Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1905-08-11
The Methodist Church and Politics.
Ed. News:

There appeared In last weeks issue
OF the Richmond Christian Advocate.
the organ of the great body OF Metho-
dists embraced In the Baltimore Con-
ference, an editorial reviewing the plat
form OF the three candidates for gov
ernor OF the State on the liquor ques-
ton, and reciting the law OF the Metho-
dist Church on the subject, as laid
down in the Discipline, ,andin a resolution
adopted at the last annual conference
and, applying the law of the church to
the case, clearly concludes that 1t Is the
duty OF every Methodist in the State to
vote for Judge Mann, the author OF the
Mann Bill, and the champion OF the
great "moral issue" now before the
people OF the State. The Richmond
News-Leader. commenting upon the
editorial in the Advocate, says: at is
a pity that the Rev. James Cannon,
Jr., has seen fit to bring the Methodist
Church into the politics OF the State"
and continues, in quite lengthy edi-
toriai to criticise further the position
taken by the editor OF the Advocate.
The writer hereof, does not wish TO be
considered as rushing to the defence OF
Mr.. Cannon. He is able to weed his
own row, but only to say, that the du-
ty of every Methodist in the State, as
imposed by the written law Of the
church, AZ stated by Mr.. Cannon, is
equally the duty OF every member OF
every other church. In this State. The
Baptist, Presbyterian, and Christian
Churches certainly. and perhaps the
rest, stand with the Methodist Church
on the question OF the liquor traffic,
whether their faith on the subject has
been embodied in written .'laws" or
not, and II the support of Judge Mann
Is bringing 1.-The church into politics, -
then every church In the State is In
politics" on this question. When the
Mann Bill was before the legislat ure
thousands OF names went up on peti-
tions for its passage-petitions gotten
up almost exclusively 10y the churches
and now il the same people choose TO.
instead OF putting their names TO pa
per TO influence legislation, deposit n
ballot for the same purpose, where
Is the wrong9 Wherein Is one act
"bringing the church into politics" more
than the other p? III the church's in
fiuence Is not to be exerted on any
question that may be termed political" f"
then, all the politicians ed TO do TO
drive the churches from their ground
when any reform is needed Is to cry
I"politics. / do not think the
church people are TO be frightened of
by this kind OF a scare-crow. The
Mann Bill, as 1t now stands, would
never have become law II the church
people had not taken an interest In the
political movements Of the General As
sembly Of Virginia
In the course OF the News leaders,
argument against "bIinging the Metho-
dist Church into the politics OF the
State" referred TO above. occurs this
wonderful statement: "Church rules
and discipline are good guides for any
man In private life, but they ought not
to be used TO control the political ac-
tions OF any citizen" This remarkable
statement is about as replete with
dangerous, II not evil teaching and false
theology as any / have come across,
emanating from such a high source.
Who would have expected Richmond
paper to have publicly proclaimed, that
a citizen of this State, or any other
State as to that. should not be guided
in his public life, political as well as so
ciai and commercial, by the same
"ChnrchIrules and discipline" as guides
his private lifel The citizens OF Rich
mond, some of them at least, seem to
have adopted this kind OF a code In the
conduct Of the recent primary in that
} city, and the result, and shameful dis
closures, have disgraccd Virginia In the
eyes OF the world. 1t seems to me
that what Is sadly needed in Virginia
and In the Nation, is that our public
! citizens should be guided in their polit.
ical action a little more closely by the
discipline and rules which guide theil
private acts and lives Surely the dis
tinguished editor Of the News-Leader
In his straight for an opposing argu
.. ment TO Judge Mann's nomination
(whom he has been opposing from the
first, did not mean to teach what tbs
. above quotation implies
And now. at the risk of sho .king the
peculiar religious sensibilities Of thu
distinguished editor Of the News Lead
II Al