The record-union., 1895-04-03
A REVEREND DEMAGOGUE.


An anecdote is told of ministerial as
sociation wherein, during heated discus
sion of some question, one brother
charged another with being an ass. The
brother to whom this opprobrious epi-
thet was applied arose with becoming hu-
mility, and said: "Mr. Moderator: The
charge of my reverend brother may be.
true, but admitting that 1t is true, there is
nothing in that fact inconsistent with
Christian life. a man may be an ass, and
at the same time good Christian"
1t affords us great pleasure to adopt this
philosophy in according to the reverend
c. W. Wendte, the Unitarian minister OF
Oakland, the double character of ass and
Christian. In a recent interview the gen.
tleman is represented to have said in sub
stance: "Of course 1 am in favor Of the
road coming to Oakland. Many of the
members of my church are Southern Pa
cific officials, but I am sure that they
would prefer I shape my course in pub
lie affairs independently"
If we will render this into more manly
English than belongs to the vocabulary
OF the Rev. c. W. Wendte, it would read
about as follows: Look at me. brave
boy that am. There are pew-holders in
my church who are officials of the South
ern Pacific Company. All officials of the
Southern Pacific Company are deadly
hostile TO the building of railroads. They
claim that their corporation is the only
one possessing the divine or human right
to construct railroads. Necessarily, I
take the chances of losing their pew rent
by favoring the valley road. Just now
there is general oackle over the unlaid
egg called the valley railroad, and l see
no better way of attracting attention to
myself than to get into the front row and
cackle with the crowd. st the same time,
/ would like to smooth the officials lit
tie and retain them in my congregation.
Therefore [ express myself mildly, and
say that they would prefer that I shall
pursue an Independent course concern
ing public affairs"
There are so many species of thorouob-
bred stupidity In the statements of the
reverend gentleman that it is difficult to
enumerate them all. In the first place
he has taken the liberty of declaring that
the Southern Pacific officials who are
members of his congregation are opposed
to the construction of the San JOAQUIN
Valley Road. This is a gratuity on the
part Of Mr.. Wendte wholly unauthor-
lied. In the next place, there is a broad
inference that these Southern Pacific Off
cials will necessarily be offended with
him to some extent for the interest he
has taken in the construction of that
line. This again is a gratuitous asser-
ton. In the third instance, he evidently
desired to present himself in the light of
possessing the highest independence Of
character. He is taking photograph of
himself in the heroic act of twisting the
hons tail.
1t is the undoubted right of Mr.. Wendte
to favor the construction OF the San Joa-
quin Valley Road, as it is the undoubted
right Of any man with money to build
railroad wherever he can obtain the right
of way; bat it does not lie in the mouth
of Mr.. Wendte to represent that certain
members of his congregation hold a po-
sition Of antagonism to the construction
Of this railroad. In declaring his own
position it was not necessary that he
should misrepresent the position of any,
one else.
We have no knowledge of the minis
trations of Mr.. Wendte, but If anything
is to be inferred from his statement set
forth in the interview, we are disposed TO
think that if his theological teachings are
as devoid of the existence of common
sense as his public utterances concerning
the valley railroad, the flock he is feed
ing Is starving on very dry pasture.