The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-10-24
ANOTHER SERMON
ON POLITICS
A Discourse On World Politics
Versus Party Issues.
A Sermon BY Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones. Deliver
ed An Souls chnreh. Chicago.
october ~. 1900.

These are times that try the churches
The temper Of pulpit aud pew is tested
by the excitements and antagonisms Of
a great political campaign. Theoretical.
iy, the people want their preacher IA
have convictions. They prefer man in
the pulpit | who deals in opinions, but
just before election there is certain
contingent that desires the preacher to
hold his opinions in abeyance, while
another element OF his constituency will
say, now is the time TO speak, Il ever.
The traditions Of this pulpit are not such
as forbid interference with politics or
business. For eighteen years this
church has maintained pulpit that has
had convictions. on current questions,
and has not hesitated TO speak them
when theywere held with sufiicientclear.
ness and seemed to be Of sufficient i'm.
portance. This church has supported a
pulpit that has often disagreed with
many Of IT, supporters, and still has
retained mutual confidence and mutual
cooperation.
In accordance with these traditions,
am impelled by all the higher sanctities
of religion and morals to speak my word
on the momentous issues that now wait
upon the suffrage Of the citizens Of the
United States. 1t is not necessary to
confess that | speak for myself, and
myself only; hope to speak my own
convictions in such spirit of love that
those who differ from me may yet be
glad I have spoken. Let the integrity
and independence that find utterance
in the pulpit be thereby strengthened
aud inspired in those who listen.
bespeak a candid listening 10 candid
word. bring my contribution Of
thought to those who are thinking, and
/ honor the man who gives thoughtful
dissent to my words rather than the one
who brings thoughtless approval.
Through frankness, not through evasion,
is fellowship realized and cooperation
found.
II the church is in some poor fashion
an exponent OF religion, II religion in
cludes the science OF conduct-conduct
OF states and OF nations as Individuals
there is no question before the Ameri-
can people today that is not profoundly
question with which the church
should concern itself, because IL is q
question Of religion. The time has gone
by when an individual, state or nation
can claim release from the response
bility Of the world. Every great ques.
tion before the American people today
is worldwide question, and must
finally be settled at world tribunals and
according to the everlasting principles
that obtain in all nations, underlie all
ages and overarch all righteous courts.
My fret plea 10 for clearer discrimi-
nation between party issues and world
politics. Once this distinction is rec
ognized, most OF the noise, all of the
buncombe, and large part of the ora
tory Of this campaign will iall TO the
ground. il requires but n little study,
but a little quiet thinking, 10 discover
how shallow are the party lines and how
superficial are the claims TO party re-
spect ON either or on all sides. Party
platforms are known 10 be largely fabri.
cations Of expedlenoy, conceived in
subtlety and planned for diplomacy con.
iured by the managers in privacy and
with deliberate strategy, then foisted
upon their constituency with the blare
OF trumpet and the tin thunder OF con-
vention excltelnents. There is large
element OF unreality in the party enthu.
siasm and the so.called "party issues"
in this as in every presidential cam
paign, and never perhaps more than at
the present time There is a wholesale
optimism in regard TO the defects. incon-
sistencies and disgraces OF ones own
party, and a Wholesale pessimism in re-
gard TO those OF the opposite party that
is good only for campaign purposes.
There is the unsoholarly aud unhistorlc
assumption that our national parties are
fixed elements in the politics Of the
world, that they have a continuous and
consistent place IN the histlry OF our
nation, while the fact is, as every stu.
dent OF American history knows. parties
are as changeable as the men who make
them; parties conceived in righteous
ness bring forth oitentimes an inqnitous
progeny and eventually die from inter.
nal corruption. The greatest menace 20
American institutions today is the
party blindness that leads the Demo
orat still 10 hurrah for Andrew Jackson,
and the Republican still to tlatter him.
self that he is voting for Abraham lin.
coin while the plain truth Is, as every
student must know, the party OF Me.
Kinley, Mark Hanna aud Chanoey
Depew, Is not the party that once re.
ioioed Ia the leaderehip OF Abroham
Lincoln, Chariee Sumner and William
Ii. Seward Neither Is the campaign
led by Bryan, Carl SchurE aud their as.
9 loiates 90 be ooniounded with the De-
moeracy Of James Buchanan and the
pro-slayery leaders OF the rebellion. Let
no one betoo proud Of his party badge,
for, alas, every badge represents It's own
full measure OF iniquity, corruption and
degradation. This is why there is an
eyer-growing number Of American
voters who lay small store upon party
labels, who refuse TO be catalogued and