The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-13
What of the Church?

10 the Ed1tor OF Line JouTnal.
Never in the history of this country
were the people so we'll prepared and able
to analyze and pass upon political prob
lens and reforms as now. All the great
and overshadoWingt questions of {the past
have been met and mastered and those
of the future doubt will be. There is
the trust question, the tariff municipal
REFORM the Philippines, money, recipro-
city, race problem, prohibition, etc.
Can we frame PLATFORM. select our
candidates who will execute our will and
by one grand stroke cure the body polite
Of all it's ills? This is a task few would
| care to undertake and if this is imprac-
ticable, what is the reasonable, practi-
| cable thing to do?
There are questions before us now that
are so great and far-reaching that the
very life of the republic itself is involved
| in them: Here is One:s Can corporate
! power and influence control the policy of
the state or nation for its own selfish pur-
poses, to the detriment Of the people at
| large?
This question is an issue in this cam
paign as never before, and never before
have we had SUCH a courageous leader to
! meet. it,
In Theodore Roosevelt we have man
who knows no fear Of the dictatorial mil
| lionaire or the angry mob; man who
decides questions On their merits and
does not trim to catch the breeze: a
imam for the times; a man sent to us to
fulfill a great mission as truly as was
Lincoln. Are we who WELD the sovereign
power; the ballot, worthy of him and
ready to support him? If not we are not
worthy of the best government, nor, will
we get it. The issue is fairly Joined.
What will we do? What will the church
do?. OF course, the church cannot
ton, but comprising as It does, such a
large body of intelligent men who are
supposed to be more than any other
the conscience of the nation has it been
exerting the political influence it ought
or that is it's privilege to exercise?
There are many good church people who
withdraw; their active support from the
right side of questions involving the
weightier matters Of the law and frittel
away whatever political power or :nfiu
ence they may have chasing after suct
barren ideals as prohibition.
} The prohibition leaders only hope O.
ultimate success depends upon their be
ing able to array the church as a body or
their side to fight their battles for them
They think they see in prohibition pan
ecea for all the Ills Of this life and
y sure passport to the realms of bliss ant
! they expect us to swallow that rare bi
= of political wisdom recently given on
! by their presidential nominee, that thu
| way to stop burning negroes in the soutl
is to vote Prohibition" :
: These lines are not written IN a capt1ou
, spirit of criticism of the church, but as
. friend of the church. and as a mild pro
. test against the unwisdom of the practic
Of some ministers of the gospel. when il
y theirspulpits surrounded by their friends
safe from all harm. launching their thun
derbolts of eloquence and hurting thei
anathemas at the saloon and leaving thei
membership in very grave doubt as t
whether or not they can finally be save'
If they do not vote the prohibition ticket
Z But if he does not succeed in convincing
them of their duty to vote that way, h
usually succeeds in creating discord I'll
Q the church and thus lessening it's inf1u
. ence for good.
e , If the true churchman would do wis
and patriotic thing, let him support tn
t fearless man and party that faces rea
e danger and makes it possible for tn
| church to do it's beneticent work both a
. home and abroad and thus under Go
: help this great country solve not only it
? own but the worlds problems, too.