p. 198, para. 1 | Untitled article

Untitled article

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · June 23, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 25

POLITICAL religion and religious politics are developing quite rapidly in New Jersey. A very good evidence of this may be found in the following from the Sun, of June 14:—

“In a sermon on Sunday the Rev. Dr. Scudder, of Jersey City, said: ‘As long as Police Superintendent Smith remains in office we may expect little else than the present lawlessness and defiance on the part of saloon-keepers. When Mayor Wanser gets through with the Board of Works, let him pay his respects to Superintendent Smith and ask him to resign.’”

“‘Dr. Scudder,’ said Superintendent Smith yesterday, ‘is an active Republican politician. He makes his pulpit a political stump from which he advocates the election of Republican candidates. Before the last election he called a meeting of ministers, and endeavored to get up a boom for the Republican candidate for Mayor. His effort failed. The majority of the ministers were not disposed to mix practical politics with their religion, and by their positive refusal to join in the scheme they virtually condemned Dr. Scudder and his method. I have never had any conversation with Dr. Scudder,

and why he should attack me I am at a loss to understand. If his motives are not political, what are they? I am a Democrat; my predecessor, Chief Murphy, is a Republican. I have been in charge of the Police Department only a short time; Chief Murphy was at the head of it for many years. Did Dr. Scudder ever attack Chief Murphy for not enforcing the law? Perhaps the good Doctor is not aware of the fact that the Sunday law is being more strictly enforced than in a great many years. When Dr. Scudder came to this benighted city from the far West, and took upon himself the task of making it good and Republican at the same time, he could discover wickedness only in departments controlled by Democrats.’”

“‘I have this proposition to make to Dr. Scudder: If he will bring me a letter from Mayor Wanser directing that the Sunday law be more rigidly enforced than it is now, I will guarantee that not a saloon in this city will be open even the least little bit.’”

“‘Heretofore when the city had a Democratic Mayor and the Democrats had a majority in the Police Board, the responsibility for not rigidly enforcing the Sunday law was thrown upon the Mayor and the Commissioners. Now that there is a Republican Mayor, why should Dr. Scudder try to fix the sole responsibility upon me? It looks as if there might be some politics in it aside from the desire to conserve the public morals.’”