The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-11

paIt;more. Md. July 1o-(Special.) y
Charles ] Bonaparte, Secretary of the
Navv. delivered a notable address before
the convention of Christian EndeaVor
this afternoon. Secretary Bonaparte
chose as his subject Pure Politics ana
Religion" He said in part:
MANY years ago a story was told or
a xvall known professional politician in
this CITY. now dead, who, on his return
from church one Sunday, was met by
newspaper reporter, who remarked to him
in substance:
Mr.. A. l do not understand how so
regular an attendant at church as you are
can be also so great an adept in stuff
ing ballot boxes. ''fixing'' juries and
witnesses and plugging corporations.
Mr.. B. replied the statesman, /
never mix up politics and religion
Act on Different Principle.
"Of late years the American people
has shown a disposition sufficiently plain
70 be widely remarked to act upon
different principle. So the many of our
citizens are beginning to mix up a good
deal of what my late -townsman
would call religion with what he would
call politics and the resultant of this
mixture is so unpalatable and unwhole-
some to those of his ways of thinking and
acting, that few words as to the real
nature. causes and consequences OF the
phenomenon may be timely and not with
out interest
I'm truth, the mixing up of politics
with religion to which my deceased friend
referred constitutes one feature of every
notable popular movement, in progress
for some thirty years throughout our
country? After the civil war and the
period of reconstruction, the American
people found time to take stock we
were reminded by our tax bills that we
had a government, a fact our busy pros
nerous fathers could more than half for
get during the two generations space of
steady international colonization, and with
this reminder came a growing measure
of doubt and anxiety as to the practical
merits, in sober truth and not in Fourth
of July ortary, of all branches, ma
tional state and municipal, of that gov
ernment under which we lived.
Easy to Recognize Evils.
"As always happens, it proved easier
to recognize evils than to discover rem
edies, and in the like accord with all
human experience, our search for the lat
ter was hampered by the proffer of all
sorts of wonderful nostrums, warranted
bv their respective advocates to usher in
a golden age. But with that plain, hard
common sense, that distaste for sound
and froth that craving of facts and dis
trust of ideas and the theories that have
ever been the portion of English speak
ing folk, the people of our Union have
finally gained fairly clear insight into
the nature of our ills, and are gradually.
but steadily. learning what medicine will
heal them.
.The underlying evil in the administra-
ZION of our public affairs is simple dis
honesty. Our public offices are too often
held by dishonest men. OF course do not
mean that all or a majority or even any
large number of our officials take pub
lie moneys or fraudulently waste public
property, or in any way cause peniten-
tiaries to yawn for them. Such incidents
ire, indeed, much more frequent than they
should be, but it may be doubted whether
he proportion of downright thieves
among the peoples servants is larger
than among those of private masters. The
great bulk of Americans in public employ
wish and intend to do their DUTY, but a
grave and mischievous though very COM
mon, confusion of ideas 40 to what is
heir duty makes the best OF them some-
times fail to do it, and permits the worst
often to neglect 1t with rmpunfty.
Theory Is Immoral.
The efror Is rooted In a mistaken and
immoral theory as to the nature Of the
position they hold. In law and morals
alike public office belongs to the people,
IL duties are fixed by the peoples laws;