Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-10-13

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bAth Willingly and unwittingly beinl
encouraged and hiiamed by appeals
to .'common people" and denunciatior
Of the prosperous classes" But the
| objections on moral grounds do moi
come alone from any sect and it j.
significant that some of the strongest
| are those made by the most conserva-
tive. Indeed it is from those who
usually hold aloof from interference In
political matters that come the opposi-
tion which attracts the most notice
A timely illustration Of this fact is
afforded by the leading editorial of
The Church Standard. the subject be-
ing the moral aspects of the presi-
Dental campaign"
The writer of that article affirms in
the beginning that neither the church,
nor her ministers nor any of her Off
cial or unofficial representatives has
anything whatever to do with any
matter of speculative politics."
The same attitude is declared in rela-
tion to questions of mere political or
economic expediency." But the writer
finds in this campaign other than
speculative politics or mere political or
economic expediency He says:
1T is only when politics enter the
donna in Of morals not nh,,r nd
her ministers and members are at lib
erty, in that capacity, even to enter
tain them; and then it is the question
of morals only.not of policy or econom-
les. that they are at liberty to en-
tertain. On the other hand, when
questions of morals do enter into
political projects, it becomes the duty
of the church and all who belong to
her to consider those questions, always
dispassionately, if possible, and in
every case charitably, but to consider
them courageously and to speak of
them as men who shall give account to
God In a country in which the suf-
frage makes every citizen at last in
directly a legislator, it is more than
elsewhere the duty of all who repre-
sent the church boldly to rebuke vice"
whether public or private, to resist ii
with every moral force at their COM
mand when it is commended or pro-
posed, and so to stand fast for the
eternal law of righteousness and love
IF, therefore, at any time in the |
history of a country. anger. hatred. |
malice. and all uncharitableness are
preached as motives of political con-
.l>- 4;
religion whose first proclamation from
heaven to earth was Peace on earth |
good will towards men, must be |
morally apostate, if they raise no voice |
of eXpostulaton. If love of country is |
a Christian as well as a natural duty, |
then the ministers of the church ought |
to deprecate every tendency to section
al disunion and disruption. If an act |
involving public dishonor is recon- |
mended. If private covetousness and |
dishonesty are set forward as the
motives of political conduct. if it is
openly proposed to effect revolution
by disreputable trick, then we hold |
it to be the bounden duty of every |
Christian man, in his vocation and
whatever they may be, tol
protest with all his power against a |
of immortality.
Such a campaign is now in progress
in this country. We should be slow to
believe that the movers in it, or even
its most conspicuous leader, are con-
scious of its immortality. To some the
pressure of debt. to others the dis
content which attends hard times, and
to others still the zeal of doctrinaire
obscures the character of
the projects to which they lend their
aid. But there are others still who
fully understand what they are doing
and whose only motive is the greed of
pelf or the lust of power"
The writer then proceeds to state a
few indisputable facts so badly as to
uncover their moral character" and
they seem to us to be so stated as to
leave no alternative to the sincere man
who wishes to act for the best interests
of the country.