Backbone. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. ;) 1897-1906, 1900-02-01
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS DE-
TENDERS.


Merrill's Opinion of a
rleth0dist Layman.
President Mckinley will not enforce
the law abolishing the canteen. The
horrible slaughter of our soldier-bo boys
at home and abroad will go on. At
torney- General Griggs has "reconsid-
cred" his opinion and-strange to say!
finds it correct" and the President,
who is also in politics slightly, con-
tinues to accept the Attorney Gener-
ais outrage upon as plain English as
was ever written and to trample upon
the will of the people, as well as to
violate his oath of Office.
There is no material change in the
ley as churchman in the Chicago
banquet affair. Several report that at
the Washington meeting of the Cen
eral Missionary committee of the M
p. church Bishop Walden stated to a
number Of persons that, in reply to his
inquiry, President Mckinley had sta
ted to him that he did not taste of in
toxicating drinks at the banquet, and
that he had not at any time violated
the discipline Of his church in that re-
spect. Yet has neither the challenge
of the New Voice nor number of per-
sonal communications to the Bishop
induced him to make an authorized
statement. If Mr.. Mckinley did make
such denial, the only explanation Of
the bishops silence that occurs to us
is that an assertion that the President
is a total abstainer would injure his
political prospects as much or more
with the liquor men than it would bet
ter them with churchmen. Naturally
Bishop Walden does not aspire to be
the Burchard of the campaign of 1900.
But what place have Christian men in
safely defended, even when innocent,
from charge of drinking habits?
Bishop Merrill, being written to for
the facts regarding the presidents
drinking at the banquet, replies that
there are none to give, that the charge
is false; and he speaks Of the unre-
liability Of the testimony of ga cranky
politician" sitting 'sat the far end of a
long table," This is quite as judicial
in the bishop as complimentary to
Prof. Samuel Dickie, who, beside hav-
ing enjoyed other honors in the church
and state, has been several times
member of the General Conference of
the M. e. church and is a member
elect Of the one to assemble in May.
But the witnesses deny that their To-
cation at the banquet was as stated
by the bishop. And the bishop gives
no authority for his denial.
AS further facts come in regarding
those complimentary statements about
President Mckinley at the Methodist
General Missionary Committee meet
ing, the case looks blacker for the
committee, Of which DR.. ]. M. Buckley
was chairman. For the committee to
adopt such paper at this time and
get it spread upon the minutes with
out reading, thus seeming to make the
church responsible for the statement
that the man who is responsible for
the unspeakable canteen is "actuated
by lofty motives, a broad-minded pa
triot, a Christian gentleman and a
God-fearing American statesman"
looks very suspicious, to say the least.
The Pennsylvania Methodist does not
hesitate to say: 1T now looks as
though the whole plan was the trick
Of two or three men to whitewash a
f-blackened idol at the expense of
the Missionary Society, and to the dis
grace OF the Church Of Christ