Year: 1876

Now, THEN. where is Tweed's confession?





Politics Of the Religious Press.


Before the next issues Of our religious con-
temporaries appear the people Of the United
States have voted for their choice of ma
tional, State and local officials, and the re-
suit win be very generally known. The re-
ligious press, therefore, gave advice in its
latest issues how its patrons should vote.
The Christian Union said four questions are
to be decided by the votes of yesterday
the personal, the financial, the administra-
tive and the Southern question. On the
personal it thinks the times do not demand so
skilled politician as Mr.. Tilden is SO much
as citizen of experience in public affairs,
such as Mr.. Hayes is, at the head Of the
government. Mr. Tilden and his party re-
pudiate resumption of specie payments, and
Mr.. Hayes and the republicans repudiate
reputation and propose to resume at
the date fixed by the recent act
of Congress. On the administration
and civil service reform question the
Union believed neither candidate can
achieve it. The roots of present corrup-
ton are in the House of Representa-
tives, and the only way to effect the
reform needed would have been to send
such men as Judge Hoar to Congress instead
Of the Ben Buffers. On the Southern ques-
ton the policy of the democratic party, says
our contemporary, is non-intervention (; the
policy Of the republicans is protection
The Union. therefore, concluded that the
country would be better served by Governor
Hayes than by Governor Tilden. The
Evangelist too, gave its readers some
thoughts for the election, to wit:-First,
that we have country, which is the mother
Of us all, and in whose welfare we are all
alike interested; second, that our freedom
and our political rights which we were about
to exercise have been bought with price,
even the blood of our fathers, and if We
have not done our duty heretofore the
time to take a new departure and strike
the keynote of duty to the country for q
hundred years to come had arrived. Civil
government is divine institution, and
if we were more impressed with its
sacredness we should be more care
full in our duties to it. We ought to put far
out of our politics, said the Evangelist, the
vicious maxim that public Office is reward,
and restore the sounder doctrine Of the
fathers that it is trust to be executed with
the utmost fidelity. And hence it comes to
pass that character, both as regards honesty
and ability, is the chief factor which should
be considered in those whom we would ele-
vate to office. The Tablet believed the passing
crisis is the most important since the Re-
public asserted her independence Of the
old country. What is at stake is whether
the constitution of the Union shall be main
combination Of fraud and violence. It ex-
pressed the sincere desire and earnest wish
that for every position, and pre-eminently
for the most exalted, the men most likely to
contribute to the solid welfare Of the country
may be selected, whether democrat or re-
publican, Catholic or Protestant, or aught
else, SO long as they do not present them
selves branded with the mean and unmanly
stigma of secrecy. On the local question the
TABLET gave its hearty support to Mr. Ely
for Mayor of this city. The Baptist Weekly
believed that by far the larger part of our
people who are marked by intelligence and
evangelical religion were undoubtedly for
Hayes and Wheeler. And it thought that the
safeguards which have been placed around
the freedmen Of the South should be main
tanned inviolate, and that men who whelmed
the nation in blood for the perpetuation of
human bondage should not be intrusted
with power, which all the past proves would
be used to repress the ''rising race" The
constitutional intrenchment Of our common
school system from the possibility of Roman
interference is also an issue which ought
not to be forgotten, and this and the inan-
cial question, in the Wecktys opinion,
made the election of the republican candi-
dates q necessity. The Christian at Work
very emphatically called its readers at
tention to the duty of voting, and trans
ferred the case to Church matters. Sup
pose, it said, the churches were left to the
manipulations of schemers who should seek
to get in and govern for selfish and
worldly purposes-what would become
OF them? Suppose, too, our best citi-
from public affairs and turn over our vii
lagos and cities to the scamps who trade in
politics and buy and sell votes as they would
potatoes-how long before bankruptcy and
ruin would sweep over the country like q
bosom of destruction The Observer thought
that in the past campaign it was ques-
ton of men and not of principles that was to
be decided, and they who have the best
character for honesty, ability and fidelity as
statesmen were to be preferred. 1t regretted,
however, that good men have abandoned
politics 70 the vicious, but its trust was in
God, in whose hands are the destinies of
nations. He putteth down one and setteth