The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1922-03-17
RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL ToL-
FRANCE

In this free government or ours
every individual is supposed to exer-
else the freedom Of worship according
to the dictates of his own conscience
and no one has the right to abridge
that freedom.
SO likewise one has the inherent
and untrammelled right to exercise
his political privileges in any manner
he chooses and no one has the right
to say him nay.
One has the undisputed right to be-
come a Methodist. Baptist, Presby-
terrain, an Episcopalian or Catholic
and no one possesses the legal right
to upbraid him or disturb him in his
religious observances-but to be re-
spected in the community in which he
lives his religious life must be consis-
tent. his outward life must conform to
his profession of faith.
If ones conduct in life be true to
his professions, if he is consistent he
need not fear harsh or unjust criti-
cism for there will be none.
We believe that all agree that no
one has the right to scott at religion
and kneel at its altar
We hold also that no one has the
right to fly the standard Of party
and be disloyal to its creed-to
its aims and high purposes; to be
constantly fault-finding; disloyal to
its leaders and captious in the criti-
cism of its management knowing that
in doing so it will bring about dis
cord and discomfort and finally dis
aster
Christ, the Great Teacher in speak
ing of the Scribes and Pharisees said:
They say, but do mott"
So we have the sanction of this
Great Teacher to judge even harshly
those who pretend one thing and prac-
tice another-those who pretend and
perform not.
Christ did not hesitate to call them
a generation of hypocrites and vi
pers!"
He was neither mealymouthed nor
apolegetic for wiper" is a harsh
word
Have we the right to follow his ex-
ample?
Human nature is about the same
now that it was then and the "hy-
uoerites and vipers' did not lie down
and die with the Scribes and Phari-
sees.
| The loyal Democrat will give his
party faithful service and will do what
he can to enthrone it in power and
when in power make its administra-
ton helpful to the nation by giving
| it harmonious and helpful support.
No one can be true in his allegiance
to the Democratic party and stir up
either religious or racial prejudice. !.
One of the planks in one of it's later
national platforms reads as follows:
Whoever by arousing prejudices
of racial, religious or other nature,
creates discord and strife among our
people so as TO obstruct the whole
some process of uniication, is faith
less TO the trust which the privileges
of citizenship repose in him and dis
loyal to his country"
The victories to be won at the ballot
box mean as much or more to the
perpetuation of good government than
| those won with shot and shell and the
statesman who proclaimed that the
ballot is more powerful than the bull
let was in line with the theory on
which our government is founded.
To win political battles political par
ties must be thoroughly organized and
disciplined for if every man be per-
mitted without protest or criticism to
fly the standard of a party all the
while doing all he can to bring about
doubt, discord, confusion and finally
defeat. the party will be as a house
built on sand.
So we may be justified in repeating:
| That no one even in free America
has the right to fly the flag of party
while playing false to it's high pur-
poses any more than one has the
right to scott at religion while kneel-
ing at it's altar.