The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-24

STAND true. AS Shakespeare says. Love
| Is not love which alters when 1t alteration
finds" The simple reason why thousands
OF American homes are being ship
wrecked is that they have lost sight Of
to pre-em1nent place of loyalty. which
transcends even the obligations of love.
In religious work, in business, in politics.
perhaps more than any other, is, called for
at the present time.
Judas was the greatest OF all human
catastrophes, the completest of mortal
failures. Let us learn from his abject fig
ure that it is only worth while in life to
follow the example OF Judas steadfast
Master, who, Having loved his own
he loved them unto the end
The Citizens Crown.
Terse Comments on the Uniform Prayer
Societies christian Endeavor, etc.p p
October Is, The Christian and the Bal
lot.'-Luke 1s:41-4s.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS
A new light on democracy has been
| shed by the red glare of the European
war. The chastened vision of mankind
has seen anew the preciousness of SELF
government by the people, wherein no
one man can precipitate a national
catastrophe Many persons have for the
zenship This vast war has penetrated
deeply into the thinking of our time
Even the frivolous have been sobered. AS
the men of Europe quit their sport and
business, in obedience to a master pas
sion of loyalty such as they had never
felt before, so in this western world there
level OF patriotism. Peace has her pa
trfotism. as well as war. The sacredness
Of the ballot. the king-rite by which the
his divine right to make his own law, is
an Intensified conviction today with mil
lions. Nothing could be more opportune,
especially as fall elections are near in the
United States, than this topic given for
the consideration Of the young peoples
societies: 1t is appropriate. timely and
essentially religious
DR.. Robert 8. Macarthur once said, in
an imprisoned address on the obliga-
| tons of Christian citizenship that If 1t
were within his power he would refuse
the sacraments Of the church to the man
who refused to go to tho ballot box on
election day.
Barrie has drawn a pathetic character
| in the sentimental Tommy books
| Aaron Latta the man who denied his
manhood. Thenceforth the Inundated
creature refused to take his place among
men: he had been false to the first duty
| of lis sex. and SO should be an outcast.
Somehow Som poor Aaron Latta comes to
| the good men who fail to vote on cleo
ton day They are emasculated patriots.
In the hour of citizens highest duty
| they have failed to measure up. Even as
Aaron Latta went about his cooking and
housewifery in an apron, SO these nom
| Young Americans SnOulQ Dc Qen100 q
voce in all the counsels of men and pa
triots. Any person who does not vote.
If he can vote. is q bad citizen.
-,obody is without influence. Even a
chi.. may constrain a voter to be true
| to his duty as voter and q citizen on
election day. Isn't It q proper office Of
presence of at least one Indifferent voter
at the polls on election day?
| O. ex1r nI<
| but as a practical bit Of good citizenship
bile. to carry Ill or infirm voters to tho
meetings. making speeches or adopting
resolutions. Wouldn't 1t create q new at
mosphere abot a polling place II q Chris
the transportation Of voters?
The person who sells his vote has first
betrayal Of manhood. The spies which the
nations at war in Europe are hunting out
and swiftly Furnishing are not 30 danger
GUS to a nation as the traitors who TRAFFIC
in the sovereign suffrage.
So sacred is the ballot that, as he en-
tiers the voting booth. the Christian may
| er and dedication ere he puts his mark
upon 1t. Needless to say, no vote should
be cast upon which the favor Of God can
not be asked. conservation service over
every ballot would solve all our problems
| of citizenship.
Machine politics. IL due to the ma
chine-like voting OF partisans.
The voters upon whom the country can
count are those upon whom no party can
count.
The vote that cannot be cast ''as unto
the Lord IL not the vote for tho Chris
tian-
Distinctively moral issIes-the temper
ance question, of course being para
mount-are nowadays being offered to
the suffrage of citizens never before.
This makes even graver the obligation Of
Christian citizens to bear q free. fearless
and vgilant part in the elections. Loyal
ty to the causes which are distinctively
Christian Is paramount duty. takinG
precedence of all past party affiliations
For we belong to the party Of Christ and
country before we belong to any political
organization.
j A humiliating fact for freemen - the
well known usage of political parties In
counting on workers." usually inferior
men, to control the vote of their district
Experience has shown that ono such
worker can determine the votes Of ter
citizens. His personal solicitation. and
the petty favors he can bestow, Outweigh
ship and men vote as sheep. rather thar
as independent patriots. Obviously. any
man who votes ito oblfge q friend" il moi
the sort Of citizen upon whom the coun-
try may depend. Surely It is not toe
strong Q statement to declare that any
reason than his own Independent convtc.