The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-08-22
BAYS ANSWERS S|SSON CLUB |
Deprecatss the Attempt to Use
the Church and Masonry In
Politics.
Grenada, Miss, Aug. 20, 'oS

| EUltOT Sen .lnel.
| wish to call the attention o.
the voters of the fourth Congress
sional district to the irrelevancy
if not the injustice, of some of the
statements made in recent pub
lie letter of the T. u. Sisson Club
AS member Of the church also
of the fraternity Of Free and Ac-
cepted Masons, | desire to enter
protest against the trailing of the
Immaculate robes of the Church
of Christ and the official purple
of the Masonic order through the
mal-odorous mire of modern pol
itics Far back in the Middle
Ages, separation of Church and
State was bought by the blood of
many martyrs. This sacred heri-
tage we should respect and pro-
tect and should keep inviolate
this trust that has been vouch-
safed unto us. Church member
ship and official position alone is
no reason for the election of any
man to a high place in the gov
ernment. Granted that our friend
Sisson has served his church we'll; !;
but then, according to the state
ments of his friends, his church
has honored him. Let him glory
in his reward. We are glad that
he has been faithful; we are glad
that he has had his reward; but
decline to accept the fallacious
argument of his friends that.
reigning in church, he must rule
in every realm.
What has been said in regard
to keeping Church and State sep
arate applies with equal force to
the mixing of Masonry and poll
tics. We take it that here again,
Mr.. Sisson proved worthy, but
evidently the Masons have re-
warded.him. am glad that he
received recognition withio the
folds of the order-and hope he
merited it-but he should not
claim that, because they have re-
warded him repeatedly within the
folds of the brotherhood, they
should now act as a body to boost
him into the Councils Of the ma
ton: Again, if our good friend Mr..
Sisson, desired to appeal to Ma
sonry for support, would the real
spirit Of Masonry permit him?
Can a Mason strive to displace a
Mason? If Mr.. Sisson appeals to
Caesar. by Caesar let him be
Judged. Mr.. Hill is also a Mason
md a member of the same lodge
IS Mr.. Sisson, but to him his obli-
CATION has been sacred and he
has refrained from electioneering
for positions of place and power
within her folds.
Still again. if friend Sisson
would appeal to the Church could
he expect its support? For if he
would bring its spirit into politics
would he not have to give ear to
the exhortation of the great apos-
tie when he said in honor prefer
another?
While l expect neither Of my
warning friends to be translated
like Enoch, or borne to heaven in
a chariot OF fire before the gener-
al election, yet / wou'.i suggest
that Mr.. Hill is also a member Of
one of the grea: evangelical
churches, in good standing. He
has been a member of a Metho-
dist church for % years, but. liv-
ing his life humbly he has sought
no seat OF honor in her councils,
nor would he think of trying to
promote his political interest by
bringing the name of any great
religious body into a political con-
test.
Would no: the spirit of either
the church or the Masonic Order
carried into politics demand that
not only brother wrap the cloak
of sweet charity about the frail-
ties of another brother, but also
that he acknowledge the virtues
evident and proclaim them to the
world?
Judged by this last standard,
who is the consistent Church
member and Mason, T. u. Sisson
or w. S. Hill.
l feel deep interest in the
welfare of both Mr.. Hill and Mr..
Sisson. / have been the friend of
both for years and expect to re-
main so after this contest is over.
/ have nothing personal at stake
in the political fight between
them. l am -impelled to say what
l do because / believe the excite
ment incident to politics has sug-
gested the attempt to use official
position in the Masonic fraternity
and fhe church To further fhe IN