Our Politics
“A politician, Proteus-like, doth alter His face and habit; and, like water seem Of the same color that the vessel is That doth contain it, varying his form, With the chameleon, at each object’s changed
Mason.
Atnerica, half brother of the world! With something good and bad of every landV
Bailey.
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when a wicked Jtian beareth rule, the people sighr Proverbs 2g: 2.
“Render therefore unto Ccesar the thitigs which are Ccesar’’ s.’’^ Matthew 22: 21.
“/ appeal unto Ccssar.” Acts
23:11.
“Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14 :J4.
Politics is defined by the Standard Dictionary, first, “as the branch of civics that treats of the principles of civil government, and the conduct of state affairs; the administration of public affairs in the interest of peace, prosperity, and safety of the state; synonymous with statecraft and political science; in a wide sense, embracing the science of government and civil polity.” Second,” as political affairs in a party sense; the administration of public affairs or
lOI conduct of political matters so as to carry elections and secure public offices; synonymous with party intrigues, political wire-pulling, and trickery.”
The first definition gives us the realm of the statesman who studies the science of government, and applies its principles to public affairs, seeking the good of the whole nation. The second definition gives us the realm of the politician who studies the art of getting into office, and profiting all he can at the public expense. The statesman is a patriot who would serve his country. The politician is a barnacle attached to the body politic, who seeks to make his country serve him.
We are told by some that Christians, especially Christian ministers, should have nothing to do with politics, but whether we have to do with politics or not, politics is certain to have to do with us; and, if the Bible does not touch upon politics, it is not the book we have taken it to be, which throws light upon every phase of human life. Politics is universal in time and space. It may differ in different ages; it is one thing in a republic, and another in a monarchy, and still another in partly civilized nations, but in some from politics affect human life everywhere. In this country it affects not only the machinery of government but in its influence for good or evil touches the church, the home, the school-house, and the individual.
We will now look at our politics in the light of four texts of Scripture:
The first text gives us the underlying principle of all government, and is found in Proverbs 29: 2: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people sigh.”
Bad rulers with bad laws tend to make a bad people, while good rulers with good laws tend to make a good people. Every man in high position is a fountain of health or disease. His influence is a light that gives life, or a Upas shade that poisons. If the president, governor, or mayor is known to be a bad man, young men will say to themselves: “If he can be bad, and yet be honored, why may I not indulge my evil desires without sacrificing the prospect of political preferment? If his wickedness is no obstacle to his success, my wickedness need be no obstacle to my success.” And yet there are Christian men who contend that, because their citizenship is in heaven, they have no citizenship on earth, and have therefore nothing to do with the election of men to office or the enactment of righteous laws. Two of the best men I have ever known have for fifteen years refused to vote, because they consider politics as thoroughly bad, and think that a Christian by meddling with it will be polluted. They have simply left the city, state,and the nation so far as they are concerned, to be ruled by the Devil and his minions, and we verily believe are guilty of a great sin of omission. “Do good unto all men” is a command which should be binding upon the conscience of every Christian; and, if by voting for a righteous man or a righteous principle, one may do good, he does harm when he refuses to improve this opportunity.
My second text gives us the responsibilities of citizenship, and is found in Matthew 22: 21. “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s.” Caesar represented the state, and pagan though he was he was to receive his due. There are a few Christians who refuse to vote because the name of God is not in the Constitution, and because many of our officials are infidels. And in this they are wrong. The ballot is a weapon of peace for the remedying of all political evils:
“A weapon firmer set
And better than the bayonet,
A weapon that comes down as still
As snow-flakes fall upon the sod,
And executes a freeman’s will,
As lightning does the will of God.”
The superscription on the coin indicated that tribute should be paid to Caesar, and it is right for Christian men to pay taxes for the support of Government. Thoreau declared that he did not desire any protection, he wished no government, he preferred to be his own governor, he would live in his cabin among the trees and birds independent of all others. He therefore refused to pay taxes, and went to jail in consequence. And yet Thoreau, but for the protection of the government which he despised, might have been robbed and killed without hindrance. Every man who enjoys the protection of government has upon him the responsibility of doing what will support that government. If every man in the United States should refuse to vote, there could be no Republican government. The dictate of a tyrant, or the sword of a military chieftain would be our only law, and, if one man has a right to refuse to vote, all have the same right; and if the right should be asserted, the best form of government in the world would be at an end. “Pray for them that are in authority,” says Paul, and prayer for rulers at that day was the only means that the Christain had for securing a better rule. If Paul were living now, he would say: “Vote to put good men in authority and then pray for them that they may rule well.”
Do we pray for those in authority? You reply that there is some doubt as to who is to be in authority, especially in Greater New York, Mr. Van Wyck has been elected Mayor, but the newspapers more than intimate that Richard Croker is in authority. Well, then, pray for Richard Croker. I wonder if one of you ever did pray for the man who during the past ten years has been more soundly abused than any other man in New York State. He may be bad, — all the more reason that you should pray for him. If God should convert him, and win him from the love of gambling to the love of doing good, the bad boss would become a good leader. And it ought perhaps to be said that the cry against political bosses is usually very childish. Every great movement must have a leader, as every body must have a head. If the party leader be a man wise and true, patriotic and unselfish, he can do much for the enactment of righteous laws, the election of righteous men, and the uplifting of the people.
Perhaps you do not believe in political parties at all; you think that the non-partizan movement is apt to be the righteous one, and therein you may be sadly mistaken. The party in this country is necessary for the carrying forward of any great reform. It means simply the organization of the men who hold certain principles. The difference between a political party and a thoroughly non-partizan movement is the difference between an army and a mob. The mob may have a leader, but it is a mob all the same. Mugwumpery is an attempt to run government without a party. The good in it emphasizes the importance of personal character in candidates, the bad in it is the failure to recognize the absolute necessity of organization for the permanence of any reform. Between government by party, and government by individual candidates without any party to whom they are responsible, I, for one, choose the former. The man who feels that he has been elected by the organization and efforts of his party, and who knows that unless he is faithful to the principles that party represents, he will receive political chastisement, is more apt to do right than the man who has no party responsibility, but feels that he is a sort of pope in his own political sphere, dictator of his own terms, without any organization to which he must give an account. He may be held in check by public sentiment, but the man who represents a party has also the check of public sentiment with the restraint of party fealty. Of course, when the party is organized without principle, simply for spoils, and its business is to enrich itself while it robs others, the representative of such a party may be a very dangerous man. But sooner or later the public sentiment of this country will sweep from power man and party when such a state of affairs has been discovered.
What the Christian citizen needs to ask is what party represents righteous principles and nominates righteous men, and believes in enacting and enforcing righteous laws. With that party let him vote, and, if he can find no such party in existence, let him seek to organize one, for he can find a few others at least of like mind who will stand together for righteousness. But let him not feel he can do most good by remaining apart from others, as a sort of bushwhacker, not connected with any regular army.
My third text suggests the use of citizenship, and is found in Acts 25. ii: “I appeal unto Caesar.”
Paul was a Roman citizen. He had been unjustly arrested and persecuted- He sought safety by putting himself under the protection of the Roman Eagle. He wanted to preach the gospel in Rome and here was an opportunity of using his Roman citizenship to gratify that life-long wish. By appealing to Caisarhe could be carried to Rome, and there proclaim Christ under the shadow of the palace. It was by means of his Roman citizenship that he was permitted to preach to Caesar’s household through the soldiers who were chained to him in turn. I can imagine Paul winning the favor of each one of these rough men by kindly words, pleasant conversation, and then preaching unto them Jesus with such clearness and earnestness that they accept him, so that when they are freed from their prisoner, they go out freed from the guilt of sin. Through the privilege of his Roman citizenship he was permitted to lay siege to the citadel of paganism until he made a breach in its walls.
American citizenship means in the world to-day about what Roman citizenship meant in the time of Paul. It is the traveler’s protection and pride. Under the Stars and Stripes he is safe everywhere. It gives him an open door into every pagan land. To despise such a heritage is to be an ingrate indeed. To refuse to make this citizenship mean what it ought to mean by the election of righteous men, and the enactment of righteous laws, is to fail in the performance of sacred duty.
My fourth text gives us the need of good citizenship, and is found in Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
And this righteousness is civic, social and personal. Civic righteousness is right relation of the citizen to the government, and of the government to the citizen. No government has a right to treat its citizens unjustly, unfairly, oppressively, and no citizen has the right no Lights and Shadows of American Life
to treat the government unfairly or unjustly. Think of this, will you? when you list your property for taxation. We are told that good men do not hesitate to use stratagem for defrauding the government out of its tribute. It has been said that the tax list proves nearly every man in the community a liar. This may be an exaggeration, but I am quite sure that there is a sentiment prevalent which prompts men to deal with the government as they would not deal with individuals. When I returned from Europe I was told by several passengers on the steamship just how I might evade paying tariff on some articles which I had purchased. I did not try to evade, and as the result my trunk was opened and $25 or $30 was collected on articles purchased for my own private use. I noticed, however, that piles of trunks were not touched. They understood the trick of defrauding the government, but I have never regretted that I kept a good conscience. A few dollars would not pay for the reflection that I had acted unfairly or dishonestly toward the government.
Social righteousness is a right relation between individuals. Much is said about inequality in the distribution of wealth, and, if there should be an equal distribution to-morrow, there would come again the next week a great inequality. To make all people poor alike or
rich alike is neither practicable nor desirable, but to make all people friendly and kind and considerate, whether they be rich or poor, is an end to be earnestly sought. If the rich man had some common footing with the poor man, if he would realize that his poor brother is truly human, with joys and sorrows and struggles like his own, he would be richer, and the poor man would be better off. If, on the other hand, the poor man could find a common footing with the rich man, and realize that his wealthy brother has struggles, sorrows, and joys and burdens, like his own, there would be a common fraternity of humanity which would be the best cement for the perpetuity of our government.
The horse of a rich man, while driving through Central Park several months ago, ran away, and his carriage struck a poor peddler, knocking him senseless and leaving him bleeding on the ground. The rich man went to him, put his head in his lap, sent for a physician, carried him to a good hotel, and had him carefully nursed into health again. The poor peddler was surprised to learn that the man on whose lap he laid his bleeding head, and who spoke to him such words of loving comfort, belonged to the class whom he had cursed as he thought of their wealth and luxuries compared with his poverty and struggles. He learned for the first time that behind the exterior of wealth there was a genuine human heart.
A rich woman in Chicago, who had lost her only child, was induced by her maidservant to take a bouquet of flowers and lay it upon the little cofifin in the home of her washerwoman. Rich woman and poor mother stood and wept over the little body, while they spoke to each other words of consolation.
Li these two cases the rich and the poor had found a common footing; they realized that they were akin, that they could suffer alike, and that manhood and womanhood did not depend upon the size of the purse, or the location of the house, or the quality of clothes; and, when such relations of love shall be brought about by the gospel of Christ, this government will be forever secure. But until then we may listen for the rumble of the earthquake of revolution; we may guard against the foment of discontent. We hear much about manhood suffrage, which means that every man has the right to vote, regardless of the amount of money which he possesses. It ought to mean that only true manhood shall vote. Vice, anarchy, corruption, ignorance have no right with the ballot. And if this be true, every Christian should receive a new inspiration to work for the elevation of all the people. The love of Christ and patriotism should prompt us to give them the gospel which will develop in them a true manhood.
Personal righteousness is the right relation between the individual and his God. Such righteousness can come only through Jesus Christ our Lord. “For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, to prove that righteousness is primarily right relation, not right doing, and he besought men to be reconciled to God. Until we get right, we cannot do right. And until we come into right relation, all the righteousness of doing is filthy rags. Jesus Christ alone can make men truly righteous, and is therefore the Saviour of the state as well as of the individual. 8