The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-31
The Reverend Crayton Brooks
Saws "Politics as a Profession
Is He'll"
SHOULD EXERCISE SUFFRAGE.
Minister Illustrates Point by De-
claring That a Woman Enter
ing Business Loses a De
gree of loneliness.

An appeal to young men and Christians to
abstain from politics as a profession was
the substance of the sermon preached by
the Reverend Crayton S. Brooks Of Jeffer-
son City last night at the Compton Heights
Christian Church, on The Christian in Pol
itics.''
While advising against politics as a means
for a livelihood, Mr.. Brooks urged every
Christian citizen to take the deepest inter-
est in primaries. conventions and elections.
saying that in some instances voluntary
absence from the polls approached the
criminal
In the language of Senator Clay Heath
or. which / strongly indorse,' said Mr..
Brooks, politics is hell" To the Christian
in politics as a profession two problems pre-
sent themseives-namely. to tell the truth
or not to tell the truth. II he speaks the
truth he is not a success at the game; If he
does not he is not a consistent Christian"
He declared there was a place for the
minister CT the gospel in politics. and asked
II the minister did not do his duty what
could be expected of the layman.
No Christian can be a warm partisan.
Any man who is a warm partisan must
Shut his eyes and ears to the defects Of his
own organization. and to the defects of his
opponents. A partisan in politics is a man
WIZ is deaf, blind. as ignorant as swine,
and who thinks every one else as ignorant
a. he is.
"A Christian should be broadminded
enough to oppose his party platform with
out hating the persons that made it. II it
need be. oppose IT with violence. but still
have respect and honor for its misguided
makers.
RFFERs TO BUSINESS WOMAN.
Just as the young woman who enters
the business field gives up a certain de-
gree of her loyeliness and sweetness, and
holiness, SO the Christian who enters poll
tics as a profession r~eiinquishes certain
sanctified attributes.
THE politician depends upon the most
Tickle OF all things. the goodwill of the
people. To overcome this fickleness he
nor a gentleman would co~untenance.
'Politics as a profession represents
manhood and destroys courage, Honest poll
1tics, and mean by that the kind in
which a person refuses to sell his vote or
influence, does not pay as a financial in
restment; units one for any other bust
ness and makes him a cringing dependent
upon the will of his fellow-man. 1t cul-
tivates a sririt of lawlessness. and makes
Politics is perjury's school
1T puts a premium on hypocrtcy and
lying. Without these the chances for sue
cess are ov.rwhelminglyt against the per-
and animosities. even between Christian
brothers. that lasts a lifetime.
And in the face of this, / say that no
American citizen has the right to stay
cause he does. The Christian should vote
his sentiments on election day. Vote for
his friends? No. Vote for his enemies, even
his political enemies, II hey stand for what
Is right, and his own party Is on the side
of evil.
AS MEMBERS of the body of Christ. It Is
our duty tn. enter, TO purify and make clean
DoAucA but not in a professional way"