The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-11
PURE POLITICS.
Considered at Unitarian
Club Dinner.
To Vote is Not the Only Duty
of the Citizen.
The Age Needs the Law of the Ser
mon on the Mount.

lnt ItDiheAg hASNAAhB VI nv ohitaA iah
Club was held in ~Tillinghast's assembly
rooms last evening.
Religious duty Of political activity
was the subject of after dinner discussion,
and three gentlemen, well adapted TO
talk upon the subject, were introduced by
President Stone as tue speakers. They
were Archibald M. Howe of Cambridge,
Rev. Edward III. Hall of Brookline and
Rathbone Gardner, Esq, OF this city.
Mr.. Howe, at least so far as last night
was concerned, was an entertaining con.
versationalist rather than a conventional
after dinner speaker who takes a mental
review fof his intended exordium and
peroration during the last half of the
dinner. On the contrary he told the first
thing relevant to the subject that came
into his head and followed with a string
of isolated statements and comments, all
interesting and well worth listening to.
AT all times be was grave and saw
nothing of humor in the grim jokes
which are sometimes made as the result
of the strange doings and sayings OF COR
rupt politicians. For instance, he quoted
the statement of ingalls, that the Golden
Rule in politics is but an irridescent
cream, and deplored the fact that the con-
diticns at the national capital are such
that a Congressman must believe a. In
gals does. He referred to a speech made
by Henry Cabot Lodge at Cambridge be-
fore an audience of young men, in which
the Massachusetts, Senator told his listen
ers that he was afraid they Were losing
their enthusiasm in public affairs. The
poor fellow, continued Mr.. Howe, is sur
rounded by men at Washington all of
whom have lost their enthusiasm, and by
men who suffer the helplessness of those
who have only their W fate at stake.
In contrast he Cambridge patriot cited
the devotion of Abraham Lincoln and de-
clared that his love OF country and his
efforts for the good of all were the result
of his religion.
Mr.. Howe alluded to the social problem,
the question of arbitration and education.
In considering education he took up
the public press, about which he told
several unpleasant truths but claimed
that the ideal press is a powerful agent
for the g DOC
Rev. Edward III. Hall of Brookline was
received with an ovation. lie is the son
of that DIR. Hall whose name has for SO
many years been the name of one OF the
city's best landmarks.
DIR. Hall was reminiscent and referred
to the times when it would have been
impossible for the gentlemen of any
church TO come together and discuss poll
tics In any way except that fixed by con-
ventional rules OF party. He recalle the
anti-slaxerp days whe lit cost something
for the clergy or the laity 10 speak as
they thought.
Today men are more wi ling TO talk and
protest, and IL requires no great courage
to do so. But on the other hand there is
no distinct, tangible problem today. such
as the abolitionists had. There is a lack
OF touch between the representative and
representa-.
The great difficulty i'm solving the prob
lem, Dr. Hall thinks, is that the act OF
voting Is, by too many, considered to be
the whole of the problem. The speaker
admitted that he didn't vote himself more
than bali the time because neither party
would otter a man whom he considered
fit to ill the office Tor which he was a
candidate. 1t is not any ones political
duty TO vote Tor sueh a man. On the on
trary IT would lie more in the line OF duty
for all good men to stay away from the
polls until the parties are forced to cater
TO the better elements Of the state.
The new ballot system, Of course, i'm
proves the condition somewhat. But n
politician is like a burglar. Strengthen
your locks and the burglar will invent
new picks. Perfect your voting machin-
cry ana -. The analogy was SO good
that the audience applauded tefore DIR.
Hall could allude to the progressive and
up-to-date corruption OF tn politicians.
Our politics hSve Jagged belind our re-
l1gion. In the latter we have become
free and independsn nj. Thirty years AGO
many of us would have shuddered et the
utterances OF Theodore Parker n dtoday
we admire Minot j. Savage, who IL ten
times more radical. But in politics there
are still those great ~silenccs which mark
our hesitation to advocate the right and
protest against the wrong. We still
shudder at the voice OF the majority. The
dread OF heresy is a thing Of the past, but
the political yoke has become more and
more burdensome.
a. one OF the best remedies DIR. Hall
recommended education In civic matters.
We should acquaint ourselves with the
principles OF government and their signih-
canoe should he taught In our schools.
The fact that politics may be ana ought
TO be an honorable calling must be en-
phasized. Then the Influence of religion
would be felt in public affairs and a man
would carry the results Of high thinking
and high ideas into politics.
R~athDone Gardner, Esq, said that the
terms religion and politics should be
clearly defined and Understood.
Religion was az one time merely a mat
far nl gT0aH and aauft..uf HaaIfnu anIu