The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-07-26
POLITICS IN
THE PULPIT
COUNTRY NEEDS "oLD TIME RE-
LlGioN."
Salvation Must Come From Bible In
stead Of Statute Book.


BY Peter Radford.
At least rs per cent Of the preach
ers of this nation are on the payroll
of the farmers the farmers Of the
United States have built approximate
ly 10000 churches. at a cost of $780,
100000; contribute towards the sup
port of religious institutions more
than 500, 100000 pes annum. and the
census reports show that about "a
OF every 100 members of the various
church denominations live upon the
farm. refer with pride to the achieve
ments of the farmers along the line
Of religious progress and moral deve.-
opment. The substantial assistance
which the farmers of the United States
have given the cause Of religion au-
thorizes the vast body OF agricultural
laymen who constitute the bone and
sinew of the church 10 speak out. foI
certainly a layman may know as much
about political theology as a preacher.
Keep the Yellow Peril of Politics
From the Pulpit.
What l have to say has no reference
To that vas body of militant ministers
who have c%cnsecrated their lives To
the uplift of mankind and whose pre-
cepts and examples are d ~beaconlight
Illuminating the pathway of the hui
man race. l refer exclusively to that
coterie OF political clergymen who
prostitute their high calling by capt.
t~alizing their reputation and by lend
Ing their occupation 10 designing pol
lticians. and l appeal TO the laymen
to use their influence In preventing
the yellow peril of politics from en-
tering the pulpit In any OF Its dis
guises.
| appeal to the laymen to demand
that political preachers give their
congregations more old-time religion
and less political clap-trap; that they
display a more earnest effort to reach
the hearts of men and play less to
the galleries; that they more often
hold fellowship with the members and
fewer with the politicians.
Certainly the laymen cannot perform
their full duty TO the church by sing
ing songs, paying church dues and
voting tickets handed down from the
pulpit by political ~evangelists. The
In upnan GhntII haanunn N AnpfpatKn.
factor In the policies of the church.
Let all the brethren unite In lifting
fallen ministers from the sloughs OF
politics back into the pulpit.
The Layman's Problem.
Ii Is as important that the politi.
clans be driven out of the pulpit as
that the preachers be forced back &c
the pulpit. / think Ii sacrilegious SoI
anyone to get his call to the pulpit
from campaign managers, to get his
inspiration from the cesspool OF poll
ties or to get his articles of faith from
political conventions. 1t pollutes the
church, mocks Christianity and is q
heinous crime against society.
We can conceive of no more dla.
bolical hypocrisy than a politician In
the pulpit shouting for votes and car
imagine nothing more damaging tc
public conscience than "A preacher
saying amen TO his deceitful antics
Political leaders may live wet ane
vote dry and the low standard OF
statecraft is not offended, but wher
the church turns over the pulpit Il
of~ice-seekers and their henchmen
true Christianity has received a crush
Ing blow and hypocrisy runs ampanl
In h altar, for Ii Is written 'Y.
cannot serve two masters"
There never n a time wher
preachers and politicians formed al
unholy alliance that civilization di,
not shrek out and Christianity or,
aloud. Since the beginning OF gov
eminent, politicians have sought (,
decoy the ministry into the meshes o
politics and make them carry banner,
In political professions. They hay,
taken the ministry to the mountain
top Of power and offered to max,
them monarch of all they surveyed
and while most of them have said
get thee behind ME Satan" a few
have fallen with a crash that ha
shaken every pulpit In Christendom.
The ministry, unsophisticated an,
confiding, is no match for the poll
tician versed In artful persuasion an,
skilled In deceit, and 1t Is the duty O
the laymen TO protect the ministr,
against the onslaught of these wolve
In Sleeps clothing and drive the poll
ticians from the pulpit with the lasl
OF public scorn. 1t Is the laymen'
tn keen the mfnfatry fro