The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-16
EVERY MAN SHOULD
co into POLITICS
Must Be Bound by Religious
Convictions Rather Than
Political Allegiance.
State Approaches Ideal When
1t Protects the Rights Of
Citizens and Promotes Their
Welfare.

At Central Methodist church last
night Rev. w. A. Cooper, the pastor.
preached on the important subject OF
The Christian Ideal Of Government,
or the Relation OF Religion to Politics"
In the beginning. Mr. Cooper called
the attention of his congregation To
the fact that he had introduced the
idea OF government" as the power by
which we are able to protect our
selves from the interruptions person
that would take unfair advantage In a
business relation.
Government Is a necessity to civil
lized man, said MIR. Cooper. and the
State$ is an institution ordained of
God" To perform certain functions to
human society as truly as the church
is an Institution ordained or GOD
Jesus. however. never gave the sane
ton OF his mind to any form OF gov
eminent Men Of all schools have
claimed him, but Jesus was neither
anarchist, monarchist, democrat nor
socialist. He was not political re-
former. The only bonds that Jesus
recognizes in society are moral bonds.
His Kingdom is family of brothers
over which God is the father. The test
Of all forms of government is. not that
Jesus teaches it but that IL makes
for that fraternity which is his ideal
of society.
believe, said the speaker. that
politics are coming under the domino
ton of the ethics Of Jesus and are APP
preaching. be IL never SO SLOWLY. That
Justice and aitruism which are to be
in the world when once the Kingdoms
OF this world become the kingdom of
our God.
II all men spontaneously did justice
and love mercy and walk humbly." we
{arht into nlCW
shaves" and rtfe necessity OF govern
ment would no longer exist But so
hong as humanity lives by selfish mo-
fives. SO long as the weak must be
protected from the strong; 80 long Will
a strong government be necessary. 1t
Is sad commentary on our religion
that after 1909 years the altruistic In
rect the selashness of our lives and
Christianize our social order.
To Protect Citizens.
The functions of government are. said
Mr.. Cooper, to protect it's citizens in
their rights and to promote the wei
fare Of the whole people. The Fun
damental rights OF men are right to
life, to family. TO property and to
reputation.
The government must not only pro-
tect men from the blow OF the assassin
and the dynamite stick OF the rioter
hut also from the unscrupulous manu-
facturer that aduiterates the food sup
ply Of nation, IL must protect lives
OF little children from the greed OF
eonmercfalism that would send them
into life destroying industries: the lives
OF lahorers from exposed machinery
and from carless management 1t
must protect the lives OF babies by an
adequate supervision OF water and
milk supply. IT must protect "A man
right TO his family and put Its con-
demnation on eommercialixed prosti-
tuition, Yet Virginia senator's killed
by indirection law that recognized
this fundamental right OF man to
his family.
Every city has It's plague spots
which are more dangerous to health
than pest houses. II is not enough
for the State to build blind asylums
but to stamp out the social sin that
Is the cause OF much of the blind
ness.
Promote Peoples welfare.
II is the function. not only to do
these things, declared Mr. Cooper. but
10 promote the welfare of the whole
people. 1t is not enough to build in
sane asyiums. but to discover the cause
of insanity; not enough to build aims
houses. but to discover the cause of
poverty, and to enact laws that will
correct the evils. The speaker next
asked. how can this ideal be reached?
and he answ cred by saying. by every
good and intelligent man going into
politics what right has a man to
complain that the government II cor
rupt when he refuses to do his duty
and carry his conscience into his poll
tics. Politics. must be controlled by
ethics and not by party expediency and
every man must be bound by his re-
ligious convictions rather than poll
teal allegiance.
When the representatives refuses to
perform their functions so as to pro-
mote these proper ends then the peo-
Pile must demand the right OF direct and
Immediate action.
The State approaches its ideal when
1t protects the rights of all its ctti-
gems and promotes their individual and
social welfare. That state is most
Christian that best promotes frater-
nifty love and Justice and defends the
four fundamental rights OF men--their
rights to life. to family, TO property
and to reputation. and promotes the
haatl, tho education The social nurity