| Show in a salt malt lake city paper of sunday last I 1 read some modern lamentations of jeremiah over the assumed misdemeanor of teachers of morality advising their flocks to use rood good sense in their political duties and elect good capable men to run their government the logic of the paper referred to it if carried to its legitimate conclusion would make it wrong for a teacher of religion and good morals to give an alarm if he saw a fire start in a building where hundreds were at work unconscious of danger to raise his voice in protest against the evil of gambling to cry out against the spread of p prostitution ros tit ution even though it might be endangering dan gering his own household to utter a word against the growing danger of the saloon it is difficult to realize that the editor of a modern paper can be so far behind the age in which he lives and it is fully as difficult to understand how the public can support a paper that can afford no better mental and moral food the writer of the stuff referred to falls ails to understand the american idea of life and government in an absolute monarchy king is all people are nothing in a republic people adeall are all and king is nothing in our country every phase of government originates among the people and has no other object than the highest possible good of the people there is not a church or sect in the land that does not stand for the moral well weh being of the people government cannot be dissociated from the moral education of the people without throwing it into the hands of the selfish reckless and immoral elements of society thereby endangering the rights of those who form the only safeguard that good government and public morals can have bave the existing corruption corrupts on in municipal and other government is due to the fact that the better element of society has allowed itself to be crowded out and this is largely due to the fact that moral teachers have failed to io do their duty our future lives must be gauged by what we make of our present lives and no church can accomplish much good in this world that devotes its time to securing the service of god in stated religious meetings while it gives the devil fun scope in all the secular affairs of life among the preachers who wio have done most for country and good government as well as church I 1 will name two stan king in california and henry ward beecher in new tork their pulpits were never too sacred to be used for the advocacy of whatever was good for the city the state or orthe the nation in utah the clamor of years made religious teachers tearful fearful of doing their duty but fear has passed and no minister should be afraid to use his pulpit in any way that shall work for the good of the people for the elevation of public morals for the safest wisest best beat government of city state and nation As to president woodruff and his counselors this should be remembered that as they have to look after the moral culture of a vastly greater numbered the people than are under the guidance of any other religious the state so to is their duty BO much the greater in proportion there are not far from miry ministers odthe gospel of peace on earth avel anal good watt to men iba the united states stated if mn men should begin and continue a campaign against political corruption in the land they could do much to lift politics put of the gutter and clear out skies of gathering clouds of threatening disaster in local affairs they have duties to the well being of the city and the people if one religious teacher advises his people to elect good men to office will the others advise their people to elect bad men to office all are bound together all must suffer together from bad government and all should work to secure good government if the teachers of morality refuse to act ana others take up the work their success must benefit all in the churches and out and therefore the case becomes so clear that he who runs may read efforts for good government are always in order and in their support the help of good citizens is always needed on the other hand efforts for bad government that is elections whose sole object is the spoils of office are genially gen rally in control because the best citizens allow themselves to become disgusted with the filth of common politics and give government over to the rabble if this cannot be broken up then of all nations are we with the greatest freedom the most abject slaves CHARLES ELLIS |
