The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-08-19
RELIGION AND POLITICS.


doubtless the complaint is more or
less general the Church and the
Democratic party are suffering from
the same baneful influence, the
same hurtful cause, the same dis
migrating disease, which, for the
want of a better name we will call
Hypocrisy.
We agree with the Rev. DR.. Price,
Methodist divine who spoke at the
Union service in the First Presby-
terrain church last Sunday evening,
when he said that God would not
bless church where VIGOROUSLY
unworthy members were allowed to
escape discipline. And that is not
only the sentiment of the pulpit, but
it is likewise the sentiment of the
few. And even more than that, it is
the sentiment of the outside world ;
and in nine cases out of ten, per-
haps, the sentiment of the offending
member himself. And yet, with
all this unanimity of OPTION; with
all this thunder from the pulpit, and
the loud amens from the pew, and
the ribald criticism of the world,
this same hypocrisy in the church
abounds and these offending mem
bers pay their dues and go scott free,
save for the prickings of their own
consciences.
What business a drinking, gamb-
ling, swearing sinner has in the
Church of Christ, we have never
been able to find out, unless it is to
please his wife or mother and give
him doubtful show of decent asso-
citation. He is harm and hurt to
the Church, and his life is a daily
testimony that the Church is no
help to him. 1t had been better for
him never to have known the way
of righteousness, than to have
turned back to his sins again like
"the dog to his own vomit," or the
SOW to her wallowing in the mire."
He is reproach to the Church, a
stumbling block to others, danger
GUS leaven, which, like the leaven of
the Pharisees and Saducees, will
leaven the whole Church to his
loose manner of living, unless the
Church purges itself by giving him
the discipline he so much needs.
And we find in the ranks of the
Democratic party, a like trouble.
There they profess Democracy and
practice boiling. They wear the
cloak of the party when it suits their
business or furthers the cause of
some personal friend, but trample it
in the dust and besmirch it with
ISLANDERS whenever it pleases their
spite or prejudice to do so. BY their
bad example they lead other weak
men to go astray, and instead of be-
ing a power of strength are a posi-
tive element of weakness to the
party. Like the unworthy church
member, they should be disciplined.
Who wants Democracy eXpounded
by loose jointed committee of bolt
ers? Who wants to commune with
Democrats who Will twice pledge
themselves in Democratic pri-
mary, then lick their chops and
shout with glee while they cover
the nominee with the filth of their
mouths and knife him with their
treacherous ballots?
The HERALD takes no stock in
any such religion or any such
Democracy. Neither do the church
members in general, nor the rank
and file of Democracy. Thousands
of those who once committed would
make consistent christians, stay out
of the Churh because bad men and
women are permitted to stay in it.
Hundreds of men who have hereto
fore affiliated with tho Democratic
party are now staying away from its
primaries because others who will
not support party nominees are
allowed an equal voice in choosing
them.
The sentiment against this loose
church aud party government is al
most universal. What is desired
and what is needed, is action by the
proper authorities. The lines be-
tween the church and the world, be-
tween DemOcray and Republican
ism, Populiteism, Independentism
and all the other isms, must be clos
err drawn. 1t will help the party
the church and the individual; for
it will be some credit then to any
man to be called Democrat; and it
will be an honor to any man to be
known and recognized as church
member, for that will carry with it
then the further meaning that he is
a christian. 1t will purge the party
of its foes within; it will give to the
4 -. In.