The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-19
A REJoIN0ER TO DR.. BOYLE

To the Editor of The Globe:
referring to the campaign speech re-
Gently delivered from one Of our most
influential pulpits. Rev. DR.. Boyle seems
to have ignored the fact that the whole
question of morals. of ethics. is a purely
relative or comparative question.
The laws given by the Almighty in the
thunders of Siani to His chosen people
as for example, the sanction of pOlygamy,
would hardly be considered stringent
enough to satisfy our twentieth century
ideals.
Standards of morality vary. We con-
slider murder wrong; yet the Fijian recOg-
nIZeS 1T as praiSeWOrthy. We consider
theft wrong; but the religious Turcoman
makes pigrimages to the tombs of noted
robbers. We consider lying wrong; while
| the Egyptian looks upon it as virtue.
We consider gambling wrong; yet our
Philippine wards could hardly dream Of
such a thing.
cupying DR.. BOyle's position would have
expelled a member of his church who
was known to have. played cards or
danced. Now there. is probably not
young member of his congregation who
cannot do either with perfect propriety.
How much more, then, is the question
of the regulation Of morals or "immorals''
purely comparative question. There IS
no other standard than a comparative
one. According to the campaign inter
prefers of Mr.. Boyle. he made the I'M
ministration of this city was corrupt.
Standing in q place of authority before
friendly congregation and with no OPP
pOrtunlty for question, that is an easy
thing to say, and for that very reason
hard to combat. But what does he really
mean by that? Does he mean that vice is
as openly prevalent as in Chicago or
New York. for example? | cannot con-
ceive it, Does he mean that the admin
1Stration IS as corrupt as that of Min
neapolis under Republican Mayor Arnes?
NO one would dream of making such a
comparison. Does he mean that it is less
efficient than in any city of our size in
the country? The most ardent Republic
an candidate will hardly claim that. Does
he even mean that our present police adj
miniStratiOn Is more inefficient than I'M
der Mayor Wright Mayor Doran or Mayor
Kiefer? I do not believe it. for there is
no one who, having lived here under all
three administrations. except perchance
one personally interested in this election,
dareS to claim such thing Everyone
familiar with the conditions comedies that
our city is SignaHy free from vice and
crime; more than this, our police and
criminal court records absolutely prove
this assertion. How then does DR.. Boyle
reconcile to his conscience the fact that
in the same breath in which Col. Wright
ON the platform reheraldS his pastors
cry that the police administration is cor
rupt, he haStens to assure them that if
elected he will make no change in it's
efficient head?
Now no once questions the right many.
including myself, do not question the
propriety OF minister of the gospel fully
and freely discussing public affairs and
openly rebuking abuses in municipal con-
duct even from the sacred desk. But for
one who has been q resident of this city
not long enough to have even voted at a
previous election. so that his infOrma-
ton necessarily must have been derived
second handed, and selecting a time only
three weeks before election and only five
days before the opening of his party's
campaign, to use his sacred office to thus
publicly attack an administration which
has been the city's pride, irrespective Of
party, this betrays an animus which can
not be explained by a sincere desire only
for the municipal welfare. TO many this
attack cannot but be considered as tend
ing less toward a propagation of public
purity than a PROCLAMATION of the pulpit.
Edwin j. Bishop.