The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-04-01
AS Others See 1t
RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL TOLERANCE
(Ocala Banner.)

(Ocala Banner)
In this free government of ours every individ-
ual is supposed to exercise the freedom of wor-
ship according to the dictates of his own con-
science and no one has the right to abridge that
freedom.
So likewise one has the inherent and untram-
melted 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 become Meth
odist, a Baptist, Presbyterian, an Episcopalian
or Catholic and no one possesses the legal right
to upbraid him or disturb him in his religious OBJ
servances-but to be respected in the community
in which he lives his religious life must be con-
sistent, his outward life conform to his pro-
fession Of faith.
If ones conduct in life be true to his profess
sions if he is consistent he need not fear harsh
or unjust criticism 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 a party and be disloyal to its
creed-to its aims and high purposes; to be con-
stantly faut-fnding; disloyal to its leaders and
captous in the criticism of its management know
ing that in doing so it will bring about dscord
and discomfort and finally disaster.
Christ, the Great Teacher, in speaking of the
Scribe3 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 practice another-those who pretend
and perform not.
Christ did not hesitate to call them "gener-
alton of hypocrites and vipers."
He neither mealy mouthed nor apolegetic
for viper" is a harsh word
Have the right to follow his example?
Human nature is about the same now that it
was then and the "hypocrites and vipers' did not
lie down and die with the Scribes and Pharisaea.
The loyal Democrat will give his party faith
full service and will do what he can to enthrone
it in power and when in power make its admins
tration helpful to the nation by giving it harmon
ious and helpful support.
No be true in his allegiance to the
Democratic party and stir up either religious
or racial prejudice.
One of the planfs in one of its later national
platforms reads as follows:
whoever by arousing prejudices of a racial
religious or other nature, creates discord and
strife among cur people so as to ob8truct the
wholesome process of unifcation, is fathless to
the trust which the privileges OF citizenship re.
The victories to be won at the ballot box mean
as much or more to the perpetuation of good gov
eminent than those won with shot and she'll and
the statesman who proclaimed that the ballot
is more powerful than the bullet" was in line with
the theory on which government is founded.
To win political battles political parties must
be thoroughly organized and disciplined for if
every man be permitted without protests or criti-
cism 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 its high purposes any more than one
has the right to scOff at religion while kneeling
at its altar!