Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-11-04
Outside Point of View

When what follows appears in type
the reader will know whether Joe
Cannon goes back to congress- or not.
But neither the reader nor Mr.. Cannon
can tell whether he will be the next
speaker Of the house or not. So much
to avoid any idea that this is 9, po-
litical article. Neither Is It Of a re-
ligious turn, altho it touches both on
politics and religion. The question be-
fore the American people, is whether
the Methodist bishops, and for that
matter the Methodist church, were
justified in their collective, and on the
part of the bishops almost semi-official
action in the matter of the election OF
Joseph G. Cannon, of Illinois.
Nothing in this political campaign
has showed up more interest or has
has stirred up more interest or has
been the occasion Of more newspaper
comment.
Harper's Weekly thinks 1t "inexped-
lent for church to be in politics as an
organization" But. The Westminster
presbyterian, Philadelphia), sees the
bishops action as "tte sort of mix
ture of politics with religion, or relig-
ion with politics, that is wholesome,
and ought to be helpful in bringing
men to a right understanding OF what
is their duty in Official crises" This
journal goes on to state with COM
mandatory comment the case Of the
bishops against the speaker. Thus:
"Three or four great states border
IN f11n ctafa nf TannaSSnn have
adopted prohibition of the traffic In
practically null and void, because Ten
nessee, being a liquor state, can ship
beers, wines, and distilled liquors to
any points it pleases, in any of these
states, and in any quantity 1t pleases.
Wise men, thinking men, saw all this,
and attempted to prevent the evil by
statute of the United States, careful
ly drawn and in accordance with con-
stitutional provision. This statute
would prevent the shipping into prohi-
bition territory by any one in non
prohibition territory of the article or
, articles which had been prohibited by
!. law.
"The speaker of the house Of repre-
sentatives, of his own motion, to sub
serve his own purposes, because of his
own desires, is said to have deliberate
ly prevented action on the proposed
law, to have kept the appeal which
would have remedied the trouble tied
up in the Judiciary committee, and
because Of that action the bishops of
the Methodist church appealed to the
temperance people Of that church in
the speakers congressional district to
vote against him and prevent his re-
turn to congress for another term"
"The action of the bishops is right
If only ecclesiastical authority in other
religious denominations would follow
the lead of this body of men, which in
lthis particular is fearless, it would be
great thing for this country of ours
If the church as whole could only
awake to its opportunity. could only
forget that there is any such thing as
partisan politics. could only say. we
will stand by the man who is right
and who means to be right in all The
things that pertain to the best moral
interests Of the nation 1t would be q
great thing for the nation and the
world. 1t is pitiful to see Christian
men trailing along after a party be-
cause it is a party. without sufficient
,self-mastery to say. We will not be
led by men. no matter what their par
!! ty. whose whole purpose is self inter