The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-08
MENTIONED NO NAME.
DIR. Robert Gordon Spoke in General
Way on City Campaign.

In his sermon at the First Baptist
church last night DR.. Robert Gordon
failed to mention any names in speak
| ing of the city campaign. His church
was filled to hear what was consider
ed the first church action in the
mayoralty fight.
DR.. Gordon said Topeka needed a
pusher. booster, a live-one, for may
| or He charged the liquor interests
with interest in TOpeka'S action.
| He said in part:
mo committee has waited on me to
urge that 1 discuss this topic. In
dividuals and committees have asked
! that l let it alone. However, [ want
to be decent company to myself in the
days to come and 1 couldn't retain self
| respect and be silent at an hour like
! this
Every Christian should be inter
ested in the selection of mayor be-
cause Christ is. He came to establish
not a pOst-mOrtem, nor merely an &c
| clesiastical kingdom He is to have
sway in politics and business as truly
as in church affairs Every citizen
should be interested because of the re-
flex influence of this choice upon the
| young of the city. You are about to
| bestow certain honors. You are saying
| to young folk this man is the kind We
approve. That which you praise is
thought to be right
Then, too, there is a reflex in
fluence upon the city itself. The city
has a life of its own distinct from the
lives of those now living here. Athens
and Sparta were only hundred miles
apart but in. ideals they were thou
sands of miles asunder. l am con-
cerned about the Topeka that is to
| be.
Saloon Fight.
Another reason why all good citi-
| zens should be aroused is because To-
peka is an ammunition base for the
| forces fighting the saloon. The brew
erS of America are more interested in
this election than any other of its kind
! in America. 1t is not enough that we
enforce the law. You recall how Mr..
! Billiards. statements were sent round
the world by the liquor forces. You
must be careful not to give power to
one who is likely to give testimony
| prejudicial to our cause.
Man of Business.
Select a man who has some bust
ness capacity. OF course you do not
want a man who lives in a suit case;
one who may decamp between dark
and dawn. Surely you can find one
who has shown his good faith by
some meager investment. The man
who has a vote on issues of bonds,
franchises or taxes ought himself to
| pay at least a few dollars into the
public treasury. But the essential
thing in good government is a good
man. Find one who has lined up
with the forces of righteousness. He
need not be a church man but he
| must be against things that are wrong
OF course you will select a man of
some public spirit. The man who
tells you his primary reason for desir-
ing this office is because it will benz
| fit him is the sort of man you should
pass by. We want a man who though
not unmindful of the prestige the Of
flee cOnfers is a candidate because OF
| a genuine desire to serve.
No Standpatter.
above all you do not want a stand
patter; one who tells you the town is
good enough. We could not even
preserve the StatuS-QuO with that kind
of a leader. Leader is hardly the
word to apply to one who wants to
| see the community picked and pre-
served just as it is. Give us man
who knows the world is moving; one
who knows that Topeka is a splendid
! city but who also is aware that there
are many ways in which even Topeka
| could move forward a little