The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-02

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 the matter of mems habits and morals, and as that sort of thing is susceptible of creating widespread resentment aqd opp9sition xs may be sure sin snat he he frequent. bitter. disturbing and harm full.
 An encouraging note has been sound- Doyle, pastor of the Presbyterian cnurch at Marion. Ala. who in recent sermon took. positive. vigorous ana unevasiye stand against the employ ment Of the pulpit as musings from which to preach political sermons. As the political phase of the prohibition movement comes more and more into view, the usefu ness of the breaches ... politics will be more anI more tmpc. v N hateyer else may be said of
 tion movement, 1t cannot be said that it should as an organization become in- yolyed Tn a mere Mrangle among pol. ticians for. place, That the present movement is political is proven by the Eact that the prohibilionist party in Tennessee was an absolutely negative quantity; had few followers and fewer Votes until certain politicians of infiu- ence and ambition took 1t up as cud- gel with which to fight their way into sented by the sincere, earnest and 1oa est temperance workers, never appea}r ed to these politicians until 1t appearea to them they could make stalking
 pr. Doyle says that the chrisfiah ministry has ne right now to agitate the issues from their u.pits-andl he Is right We may as Il people be able to get along for awhile without the in- toxicating beverage, but we can't get and essentially religious church. [ <
 Another phase of the question. too. IS that 1t is neither wholesome nor edfty- ing, this familiarity with which edi- tors are handling preachers--or rather the increasing aptitude of preachers of provoking editoria levity. It seems to lessen the dignity. that has hitherto been accorded gentlemen of ''tne cloth" and to more or less secularize the pull :, pit. We noted in one batch of ex- changes, for one day, half a dozen ifi-' by name, were referred to as political parsons;" in several others preachers had delivered, '.sensationaily yel'ow sermons" in one Mir. Blank gave up his pulpit yesterday afternoon to boost, ing the game of an ambitious politi- cfan,'" and in another reference Is flip, preacher" The fault Is not all with the newspapers.
 As a general proposition the press has two very good reasons for treatlny the clergy with the utmost respect: (p because most newspapers, daily and week -y have a thorough respect for functions of the pulpit, recognizing the fact that upon the su :oess of it's mis- sion depends the progress of the race in civilization, the safety of society and the happiness Of the people. and (2) be- cause the vast majority of their paA rons are connected or Sympathize wiN one or another of the religious soci4 ties over which the preacher prestd4s' as minister teacher aud friend. With this double incentive the press would, we believe. rarely speak slightingly. much less abusiyely, of ministers un- less under serious proyocation.
 | It need hardly be said that public sentiment will in no case tolerate in newspapers or in Individuals any un5 | provoked attack upon the pulpit or any | criticism of the preacher who magni- 1 fes the spiritual office of ms calling or who devotes his energies and his | effort to the promulgation of the gos- | pei of peace and love-netcher one o9 which is very aggressively involved in | political controversies.