Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-04-01
\ FIGHTING PARSON.
From San Antonio Light.)

"A new kind of clergyman in politics
seems 10 be the Rev. Charles f. Tay-
Tor who Is now running for the office
of warden of the borough Of Green
witch, Connecticut. The position of war
den of a Connecticut borough, il might
be explained, is equivalent 10 that Of
chairman of the board of selectmen''
In a VI ,s~sachusetts town-the princi-
pal nsIlccr IN a community either too
or too well contcnted with the
borough system of government To- be-
come "A city. There are places III that
part Of the country boasting more
than 4 10000 inhabitants which have
never adopted the city form of gov
eminent. Greenwich is not a small town.
Ministers have gone into politics at
various times and in various places,
usually in the role Of reformers. For
that matter. most men in politics who
are out" call themselves rcformcrs
in their efforts 10 get i'm The dis
tinctlon. however is that clergymen
uSHsHy set out 10 secure moral reforms.
They wish 20 fight the saloon or some
other form of vice. They usually pro-
mise. ii elected. TO give their communi-
ties some form of social or moral clean
ing-up.
Mr.. Taylor. let il be said. il running
on ~ such Platform. lie announced
that as a minister he believes in trying
IN nab. .tt,.g anl f.x.~,,. 60. -. ,l.a
they are to a kingdom of heaven on
earth That sounded like the usual
cry Of clerical ''rcformers.' But then
he announced that his first efforts
would be for efficiency" lie thought
his borough did not have 4 sound bu-
siness Enthusiastically needed
one.
This ministcr-he is pastor Of the
wealthicst Congregational church in
Greenwich. by the way-has already
done things. Greenwich was infested
with malaria and there seemed To he
no legal way 10 get rid Of il. He made
"A crusade and raised $4,000 with
which the mosquitoes were abolished
and the disease thereby driven out
The public schools were inferior. lIc
Iaggcd the rich residents of the town
until he made them 90 4 town meet
ing and vote for better places of ms
truction.
lie desires. ne says. 10 make Green
witch healthy. happy and comforta-
bic through the adoption of strictly
modern methods Of government As
AN incident merely. he says he pro-
Passes to enforce all laws impartially.
giving all men a fair deal. whether
they happen to he churchmen orthosc
whom many ministers regard AZ being
without r~ights-liquor dealers. for ms
tancc. And he that if he is
elected warden, he proposes 10 do his
own work himself and take entire res
possibility for the way il is done-a
promise that his past performances in
dictate he would keep.
They say, up in Greenwich. that the
campaign of the Rev. Mr.. Taylor il no
joke. Most of the people Of the chur-
ches are naturally behind him. but il is
surprising how many publicans and sim
ncrs seem 10 be of the opinion that he
would be worth trying ont. The fact
that ne stands six feet two inches in
his stockings and that he has always
kept himself IN strict training as an
able athlete doesn't lessen his popula-
rity with the masses of his community
Greenwich is a long way from Texas.
bpsJruman nature-and politics-being
about the same everywhere. his
campaign is of general interest. That
a fair hearing anywhere between East
kind of a fighting parson ought to get
port and San Diego.
Take Care Of the Children