The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-22
RY wILLIAM EIJIS


(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
An impressive thought was uttered
recently by a Catholic priest in New
England, as he pleaded with the
Christians 20 repudfate corrupt poll
ticianS and liquor tools at the ballot
box. His words, in substance, were:
Il adjure you, in the name of our holy
religion, not to dare make the sign of
the cross on your ballot opposite the
name Of any man whom you know to
be an enemy of the common well
fare or a friend of the saloon. Shall
the Cross. the symbol of all that is
dearest to Christians everywhere, be
insulted ard debased by being at
| tached to the names of men whose
private lives and public deeds are the
very antithesis of all for which the
Cross stands? Nay, rather, by this
holy sign conquer the corruptionist,
the minion of the liquor traffic, the
self-seeker, and all who would put
any cause or interest above that of
our country and of the welfare of all
the people" The thought-and I am
quoting from memory the gist of the
priests arguments a dramatic eX-
preston of the profound truth that.
in the last analysis, casting the ballot
is a religious act; ard every vote
should have the sanction CT God.
If good people die not vote for bad
candidates the politicians would not
dare name such for office. Yet the
! experience is as common as it is dis
heartening for VIGOROUSLY wicked men
to be elected to office in communi-
ties overwhelmingly religious.
There are many tests of a persons
religion, but none severer than the
ballot-box test The man who is a
true, free and fearless citizen can
stand in the seclusion of the voting
booth. with head uncovered and pen
Gil poised, and say, reverently, This
do in allegiance to Thee" Any
ticket which will not stand that test
is not good enough ticket to vote.
When Christians stand straight and
stand together. on election day, bad
politics is sure to get a drubbing.
Many good men spell patriotism
with a small p and Party with big
P. and those men are the chief reli-
ance of all the gangsters and corrup-
tionists who have debauched our
politics.
Along in November, when chill was the
Two ballots were cast in a box together,
They nestled up close like brother to
You couldn't tell one of the votes from
CHORUS.
There were both rum votes,
The one was cast by a jolly old brewer,
The Sunday school man-no man could
Kept busy all summer denouncing the
But his fervor cooled off with the change
And late in the autumn they voted to-
getLer.
The Sunday school man had always been
For fighting saloons except when he voted,
He piled up his prayers with a holy per-
But Knocked them all down on the day of
election.
The foxy old brewer was cheerful and
Said be: IT admire that Sunday school
He's true to his church, to his party he's
He talks for the Lord, but he votes for the
brewer.
Author Unknown.
Good people in politics are often
handicap ped by their passive virtues.
They dislike to hurt anybody's feel
ings. They would like to defeat the
devil and all his cohorts, but they
fear to be called disagreeable and un-
If they could sweetly and
gently ameliorats conditions, we'll and
good; but to hit smashing blows, and
make bitter enemies of the unrighte-
Gus and endure attacks themselves
oh, dear! That is really too distress
ing!
know a small city where there
was a great revival last winter. The
whole community was deeply moved.
1t looked as If the churches were on I
top at last. A few weeks ago an
election was held. The head of the
liquor organizations ticket was a [
public official who had shamelessly
and even criminally thwarted all eff ]
forts to punish the most fragrant
crime against the common veal that I
the country had ever known. The {
gang" whom he had thus served ]
proposed to re-elect this official as a I
.vindication." And in the city of the j
revival the churehmen cast a prepon- I
derating vote for the crook Not a 6
preacher or Christian leader raised a 6
voice against the affront to funda-
mental decency- For long years the
men of that city have been drilled to
.x-ota straight, for the nominees of ]