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Show oils nun of CilOTS PLi "Election Day" Sermon Delivered De-livered by the Rev. Dr. Will A. Betts. POINTS OUT DANGERS Questions Vital to Nation Must Be Settled by Voters Who Think Rightly. "The voter who docs not count on election elec-tion day, when he Is legally qualified and physically able to perform that duty, is unworthy of citizenship." ; So declared the Rev. Dr. Will A. lletts, pastor of tho First Methodist church, tn his "election day" sermon to a large con- ! gregratton. Dr. Betts strongly protested against nny union In any form of church and state, but as .strongly emphasized tho point that it is the imperative duty of every ev-ery Christian to take an active interest in all public and political questions. The speaker held that the men whose motives mlRht be questioned were often most zealous In political work. Dr. Lletts said in part: When the Master, in answer to a question propounded to him by hypocritical hypo-critical Pharisw.s, said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." He established estab-lished forever tlie relationship tha t Ids disciples were to have toward tho government. Issue Is Direct. Just a few days ago a gentleman said to me: "I do not htdieve in the union of church and state." 1 mo-t heartily aree with this declaration," for I am unalterably, irrevocably and eternally opposed to ?uch a union. When an ecclesiastical body attempts to dominate and direct the politics of Us people, it doers that which is In direct di-rect opposition to the spirit and gfjnlus f Americanism. On the otti-hand, otti-hand, I am just as heartily opposed to t tin t theory which says that a Christian should keep out of politics, for that would utterly disfranchise the church of its righteous influence in the affairs of the nation. Time of Vital Stress. Wo are living in a time th'-n every day comes to us frfh:htcd with living, liv-ing, vital questions that ore of in-tf-rest to rich and poor; Kood and 1-ad. QueMtons that are vital to the church and nation; 'pn-'tlnns that affect af-fect uur fons and daughters and have to do witli the sanctity and perpetuity of the home, (jueptions that demand solution and yH most persiu-ntly re-fnsf re-fnsf to be solved by ecrlndast iral decree, de-cree, resolution, or "speakin' mettin." Questions that can be solvd only bv all of the pcplo and by them only ut the ballot how It I obvirtifly the Ho'wnn obligation of every Christian. with unfetter ! liberty, to .-ndr th i;o ei i mien t tlie inline nee of bin ha ! -lot In politicn; jiifnlt s. The ue.- of Christian men ln our priillca Hit- is fo apparent that tne de il docs not nee.) a sp irlas-s to see n. r,n o t he polls next Tn.-tday nn-i yon will Sff, an eminent gentleman ters"ly puts it. "All scoundrels out of Jail that d;i re show t heniid ves ; tho rtm t ma -Jorirv of incompetents "Ut of insane nylinii; ad m- n who can be bo icln; all tl.at desire to manipulate law, f'r the'r own persomil ad antace: all n:i!iMijil;i'i'ii"n; c ver v ma n that bi-'B i li.if-.sf"! '.in deliver; di ctil-.aT'l.-i, Faioori Inline. diveUcepers. ilcMioyt-rj! of virtue vir-tue iin-1 promoters of ev. rv t-vl t!d.i side of hell will be there and vote if they cun." Shame Is to Church. With such an arrav flocking around the votlntr booth. Is It not apparent that if upright, decencv-lo inu people do riot make use of their iowi.li;n rltrht and at the ballot box it. ufallz-j tint )n(luen e of corrupt t I i t ,',la n?i the n flairs if our government will be ina-nipulntcd ina-nipulntcd In tho Interests of uniltbt-ou--ne;:? Th. shame 'f tin- church in timi ace is that so inriny of htr ad-1-eri'iits are willlnir tn absorb tier spiritual spir-itual blessing, imd then ytv Imnie on lection da v and allow whisky poti-tlcbins. poti-tlcbins. ward lirl-ri and thu5. sa -loonhrepers and brewers to determine who shall make and eecnio the laws of this Christian republic. All th's hypocrltient talk about the, Christian iwdhr.i: himself in poll tic h is but a devil's device lo dtsf i n n h tf blin and ii'iUe of him a nonentity anion-: men. One can have no patience with that otherwise KoM man. who t.iys hi-i-e on eledlon duv and mi net! nionious! y cnses lilinseif by pavlnK, "I (lo not want to get mixed up In dirty politics," poli-tics," or "My vilr- won't count for itnythlnir t hi el ret inn." When an American eels to a p'.icc rvheie he is rc.'Mlv (o acknowledge ibat he dies not count. It Is time for him to pad; bis gilp nnd ifo to China or some olber countrv where thev -in not bother to muni his kind f fulks. Tim oter who d'ie.s not count on election duv. wh"tl he Is lejcnllv o.ualllcd and ph'-t-bubv nblri to iK-rform that duty. Is unwnrllu' of clt Ir.eiudvlp in the Cot I blessed land of rn.-vdnin. Politics Needs Christians. Therij s need of the Christian cet-tlnir cet-tlnir into politics, becnauu- of the cli.s til si I net Ions thai. i-xlnt In t his free country. Half a reniurv auo thcie wer no Pharplv drawn llneh of class 1st tnel ton, but It can scarcclv h said that this Is true ot' the 'pre,i-ent. 'pre,i-ent. for toe lines of deinaivullon are Mich that a yrcHl yawnlm: -iiasni sen-male: sen-male: rl.i S so effe.-tn..MJ that one wrlti-r l-:cla ;e:l ve Inn.- In this coun- trv "c.i ili'M a-; I f al us those among Ihe IlilifhiR." There Is tho class of a n.rv few wealthv men wlio moat arrogantly arro-gantly assume to cllctale the policy, nnl onlv of our eoinnieioln 1, but also nur poll'llcal life. The r.overilinvr pru-eiplo pru-eiplo of our eonnnei cla life I1 coinpc-tillou, coinpc-tillou, cl these I'.-w erv rich men ae.dt b' cninblnathm. to dcMroy tlie po--d'hlltl v of a fair . iui'el illon. The KUldlmr Mm "f ,,nl' I I ( l-;t I life hllH been a ko eminent of tho peoile a nd hv the people mid for Ihe pc,.pl., bill lhepr few rich men. bv the bn-ler of 11,,-lr cold, have sought to super- ' -ide the people bv seen rl UK lei; i. a -Uon favorabb. (( Ihelr own selfish n-tereslw, n-tereslw, '"i 1h" other band, wo have :, nihdilv armv "f lb so-called m i it- e 1 1 who (i.-d mr the hnm;ht y nv- i-oipu pride and selflshnfcis of tho rich i "el j: I on ii Ing under I ho excessive excess-ive burdens that have been plneed upon Ihcm. mi' I nipartlie-i unfh-i- 1 ho r.ilnv- of ofiirr-cl-ni. bavr, been Inspired lo i-trlUe. boycott and violence. Two ( hisses Face Crisis. Mere In thin ChriMlian nation thrse two el. ;. n Hand fsclng o;jci othor I,, ,, pie imd death slrugclfl n real an Urn I'onflict now xnit": on In Curopo. Honie tell iii Hint nnl hi UK en n ho donn I,, ;ieo Ihe (rnidon ot ihls rlriu,'-e rlriu,'-e le Aw ay with r ucb ,'iic.ltly non-.",,1Uie non-.",,1Uie for ' I'oiuel hlup. niu:d bo done. 'p i err I 'i I be (nbercnt pi inelplo at Hi,. ei v be .rl of the Anierlcnn irn -(-ninintil Hint Ihr people inii'd rule. .M1 iir ;,k1 liven the people are co-, u. () ;-iaut. vou that n Utile while aro M did ("em nil tbonr.h Dm PA-opln were, (toinu t bo ilbinei od nnd that In this nation mi aristocracy aristoc-racy of wealth would nil, but nidi an " undercurrent, of patriotism h,i pi Ippeil the plain -people t hit hrart-lt'i'H hrart-lt'i'H corporation: hav(. already discovered discov-ered th.eir rtar nf destlnv and sleepy rliui chmen niid hid r-bound poll I icia or mo loinhii; to understand that the people is Hlnc mid lh.il soaathini; niut nnd nhall be done thai will hrirtr to 1 1 1 t nation cmvi met la I nnd pollih-nl .-jonlltv. When lb.. On-sliau maiihoo.i of this rr"uMi' breab.a iiu.iv Jroto partv polillcs nnd -x-s to the polW in tb.o fear of TIo.l to v-Ip v'-bt rev-anllevs of the .Itvnrs of Ov'eles. iastks. prelates or politb al bosses, li wave of commercial prosperity, political po-litical freedom and rolb;lou onl.hu-suoou onl.hu-suoou lll rwrep over tho entire nation. na-tion. To oto ri;ht i slmplv to eomici-enl eomici-enl loiish- I inly men a ml roudit iona nnd then from the standpoint of principle, prin-ciple, nut , parth-au politics, vote for ' tlat,'. who will ino;,l hoiieidly eufor.-e I law and oMMuphi'v the on im-lple of lrotherbood. The db-ipie n( I'linM who r.oea to the pollr in I'tah net 'I'ue.idny Ikim- no moral riqht to votn for an Individual who is not in svin-pnlhv svin-pnlhv Willi a popnlur government of, hv and for the plain people. cannot can-not n nd will pot vole for nny inn t win will support and f ta t ernl .o with db;honct p"1h Icia us or w ho w ill resort re-sort to p"IHlcni chicanery to em-harrnn:- Ihe ov ern inr nt . A 0 Within Wi-thin oio-rbt not. to uive nupport to a raii'ildato who n unfrbm.M-. to the Inboriiot dns-ie and who ulliei him-nelf him-nelf will) tlie I U not' busi n e n.. No man In w or I h V the aupporl of ( hviM ia n vti who will take diclallon from mi eoeb' laslb al body or political l.os-es. If on the ticket of any parly you Know thoro are men who belonj; In Ihe a hove lb' I or who lmvt previously pre-viously 1-een imrnllhful In a public trmit ficra tch bin nil mo a lid thank r.od for Ihe prh lle'je of dolna It. It r the lenveii of piaellcal ( 'b l Is t ia id t v, tho Splrll ol' lh. Man of (dile.v tliat Ih to onlfv the HI" of tht patlnn, ond H Im tbnrl'oie ihr Impcratbe dul v of (V'-rv ( "hrii't 1m n voter to be nit bn Oil ilex I Toesd n V to re pi cmoii t tho V'luliit nt tho ballot hot. |
