The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-16

Justice Brewer quotes himself as
denying with emphasis that the time will
ever come
"When the war drum throbs no longer, and the
battle flags are furled
In the parliament of man, the federation of the
world.'
But "ever" covers good deal of
ground. The reasons offered by the
Judge for his want of faith are not cog
ent. They amount only to his opinion.
Race antagonisms are, indeed, strong and
long lived. But they are unreasonable;
and reason has removed stronger i'm
pediments to justice and fraternity than
any that yet remain. He who does not
distrust the omnipotence of truth and
right and love, must believe in the COM
ing of the time when wars shall cease" "
Doubt of such an issue is grim sort of
fatalism, which does duty in some minds
in place of the more obnoxious theolog-
lcal dogma OF decree6.
Without doubt the political boss
whose hand is on the crank of the ma
chine and who sees the entire party force
in State move as he turns, believes
that his triumph is complete. In New
York, at this moment, one man has his
party more completely within his con-
troll than the greatest leaders of past
eras had. He bosses the legislature in
both branches and is more really gov
ernor of the State of New York than the
man who sits in the chair. Thurlow
Weed was Warwick in his day; but he
never pretended to the despotic power
of the present boss. 1t is phenome
non. as they say in the Isle of Man
quite extraordinary" Why intelligent
self-respecting men, charged by their
constituents with public duty, should
surrender their personal preferences and
convictions at the behest of this self
constituted autocrat, who has no official
authority, and to whom not one Of them
is either legally or morally responsible
passes rational explanation.
Our esteemed contemporary, the
New York Sun, is exercised in it's virtu.
GUS mind over the attempts of some
clergymen to enlighten their congrega-
tions on the subject of their political
duties. The Sun is caustic and intends
the dose it administers to be drastic
It's burning eye is plainly on DR.. Park
hurst and Bishop Potter, whom it would
consume with its scorching attentions
1t is laid down as an indisputable pro
position that ministers are not well
enough informed on political questions
to have any opinions worth expressing
They should go to school, which means
going into politics, and learn, before they
attempt to teach. Even then there is
an incongruity between their business
and the one they are meddling in, which
should suggest that silence would be
golden. And if they are not forewarned
by any other considerations let them
take the Suns competent and unbiased
advice, that no species of pulpit maun-
dering bores congregation quite SC
much as the vaporings of mug wump
preachers"
We pass along the Suns suggestions
for the benefit of those they concern,
The Sun, more than any other metropol-
itan daily, discusses theological and de-
nominational questions. In view of its
advice to the clergy it is not an imperti'
nent inquiry, whether it is not probable
that clergymen,-and those criticized in
particular-are not as we'll informed in
regard to political subjects as the Sun is
in regard to religious? If they improve
their opportunities they should be. We
always read the Suns theological lucu-
brations either with amusement or with
profit, and often with both. That ex-
cellent newspaper is so uniformly and in
vincibly wrong on political and civil
questions, that the clergy would have
little use for it, were it not for the de-
lightful excursions into religious jour
nalism which the brilliant but wayward
"staff" make ever and anon. On refiec-
tion we believe our esteemed contempo-
rary will agree with US, that life would
be shorn of a much needed element of
picturesqueness should the Sun suspend
its preaching or the pulpit forego its
politics.