The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1928-10-01

While Bishop Mcconnell is a Methodist
equal force to all Christian people irrespec
The present presidential campaign
seems TO be pushing 10 the front in quite
unusual degree the question as to the
proper or permissible. relation Of the
Church TO politics. A good many factors
appear TO be entering into the discussion.
Some alarmed persons tell us that the
decisive part Professionalism has played
In the and-nquor fight IS dreadfully
dangerous as paving the way TO the con-
troll of the state by the Church. This is
one of those questions which look threat
ening until we pull ourselves out Of the
abstract and look at things and events IN
the concrete.
There was. indeed time when such
question was q live issue. Before the
rule OF the Pope was so largely limited as
today TO spiritual concerns in some places
even police power was enough in tho
hands OF church authorities to lead to
clashes between church police and the
kings police.
II is almost automatic to-day that the
State can not share its strictly physical
forces with anything else. say almost
automatic" because In some industrial
disputes the State does wink at the en-
ployment of privately employed guards,
for example who are to all intentS and
purposes police or soldiers I suppose.
however. that nobody would be crazy
enough today TO say seriously that Prot
eStantism contemplates getting control OF
the physical force of the nation to use as
Il thinks best, though I have heard ex-
cited takers heat themselves over such
q possibility. So we viii dismiss this
phase of the theme.
THE ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE
y.
serious statement of alarm about the
entry OF the Church into politics has to
do with the present day relation Of large
social groups within a nation which can
bring pressure 10 bear upon the organs
of the nation-legislative executive, judi
cial Surely we Of the United States are
familiar enough with Hobbies Both the
Democratic and the Republican platform
makes reference to possible handling Of
the tariff in the next four years.
If there is to be any considerable
change in the tariff by congressional
action. we all know that lobbyists, by
whatever term we call them, will be ia
Washington in plenty-and nobody viii
say much about them.
hold no brief for the Anti-Saloon
League but it provokes to considerable
mirth to hear the outcries OF horror when
the oon'sn appears in a lobby. There
are, indeed. some peeularities Of League
activity which probably would send the
shivers into the industrial lobbyist If ap-
piled to him-the proposal to make him
account for his expenditure as fully as
does the League and to Go his work I'M
der as much light as is thrown both by
friend and foe upon the Leagues doings,
and to connect his proposals as definitely
with the public welfare as the League is
called upon to do.
refer To the League because it is gen.
orally looked upon as the agent of the
churches. but the activities of the League
are q long way from being those Of the
churches themselves. The churches con-
tribute to the League and in general
fashion indorse its work, but SO far as
know the church contributions TO the
League are those Of individuals. mean
by this that it would be only in rare in-
stances that q denomination would make
the League an official" object Of its
philanthropy. with recourse Of appor-
tionments to congregations and other
methods employed for benevolences
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
1t is remarked that since the churches
have tasted power ia the League there is
no telling what they will ATTEMPT next