New-York tribune., 1895-12-11
THE DEVOTIONS or CONGRESS-.

A hot fight for chaplaincy in Congress. from
which one candidate emerges triumphant though
dishcveed, having won the official privilege Oh
onneoling TO Almighty God In representative
capacity for 5000 Il year. while the others re-
trcot in more or less disorder with gloomy
consciousness that life is not one grand sweet
sonc-this is not an edfying spectacle Sucl
contest has Just been waged in the lobby OF the
House Of Representatives. and we cannon pei'e'c
that those who took part in 1t or the puoilc WIZ
looked on really approve the performance we
have no wish to ccnslre sharply either the c'n-
djdatcs or :hcr allies. we prefer to Dehe'e '''''
tbcy found themselves engaged in more eager
struggle than they had anticipated, and' gro"'hS
ardent by Inscnslble degrees. became supefhea''
cd without realizing how indecent such IL scrahi-
hre was for such n place Probably not one OF
,hom would now care to defend all their pro-
cecdings, and some Of them. we daresay' nave
since offered to Heaven personal petitlohs ho'
wholly unrelated to the subject
Rut the biennial contest for the place Gf chap
lain Is not the only scandal which the custom of
bepinninc the sessions Of Congress with pubhc
nrovcr involves: nor are we sure that Ii is the
worst The daily performance OF an irrevereht
farce is not pleasing to serious citizens anu
there is no warrant for supposng that 1t pleases
Cod We should be surprised TO learn that the
devotional exercises Of the Legislature in any
STATE in the Union were uniformly celeDratei
in an appropriate manner though the new state
of Utah. so long as the Mormons contfoi IT, may
remain an exception to the general RUE. Yer
tainly the habit Of Congress Is well Known' anu
well known to be unbecoming. A large mhJoriS
of the members are accustomed 10 hhser III
committee rooms and elsewhere for the express
purpose of avoiding the prayer. Of those WHO
are in their places few are attentive anu ue-
yout but the rest employ the time IN one way
or another with as little regard to the chaplain
os if he were an obscure and prosy member pro-
nouncing a perfunctory eulogy upon deceased
colleague Undoubtedly the conduct or the ais
turbers Is worse than that OF the absentees' Dut
together they reflect a general sentiment OF more
or less contemptuous Indifference to the act or
worship for which they provide.
The truth Is that the function has become an
empty formality, and, being that 1t Is mock
cry. II it Is not to be renformed With the spirit
which originally made it a real and appropriate
appeal for Divine guidance it ought to be aDoi-
ished. There may be force in the argument that
It is not incumbent upon the representatives OIL
people who require no religious test in any
circumstances, for any purpose to join officially
in n religious ceremonial; there certainly is no
advantage or propriety in their maintaining a
burlesuue Of religion at public expense. III IS
not impossible that some devout persons may
think that these observations SAVIOR or irrever-
ence. or at least tend to the encouragement OF
impiety But we wish them to believe rather
that hypocrisy. can't the spurious symbol or
noneyistent faith, and the preservation or
custom which has ceased to express general
sense Of spiritual need and duty are the things
which appear to us offensive. We are far from
assuming that all or most OF the congressman
who virtually ignore the religious exercise which
opens their sessions are habtua scofers; but
they have come to regard 1t as n mere formality,
having no claim upon their time or attention
which any other interest or obligation may not
properly supersede, and its maintenance under
such conditions is at once Improbable and un-
sppmly