OCR Text |
Show H CHURCH INFLUENCE IN POLITICS. H A significant feature of the com- M platntahat is so often made in rela- H tion to church influence in polit ics is the fact that this complaint is H never made by the winning side. H If the Democrats score a victory H they arc never heard to complain of H the interference of the church, H while if theg. o. p. succeed in turning H their adversaries down they arc not H heard from on the subject of church H influence. The fact of the matter ff is that either party is quite willing B that the so called church influence M .should be used, if they arc the bene- H ficiarics. It has become the rule H here in Utah for the cry of church M influence to be raised by the loosing M (larty. There is always this source of consolation for them. This old H bong has been sung a great many H times, and is one of the, simplest B ditties in the book. Nobody is ex- H pected to give any particulars, H neither as to how, where, or who. H We have no recollection of ever see- H ing the word church defined as used H in this connection. If we follow the m dictionary and admit the church to H be "a body of christian believers ob- H serving the same rites and acknowl- B edgeing the same authority," it is B- very difiicult to sec how the church H . 'could fail to influence, their every tij lief. Such a body should always be j found working for what their creed M teaches them is right, and church in H fluence under such conditions, if the M doctrines of such church arc good, ' should be beneficial to the common- H wealth, whether it is in the interest H of politicians or not. But it is not 1 in this way, as near as we can tin- B dcrstand, that the term is used. H Judging by the manner in which it M is charged, and trying to reconcile H the charge with common sense, it H must bcthatthosc whomakc tliccom- B plaint mean It is not the church that 1 uses the influence but only certain 1 leaders, or men in authority therein, B who are accused of using their au- 1 thprity to coerce the body over m whom they preside to take such ac- H tidn in political affairs as they di- 1 ! rcct. If this definition of church m influence is to be the criterion by M which the charge is to be considered, V those who make it should certainly H be able to do something more than H make the general complaint that H they arc in the habit of doing Some m time, if the church authorities H are in the habit of seeking to M compel the members to do their bid M ding in political affairs, they will t try the wrong man and he will give B the scheme away. As far as we B have been able to learn silch a case Hj bas never been even cited, let alone V proven. In the municipal election H that has just occurcd the stock cry 1 has been raised by supporters of the Bb losing ticket, it being alleged that HHp the wardauthoritieshavcuscdchurch H iufiuence to defeat them. Those H who are acquainted with the ward H authorities could have told these H people that as far as their influence B ' was concerned they might be sure V ' that it would go, as it ought to do, m in favor of the suppression of the V""- t ' liquor traffic; and that to expect any-H any-H J thing else from them would be do-H do-H Jug men of their well known temporal tempor-al ance principles an injustice. But, if H any man or woman among the sup-H sup-H porters of the defeated ticket knows B of any one of the ward or stake au-B au-B tltbrities haying sought in their of- 4 s ficial capacity to control or direct the vote of any of their flock, even in this campaign, which has not been run on party lines, if they will put us in posession of the facts we shall take pleasure in publishing them; for thatsortof thing Hasnosu-port Hasnosu-port from us. |