The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-08

RELIGION AT THE B.-LLor-Box. n favor; Of mixing politics and reityicn. Neither does t believe that the pulpit V the place to exploit poiitics or candidates. At the sane tine there Is no better place than the paipik and no better man than the minister to speak for the civic duties of the individual citizen Recently. u,ip- ister in Chicago delivered q sermon in the course of which he used this Ian- guase;
 We cannot worship Cod by telephone or light the battles of righteousness py SUD tall of life. and includes our duty as sN. ixans. We may serve God at the paiiot box as certainly as in the church. Tne man who svsdss m . guy DT ieesln cs ths nro se fessionals Is guilty before God. sumrage ia not only a privilege, but an obligation. and the man who holds himself too goo1 to vote Is too bad for the kinsdom ot Heaven.
 Those were words ltiy spoken and in good time and place. Especially do we commend what he says about the duty of tho citizen, and that a man ''can serve ood at the ballot as certainly as in the church." We do not mean. and the nm | lister did not mean. that man can serve ood by standing at the bailot-hox and | trying to influence voters tc-give their | suffrage to . particular candidate. He meant that 1t is solemn duty Of all | good citizens to go to the polls and vote for the best men, Read what this min | ister says about the men who leave 1t all .in the hands of the professionals. | and see if he is not right. There are professional politicians ss ! well as professional gamblers, and m q majority of cases they have the same
 selasn object in view. Too often they control primaries and elections ana the result Is naisgcvernment. In such cases l does not much of the blame rest on the I rood citixers who refuse to voter IT one l xho,,id 70 to Chicago. to Kansas City, 10 Grand Rapids, to Philadelphia. or to any | cther badly governed city and ask the Il good Christian citizens if they consider themselves responsible for all the rascal itv ana corruption that Is going on they would indignantly deny the imputation. l but if they took no part in the elections are they not, at least indirectly. respon-
 ssbie for the wrongs2
 There is nothing in the Christian religion which forbids a church member to take an interest In politics so far as to attend the polls, especially at the primaries. and | cast their ballots for the best men. It is a duty which he owes to the State which protects him. to his fellow men for whose | good he Is to some extent responsible, 10
 society of which he is member. and we verily believe it Is duty which he owes Il to the God whom he professes to wor- ship, for when the Savior said Love one another" He did not mean that the love should stop at the church door. but
 that 1t should go into all the affairs of
 fife. How can a good oit'zen more surely I labor for the temporal good of his fellow
 man than by putting good men to rule
 over him7 And how can he do that un-
 less he helps to elect them7
 Today we regret to gay there are thous-
 ands of men in Alabama who refuse to T VEephfS t@A4tlaStfc6 TUT ttto SASAGASo VI
 suffrage Through carelessness, stingi- | ness. indifference or other cause they
 have failed to pay their poll taxes and i thus obtain the privilege of selecting
 those who make and execute the laws,
 Some of them are good Christian men,
 model citizens in all respects. but this
 single one of voting If bad men are
 elected, if bad laws are enacted. if good
 laws fall to be enforced. by what right
 shall such men condemn or criticiseY
 They have failed to ''serve God at the
 ballot box'' and their mouths are stopped.
 Suffrage is not only privilege. but an
 obligation" said this Chicago minister,
 and he is right. It is an obligation whicn
 every man must discharge for himself
 and which none have an excuse for neg | n