The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-07
AssAILING A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT.
Religious Bodies Who Undertake to
Control Votes.
Washington Post


The Presbyterian Synod of Indiana did
right in laying on the table a resolution
prescribing that ministers shall vote the
Ir3hibition ticket. A minister has the
right to vote as he pleaSes, just the same
as any other man, and religious bodies TO
winch he belongs are going too far when
tney attempt to interfere with this right.
South Bend Tribune.
We hope they laid that resolution on the
table with resounding whack, after letting
the brother who offered it understand, in
plain English. Just what they thought of
his preposterous and mischievouS PROPOSE
ton. Among the marvels of these latter
days there are few more incomprehensibe
than the fact that, in a number of the great
religious bodies of the United States, such
incidents as an attempt by clergymen TO
control the votes of their clerical brethren
are occurring with increasing frequency.
They strike at the fundamental right of the
citizen. In becoming preacher man does
not forfeit his right nor evade his duty as
citizen There is no profession so sacred
that it absolves it's members from their OBJ
legation to use their individual Judgment,
consulting, in so doing, their individual con-
science, in the matter of politics.
The Republic could not afford to part with
so important an element in government,
local and general, as the absolute freedom
of the voters to support such policies and
such candidates as seem to them most
worthy of their SuffrageS. The higher the
intellectual and moral character of the in
dividual, the stronger the claim of society
upon him to take an intelligent interest in
public affairs. Not that we would wish to
see the clergy dabbling in the mud that is
an occasional incident of political cam
paigns. Not that we should be pleased to
have the pulpit turned into a stump. Mel
Their the preacher nor the teacher dignifies
his calling or promotes the interests of So
ciety by Juggling politics into his profess
sional work.
But the man who In this country. where
all government is based on the ballot. fails
to inform himself as to governmental and
political affairs, and TO utilize his vote in
the manner that commendS itself to his ap-
proval. neglects plain duty and, at the
same time. forfeits his right to protest when
things political go wrong.
Prohibition is as clearly a political issue
as the currency or the tariff. Each of these
questions has its moral aspects and so, to
p greater or less extent, has almost any po-
granted-as it decidedly is not-that prohibit
ton was more distinctly a moral question
than protection or sound moTey, that would
not take it out Of the political arena. The
fact that we have a Prohibition party and
that it puts up tickets and runs campaigns,
fixes the status of the question. If a ma
jority of the ministers in a synod or confer
ence could control the votes of the minority
for prohibition. they could, with equal pro-
priety, swing them for the gold standard,
for free coinage at is to l. for high protec-
ton. for a tariff for revenue only. Such
a condition would be simply fntolerable.
The Post has noted. with much satisfaction.
the successful resistance by clergymen of
assaults upon their rights and liberties as
men.
The merits or dement's of prohibition need
not be discussed in this connection. 1t is
the principle of political dictation-the at
ton in politics to decide how those on the
other side shall vote-that is the point. Not
until political prohibition is planted in the
creed or law of church by rightful au-
thority will 1t be the business of any min
lister Of such church how his clerical breth-
rem vote on that question,