Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-05-18
Politics AND RELIGION.

Interest in the election of the
bishops of the Methods, Episcopal
Church, South, which opens to-mor-
row at the General Conference, Is al
most at fever heat, and tonight the
corridors of the Battery Park Hotel
look as If big political convention
was in progress.
''Thc friends Of the various candi-
dates are pulling every wire known
in the interests Of their fayorites, and
where auXiliaries are needed every
incoming train supplies the def
cheney.
'Prominent in the Swapping and
trading deals which have been open-
~ conducted in the corridors Of the
hotels are the delegates Of the North
Carolina Conference and the
Virginia delegates.
1.-The delegates OF the North and
South Georgia Conferences are leav-
ing no stone unturncd to carry :
OF Tennessee, to victory. to the end
that his supporters will help them to
elect The latter is looked upon
as one OF the dark horses to be
sprung on the conference in case of
deadlock"
Really! 'Narious candidates, "
"swapping and trading deals" quill
ing every wire.' "dark horses" etc.
etc, would seem to be terms quite
foreign to Methodist General Con-
ference, yet we find the quotations
above appearing prominently in the
reports sent out from Asheyille under
date of May 18TH
Every year we hear more or less
OF wire pulling" and the seeking Of
prefermcnt from the powers that be
in the Annual Conferences of the
Methodist church. not only in this
state, but in other States as we'll. and
1t would seem that this spirit Of
rivalry for the ''better places" and
'positions OF authority" is assuming
somewhat startling proportions in all
Of our religious bodies, regardless OF
denominations
Nor would we condemn the laud-
able desire of the minister to be a
leader among his fellow workers. It
Is but right that every one Of them
should seek to rise to that height
from which he can be Of greatest SER
vice to the cause he represents. The
Introduction, however, Of secular DO
litical methods into : .ose GATHERINGS
of conferences, assoc .ationS. assem-
blics, synOds. etc. where the choice
OF leaders IS concerned, is having its
effect, and that effect l.: detrimental.
These bodies to-day do not command
the same high respect and esteem
that they once did. It Is an old, but
nevertheless true. saying that poll
tics and religion will not mix" and
1T Is forccfully illustrated at these
gatherings. There is Of necessity a
scmi-political side to all such gather
inES, for men must be chosen to fiji
certain chief Positions But when We
get to that point where the members
OF Such religious bodies. whether of
the laity or Of the ministry, stooD
10 wire pulling" and Swapping and
tT"dinS, the Cause which these
bodies represent is brought into re-
proach by this contact with secular
political methods, which refuse to
mix with religion.
The General Conference would have
given to itself far greater influence
and would have transmitted bv cy-
ample deeper and more lasting benc-
hts to the membership at large could
the report have gone out that the
body as a whole was weighing care
1ully and praycrfully the merits and
fltncSs OF the men to be chosen lead
erS in church work. instead Of "pull-
ing wires. swapping and trading in
the interest OF the various candi-
dates for these positions.