The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-05-06
From tho Christian Standpoint was
Dr.. Gratis AddroRa sf4
At FOURTH STREET LAST NIGHT.
a Strong Speech on tho Evils of Mod.
orn Governments and What 10 Need.
cd In tho Way OF Roform-Throo
Addresses Saturday aud Threo
again Yesterday.


morning at tho Second Presbyterian
church. In the afternoon at Martins
Ferry, and In tho evening at tho Fourth
Street N. E. church. Yesterday he
again spoke three times, at the Firat
Presbyterian church, at Martins Ferry
and last night at the Fourth Street
church.
At the First Presbyterian church in
tho morning he spoke on the humans
tartan and patriotic sides OF the Sab
bath question, holding that 4 weekly
rcst day is natural need and a natural
right He said: Nine-tenths OF the peo-
plo would be glad TO rest Sunday, but
by competition the baser and meaner
one-tenth would force them to work but
for the Law. The clerks aud carriers
and postmasters who work on Sunday
get no moro pay than those who do not.
Thus they work fifty.two days in the
year-two months-for nothing.
TALK on CITIZENSHIP.
Last night he gave 4 discourse on
"Citizenship from Christian Stand.
point" and in spite OF the oppressive
heat he hold the attention OF q largo
audience closely.
The powers that be are ordained Of
God" To q Christian nation that ought
not TO seem q new doctrine, said he;
but when Rev. DR.. w. G.. Robinson
stood with me in the Pennsylvania
house OF representatives in defense OF
tho state Sabbath law, and. with the
solemnity Of bishop addressing .
group OF young ministe rs. reminded the
legislators before him that they were
civil ministers Ordained OF God"
called to serve Him and humanity by
applying the law OF Christ to civil
affairs, it was manifestly to them, and
even to some Christians present, novel
view OF politics.
When a United States senator de.
clared that "Poiitics owes no allegiance
to tho Decalogue and the Golden Rule"
the indignant public retired him from
politics to prove that the law Of Christ
had not been so retired. Many who
think itunimportantt to acknowledge the
supremacy OF the Divine Law in the
National Constitution. were outraged
by the denial OF that supremacy. The
public are less sensitive when this
denial is expressed only in practice.
Neither business nor politics is general
ly conducted according to the Golden
| Rule, and in both there are some recog-
nized. il not ayowed, amendments TO
the Decalogue
Alter speaking at some length OF the
popular view OF church and state, he
said: Il
Ii were great ar.is. would paint
the enactment in Congress OF the
Worlds Fair Sabbath closing law as q
| companion piece to the discovery OF
America by Columbus, cross in hand,
and the landing OF the Pilgrims on
their knees, to signify that the official
recognition OF the law OF Chris. in our
land is tho same, yesterday, to-day and
| forever.
ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS PERILs
Of our republic is the neglect OF politics
By reputable and even Christian men,
which is no doubt largely due to the fact
that such men do not recognize that
both patriotism and piety call them TO
the polls and primaries as loudly as
patriotism ever called to war or piety to
prayer. This neglect.by Christians oipoli-
tical duties ia due partly 10 the preachers,
who should brand as vice neglect to
vote, save in cases OF conscience. The
pulpit should neither be ''stump nor
hiding place. Those preachers show,
themselves worthy successors OF the
prophet.statesman OF tho Bible who in
clude elections and especially all prima-
ries in their pulpit notices. 1t ought
not to be necessary to say that no patty
meetings. not even for prohibition,
should be announced in the pulpit,
unless all are impartially announced on
the ground that political problems
should in their season be- earnestly
studied by men Of all parties as Chria-
| tian duty.
Ono themo the preacher unQueationa-
| bly, should present in election season,
namely, the duty OF political toeration.
Americans tolerate $50 religious demon
nations but refuse to tolerate moro
than one party besides their own. and
loso their religion in efforts to express
their frantic intolerance toward each
new party. When men arc socially or
commercially or otherwise abused be-
cause they will not accept one OF the
two most popular views in politics, it is
n treason TO our boosted liberty only
one degree better than the Inquisition,
which required all to hold one view on Y
religion. H
As to specific political issues, q
preacher should aim not at cowardly
neutrality but at judicial impartiality,
discussing in his pulpit only principles
OF supreme moral Importance, while on
lesser matters usinc his liberty rs aciti-
zcn to speak to tho community through
the press aud on tho platform. n
We believe it tho preachers duty MS a
Christian citizen TO attend tho prima-i
rics. Until he does, his exhortation to
his mombors to do 80 as a Christian
duty will seem TO be contradictod in his
own practice, and these corrupt foun-
tains OF politics will so remain uusalted.
Those lofty critics and petty theorists
who criticiso our government as ii it
wero. as in Russia, something separate
from themselves and the people to
whom they so speak, mood to bo remind-
Od that ours is "a government OF the
people. by tho people," Notice that in
such government tho pooplo" is both
subject and object. King Everybody,
like ono Of the European monarchs.
puts the crown on his own head. King
vorybodY, like European mona,chs
again. rules through selected officers,
| and these in our case nro chosen not as
We have fondiy thought, at tho polls,
but rather at tho primaries over which
| tho nolls hnYa only n Yntn pnMer, As