The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-23
TURN THE RASCALS OUT"
REV. nAsCoM ANTnoNY'S NEW IN
TEnrRETATIoN OF OLD SLOGAN.


tics."-Tt Is the CHRISTMAS Duty TO
Take Part in the Governments
Ordained of God and Carried on by
Men-Modern Political Struggles
Seemed to Him But Flights between
the "Ins" and the outs" with
SDoiis for the Prizc-Good Citizens
should Turn Out of Once All IN
worthy Men.
Rev. Bascom Anthony, pastor Of Trinity
Methodist Church. preached strong ser
mon last night on The Relation Of the
Christian TO Politics" Rev. Mr.. Anthony
took the position that il is the duty of the
Christian man to take part in civil govera-
mout, ana illustrated what he meant by
iI-concealed references 10 local political
conditions.
The text was taken from Roman, 1891:
There is no power but Of God; the pow
ers that be are ordained of God" The
Creator, said Rev. Mr.. Anthony. has so
formed the mind and constitution of man
that systems of government are necessary
to his happiness and his safety. He or
ganizes these for his own protection. in
obedience TO the divine plan, and in this
sense The powers that be are ordained of
God" Divinely ordained, they are fit
subjects for participation in and discussion
by Christian men.
In sundry places" said Mr.. Anthony,
I'VE are exhorted in the Scriptures to
pray diligently for the rulers Of men. 1t
is a duty enjoined which too many Chris
tlans neglect, and yet it is evident that
there is no duty resting upon The Chris
tian's conscience that ought to be more
earnestly and steadfastly observed. There
are many rulers who need the prayers
of the congregations. not only while they
are IN Office, but after they have left Of
flee, so that through the cleansing grace
of the Almighty they may be purged of
their offenses and forgiven their acts
of maifeasance and nonfeasance."
I'VE are also commanded to respect our
rulers. In many cases this is impossible.
The best we can do is TO respect the office
and the officeholder There are some men
holding high offices of trust and profit,
whom l would not permit 90 enter my
house as my equal. As officers, ! might
regard them. but as individuals contempt
could not find words to express ITSELF
civil and political duties being thus of
divine ordination they are proper subjects
for discussion in the pulpit. 1t is the
duty of the ministry to lead the members
of their congregations bright and surely
there can be no matter of greater ami
more lasting Importance than the admin
istration of the laws and the exercise OF
the suffrage. 1t seems 10 me a pity that
the ministry has not spoken more ana
more to the point along this line Had
1t done SO | am convinced that politics in
this country would not have sunk 80 low
would not have been dra gged. as il has
been, in the very mud and mire of degra-
dation."
Mr.. Anthony explained that he did rot
consider IL the duty of the ministry to dis
cuss from the pulpit questions OF policy,
or of politics, in the sense of siding with
any one of the great parties into which
the people are divided. The silver uues-
ton, the tariff question, were questions of
policy and might be left 10 the strong
common sense OF the nation The pulpit
should conhne its discussions 10 bro11
questions of public morality, leaving it to
the conscience of every man 10 apply NOR
al principles TO political Issues. The pulpit
should not discuss policy Mind YOU"
said Mr.. Anthony, Il said policy-not poll
icy shops"
Occasionally ii was proper for the pull
psf to step aside from the discussion of
the abstract 20 discuss the concrete There
of policy, but OF honesty and decency
These ii is the province and the duty OF
the pulpit to discuss in plain terms.
There is lot of mock good citizenship,
a lot OF imitation tinsel patriotism, that
nowadays is being turned loose on the
community. It's slogan is "to the Victors
belong the spoils" and the highest COR
ception of duty entertained by its fol-
lowers is a desire to get an Office. divide
the peruuisites and reward a friend. Such
patriotism Is easily manufa ctured. l can
give you the prescription. You would
need, perhaps, one brass band. a half
dozen trensparencies about twenty torch
lights and four inches of red liquor all
round. With these there should be mixed
about four men. whose fingers have been
creased with the oil OF greenbacks until
their vocal organs have become loosened
With 1t all, in the head of this composite
figure, there should be brains and good
deal of them. Such mixture will evolve
enough spurious patriotism in a minute
TO nauseate an entire community"
There is a patriotism said Mr. An
thony, that is far different from this
"A patriotism that looks to God for its
vindication, sublime in the consciousness
that Its purpose is holy and its intentions
pure. That has for It's object the good OF
the nation and of posterity; that does its
duty and is not afraid. How widely sep
didtcu are Nlit NftH, one ltHpuCd win tnlS
lofty and eunobling sentiment. the other
part Of the brass band. torchlight and
whisky combination"
But you may say that such
politics Is impossible and such
politicians creations of the i'm
agination. II may he so. 1t may be
that the politicians of your acquaintance
cannot measure up TO this standard.
Neither, by the same token. can a hog.
The dream is not impossible Of attain
ment when Christian men, honest fear
less determined to know the right and
then to do it, put themselves in the breach
and defend the commonwealth against the
onslaughts of the vicious the depraved
and the politically and morally corrupt"
Mr. Anthony said that I'm almost all POI
htical battles nowadays there is not a sin
gle issue worthy of name. 1t Is usually a
question OF the Tins" and the outs" one
crowd Is distributing the spois OF office 10
its adherents and the other crowd wants
an opportunity TO do the same thing
Let US suppose, for instance. that IN
some city In this state q political fight is
in progress. Suppose that some body OF
good citizens should ask the opposing can
didates what they intended to do about
the suppression of the policy shops sup