The Devils Lake world., 1921-01-12
Preachers Haze No Place
In Partisan, Politics, Says
Carl Nelson In Criticism
Urge. Unfroclins Of Pre.cher-P Polit;ci.n

Editors note:-The following
article written by Carl D. Nelson
of Cando, appeared recently in an
issue of . leading North Dakota
daily and is reprinted in full,
pointing out an aversion to
preachers entering politics on =
partisan basis, as is held BY
thousands of citizens. Nothing
detrimental to the clergy rs a
whole, is written or evidently
intended in the article. Mr.. Nell
son evidently takes the stand that
a preacher of Christ's gospel,
has his field of endeavor clearly
cut out for him-and it is
not the stirring up of strife in
any community or state or na-
ton.
"A considerable number of
churches thruout the state of
North Dakota have taken a hos
tile attitude toward the farmers
Nonpartisan League, and many
of their members have expressed
surprise and humiliation because
such preachers as Birchenough
of st. Thomas, Ambrose of Grand
Forks and Walker of Devils
Lake have brought partisan poll
tics into the pulpit, and continue
to draw their ministerial salaries
after hiring out to coterie of
politicians as stump speakers in
political campaign. Instead
of reproving these ministers, or
unfrocking them as they deserve
the church governments appear
to have approved of their breach
es of conduct.
This attitude on the part of the
church need not occasion surprise.
From apostolic times the church has
obstructed every advance Of science,
the advance affected politics,
or morals. The reason for
that is plain: The church has been
ruled by the wealthy and powerful
the standpatters Of all ages, who have
found it most convenient and comfort
able to worship the god of things as
they are. The preachers are not to
be wholly blamed for this condition;
they have been the under-paid slaves
Of a wrong system of social power
and prestige, and many of them have
achieved miracles of faith and spirit
ual regeneration in spite of these
ION account of this overshadowing
influence of wealth and aristocracy,
the church has failed to replenish its
ancient store Of spiritual power, and
has fallen an easy prey to worldly
interests. Not long ago the church
was called upon to protect the prop
in human slavery, and how
Loyalty the southern churches rallied
in defense Of that infamy has not yet
been blotted from the records of his
tory. When John Brown tried to set
a few slaves free in Virginia, the
good church people of that state de-
cided that his crime against the es-
tablished order was so enormous that
he must pay the penalty with his life.
A part of John Browns memorable
reply to the court after sentence had
been passed, reads as follows:
"1t is unjust that I should suffer
such a penalty. Had I interfered in
the manner which ! admit, in behalf of
the rich, the powerful, the intelligent,
the so-called great, or in behalf Of
any Of their friends-either father
mother, brother, sister, wife or chill
dren, or any Of that class-and suf-
fered and sacrificed what I have
in this interference, it would have
been all right; and every man in this
court would have deemed it an act
worthy Of reward rather than punish.
ment :"
"The laws Of God are infallible, but
they are numbered with a lot Of very
fallible interpreters. We can't forget
what happened to Miss Willard wher
she set out upon her crusade against
the liquor. traffic; the doors Of the
churches were closed against her great
reform, nor did they swing open unit
the movement was an assured ant
popular success! Oh, earth-born ex
emplars Of Christ, how weak youl
imitation Of him is, and how obscure.
your vision is by material interest
Back in 1890 it was populism tina
was frowned upon by the churches
That this agrarian uprising was pro
voked by insufferable wrongs di,
not n,atter-there we're scores o
preachers who could be "shown" b,
their influential deacons that it wa
vicious and seditious spawn o
hell to be inveighed and praye'
against. The fact that the main prin
ciples Of Populism have since beeom
the laws Of the land does not seer
TO convey any meaning to the mind
Of these people Populism Is deat
and it was a huge jokel
II have before me = communicable,
written BY my father, who was on
- Ah~ l2kn~o1oS - -khek x$sss,n Il =. ~