MINISTERS AND THE TARIFF.
By W. N. G.
In the United States Senate, May 3, Mr. Cannon presented a “memorial of the clergymen of Philadelphia, petitioning for the removal of the inequalities of the present protective system.” This memorial includes extracts from sermons of several of the aforesaid clergymen, on the general theme, “See That the Republic Receive No-Harm.” Equality is a principle that originated with the Creator, and the opposite principle never would have been known in the universe but for sin. The principle of equality was exemplified in the giving of the manna to the children of Israel in the wilderness. The commandment was, “Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.” In obedience to this command, the record says: “And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack.” Ex. 16:16, 18. This same principle was again exemplified in the first Christian church at Jerusalem, which was led by the direct outpouring of the Spirit of God. “Neither was there any among them470that lacked; for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles’ feet; and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” Acts 4:34, 35. The apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, also recognizes the doctrine of equality in the matter of supporting the Gospel. He says, “I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want; that there may be equality.” 2 Cor. 8:13, 14. He also shows how Christ had practically developed the thought to an unprecedented degree: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, tho he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Verse 9. That is, Christ became poor and took upon him the nature of sinful flesh in order that he might come down to the same level with us, so that he might raise us up to God. The foregoing citations illustrate Christian equality, and of course include a relationship of universal application; for the principles of Christianity are nothing if not universal. The commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” contemplates no national or racial lines, any more than does the prior one, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.” For God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,” and the kingdom of Christ includes those of “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Then how can Christians have anything to do with any scheme that sets up a discrimination between nations? From the standpoint of Holy Writ the kingdom of Christ is to be gathered from all of them, and then they are all to be destroyed together. But the question in the memorial to Congress is equality in our protective tariff system as regards the various industries of our own country. In the discourse of one of the clergymen referred to in connection with the memorial we have these words:— The interest of our people just now is fixed upon the question of our national prosperity. Without any regard to the welfare of the rest of the world, we are trying to find a way out of our hard times, and we have adopted what is known as the system of protection; that is, collecting such a duty on imported goods as will keep prices of such goods up to the point of profit. Now if the policy of a protective tariff be the correct policy of the government, it would seem that justice would demand that all classes of citizens be treated alike; that is, the tariff should be so adjusted as to give all an equal share in the benefits. If this be impossible, then there is something wrong with the system; if it be possible and be not done, then there is something wrong with the law or with its execution. But even were it possible to adjust a protective tariff so as to be perfectly equal in its bearing upon all citizens of the republic, it would not be a Christian policy as long as it was “without any regard to the welfare of the rest of the world.” This fact precludes the possibility of a protective tariff being a Christian policy at all, for the reason that it must have reference to other nations, and must be detrimental to the interest of those nations if especially beneficial to our own. We are not assuming to say whether or not the protective tariff system is impolitic on the part of the government; but we do assume that if it be for our interest, as against the interest of our neighbor nations, it is not Christian. Therefore, as it is the work of the officials of the nation to advance the interests of the nation, without any regard to the welfare of other nations, their work can not be Christian work. And we know how some of our Presidents, and some of our Congressmen and foreign representatives, have at times been berated, even by clergymen and the religious press, for taking positions alleged to be in the interest of foreign governments and detrimental to our own. Thus it is clearly demonstrated that no nation in this sinful world can be in any sense a Christian nation. In order to stand at all among the nations of worldly, self-seeking people of earth, any nation must stand for self, and advocate its own selfish interests as against the interests of all others. This Christ did not do; this the Christian can not do; therefore Christ said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” and therefore any nation or kingdom that is of this world can not be a “Christian nation.” Then what have the professed Christian ministers of Philadelphia, or any other professed Christian minister, to do with advocating a protective tariff of any character, or with advocating any other policy of the government? It is the legitimate business of the Gospel minister to look after the interests of the kingdom of Christ, rather than to “see that the republic receive no harm.” It is his province to look to the interests of the individual souls in the republic, and wherever else he may be called, that they receive the invitation and the fitting to become citizens of the everlasting kingdom. “Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the Gospel.” W. N. G.