "If
you are broke and away from home
and Mason, why amt YOU a Metho-
dist?'' He said: les, but am hunt
ing Mason" He said: eff you want
help in this world, join the Masons.
If you want to go to Heaven. Join the
Methodists." If | were in Heaven /
would preach largely like many
preachers preach to-day. They are
constantly dwelling on the work of
our Lord; on the triumphs of grace:
on the glories of the celestial. A man
can make about as much Roadway
converting the world and saving sim
ners by an exclusive Gospel of that
sort as fellow can make in money
peddling ice in Greenland.
believe in the grand doctrine of re-
genera ton for the soul of man, but
believe in the grand doctrine of refor-
nation for the race of man. When the
politics and politicians of our country
have gone into copartnership with
breweries and distilleries and saloons
and galvanized foreigners and bar
room heelers, and beer guzzling bench
men, it would be we'll for every
preacher in America to turn his guns on
the gang and shoot Luke, or give up
his gun. The very Fundamental laws
of our government forbid the union of
church and state bu. to nv mind noli-