The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-09
Critical Period For Prohibition
and Law Enforcement.
TOO MANY PARTISANS.
People Should Unite For Good Of
City, Not Party.
To Build Up Party at Expense
Of Public is Selfish.

Rev. Charles NJ Sheldon addressed
the delegates to the Kansas State Tenn
perance union this morning on the sub
jeet How Shall Christian People Get
Together Politically in Municipal At
fairs?'
The address was undoubtedly the
feature of today's programme at the
convention. Mr.. Sheldon has given this
and kindred subjects q great deal OF
deep study, and is therefore fully com
petent to deal with the discussion of the
question. Rev. Sheldon delivered
stirring address. and was often forced
to desist speaking until the noise OF the
applause died down. He said:
1t is a fact that Kansas has reached
a certain well defined crisis in regard
to its prohibitOry law and its enforce
ment There has always been crisis
of some kind or other IN hansaS
Probably there always viii be But at
certain periods the crisis makes ltself
more plainly felt than at others. II Is
probably the general consent OF those
who do any thinking. that the QHeSuOu
of the pr0hibitOry law has reached a
certain stage now which calls for
certain well defined, we'll understood
movement. and that movement IS very
plainly one which affects the life ana
conduct of the churches, and specln-
cally of all the Christian people in the
state. Out of the 100000 nhabitants
Of Kansas, probably it would be safe
to say more than One-half bear the
name of Christian in some form or
other in connection with some church
NORMALLY it would be safe to say that
two-thirds of all Kansas is distinctly
Christian in faith. 1t would be no eX-
aggeration to say that within the city
of Topeka where there are about 1900
church members. there are enough more
to make the total number of Christian
people equal to tWO-thlrdS of the entire
population. This certainly would be no
exaggeration, but wholly within the
facts in the case. In other words, the
Christian people of this city hold not
only the balance of power but the
power itself, if they would only act in
concert, and there is no reason Why
they should not act in concert Ger
tain reasons. however, may be given
why they have not always done SO.
First and foremost among these rea-
sons must be mentioned partisanship.
In the history of our political life here
IL is simply fact that in more than
one instance craftsmanship has defeated
the best interests of the city. The tend
ency of all city administration is grow
ing more and more away from partisan
to nOn-paFtlsan administration of mu-
u1cipal affairs. Party spirit has been
high and tense in Kansas I do not
necessarily condemn party spirit In
many cases / believe 1T has conserved
good ends It has had its place the
same as denOminatiOnalism has had its
place; but it is one thing to be de-
nominationaI and another thing to be
sectarian The tendency of the times is
away from sectarianism in the churches
towards federation Federation does
not destroy the individual denomina-
ton, but it does tend to destroy mar
row sectarianism. In the same way the
political union of good people in city
or county affairs win not destroy party
fealty or loyalty but it viii and it
ought to destroy selfish partisanship
where that partisanship plainly gets in
the way of the best interests of all the
people
We have had more than one election