Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-18
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor of the Teleqraph

To the Editor of the Tele9rdph:
In the church bulletin issued at
the Reformed Salem Church on Sun
has given his views on a communi-
cation regarding the action of church
people of Pennsylvania at elections,
which should be read by everyone.
DR.. Kremer's statement, "Pennsyl-
Vania," follows:
1T is not pleasant to recall, but it
is true, that Pennsylvania has been
made notorious among all the states
for corruption, greed, and ineffi-
cheney in politics and government.
The wrongs which have raised our
State to this bad eminence are only
too well known to the people. They
could have been ended at any cleo
ton by action of the church people
of Pennsylvania. But such action
has always been wanting.
The above is a sample of what
is sent to Ministers of the Gospel
to induce them to sink their calling
into, or add to it, an agency to see
that all the members of their re-
spective congregations vote, and vote
right. Man who made me judge or
Wv lutl ONCI YOU WAS itlc dho"Cl VI
Jesus to an appeal of like import
1t seems strange to hear such an es-
innate of the Keystone State at a
time when the record of her noble
achievements in contributions to
Government Loans, Red Cross and
other activities, and of her sons in
the Army have distinguished her as
among the foremost states of the
Union. These boys have just re-
turned. They were the first Ameri-
can soldiers, excepting the regulars,
to meet the foe; and the victory we
celebrated less than a year ago was
in large. part the victory of our Key
stone soldiers. ..
Governments notorious for cor
ruption and inefficiency do not make
citizens of such morale as character
lied our soldiers and citizens during
the war.
THE Pennsylvania Legislature is
the only one in the country which
has successfully resisted the organ
lied and heavily financed effort to
abrogate our Sunday law and order
Where has there not been corrup-
ton and consequent inefficiency?
Where the carcass is the eagles will
be gathered together" In this case
the carcass is our great wealth, the
eagles are the greedy. Under any
political party or system of laws,
wealth will attract the greedy and
corrupt. Eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty Wholesale denun-
citation of the powers that be; or
| change of laws for substitutes bear
ing the stencil-mark Progressive is
no insurance against corruption and
inefficiency. Some of our old and
well-tried methods, abandoned under
the charge of inefficiency will prob
ably be replaced and their substi-
tutes pitched on the scrap-heap.
mo State has greater problems to
meet than Pennsylvania. We have
an immense foreign population to
be treated fairly, to be assimilated
and to be educated in the spirit and
letter of our laws. We have more
cities and large towns than any
other State in the Union. These be-
come attractive centers for the vic
ious as we'll as the good. Yet, in
proportion our urban communi-
ties, and immense mining and manu-
featuring interests there has been
less unrest than elsewhere. This is
due in part to the fact that no other
State has as large a number of citi-
zens who own their own homes; who
are native boru; or are members of
the Sunday School. Yet with cor
rupt and inefficient government how
could our cities and towns thrive as
they do? 1t will be a sad day when
the Minister of the Gospel loses
faith in the Word he breaches and
dreams that he can do more for the
public good by personal influence
and political tactics. There may be
room for both methods in the case
of some peculiarly gifted and promi-
nent men. But no minister, how
ever gifted, dare forget that the
weapons of our warfare are not car
nal but spiritual, but are mighty to
the pulling down of the strongholds
of sim 1t is just here that our dan
ger lies" G. K.
MRS CHARLES H. HATES