The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-04-15
THE CHURCH
CORRUPTED
By Corporations and Po-
litical Tools in the
State of Colorado.

ming for some months in Everybody
magazine, under the caption, "The
Beast and the Jungle" Judge Lindsay
in these articles tells tales of corpo-
ration rotteness that should bring the
blush of shame to the cheeks of every
lover of honest government. He has
traced the hand of the corporation in
every political transaction in Colorado
from municipal elections in Denver to
legislative sessions and even to the SUI
preme court of the state. In his latest
article he shows the tentacles of t
octupus reaching into the sacred por-
tails of the church The following is
taken from the April instalment of
Judge Lindsay's story:
"The situation was grave Open pub
lie gambling in Denver and the progress
of the anti-Saloon League had made a
moral issue that threatened the hind
quarters of the Beast Churches and
religious organizations all over the state
were entering the campaign. 1t was
necessary to have a candidate who
should give responsibility TO corrup
tion.
"Alr. Evans found his man in the
Reverend Henry Augustus Buchtel, D..
d., i. l.. d., minister of the Methodist
church. who was chancellor of the Den
YER University. And after harmony
meeting at which Mr.. Buchtel accepted
the nomination, he invited Mr. Evans
emssaries to rise with him, join
hands, and sing, 'Blest Be the
Tie That Binds" The tie that binds
the Beast and the Church? Yes. and the
Beast and the college. During the Pea
body campaign, according to the Rocky
Mountain News, young student named
Reed had been practically driven. from
the Denver university because he criti-
cized the corporation governor. Later,
university professor was sent to Eu-
rope to gather data which was used
in the campaign against municipal
ownership in Denver; and the profes
sor was exposed but not forced into
retirement Later still, Buehtel rep
rimanded a student for volunteering as
worker in one of our Juvenile court
campaigns. Mr.. Evans was president of
the board of trustees of the university
and the Reverend Henry Augustus
Buchtel was his chancellor.
"The use of Buchtel in the campaign
that followed was a huge success. Ev-
erywhere people said to me: why, the
chancellor will never stand for the sale
of the senatorship to Guggenheim' Or
the dear chancellor will never permit
this or that undesirable thing in poll
tics. But Buchtel had already admit
ted to a ministerial friend that he be-
lieved Guggenheim ought to be elected
though he said nothing of it from
the platform, you may be sure. After
he was governor, he not only endorsed
Guggenheim but vigorously defended
the legislature for electing Guggenheim,
honored Evans with place on the CUB
ernatorial staff, and gave public din
ner to the corporation heads who had
most profited by the rule of the sys-
tenn in the state. They reciprocated by
sending the Denver university hand
some donations; Evans led with $780,
600 and Guggenheim, Hughes and 9TH
ers followed with fat checks.
"The keeper of the gambling hell,
whom l summoned to my court and
forced to make restitution to the wife
of his victims, said to me, L have some
respect for Mayor Speer He tells
these preachers that he believes in our
policy of open gambling But | have
nothing but contempt for that old stiff
up in the state house, who talks about
the word of God and gets his nomina-
tion from boss who protects us, and
gets elected ON money that we contri-
buted to the organization.' 1t is one
of the saddest aspects of this use of
the church that the Beast gains re-
/ SpecIdpliiIl thciepy anu thc cHuith coH-
tempt.
81 yield to no man in my admira-
tion of what the church element has
done to fight the saloon and the gam
bling house and the brothel in Denver
II was these good Christian people who
conquered for MS in all our earlier en-
counters with the wine room gang and
the political supporters of protected
vice. IL was they who helped the wom-
men and children to save the juvenile
court when the attempt was made t.
destroy it. They are the hope of so
ciety in every fight for public deceney
and moral reform. But in a community
where the cohesive power of publi
! plunder has united criminal corpora
tions with criminal politicians and tn
criminal poor has put the dive int
I alliance with the dishonest public Off
3 cial, the unjust court, and the preda
Z tory millionaire-in a community d
2 you suppose that the churches by som
3 miracle have escaped oleanf I kno'
] that they have not. ! know that tn