The Christian as a Citizen
A local minister argues that true civic virtue requires separating municipal politics from national party machines.
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Rev. Austin Rice discussed the 'Christian as a Citizen' in a recent sermon. He argued that the first duty of a citizen is to feel genuine pride in his community. He urged voters to 'divorce the city from state or national politics,' arguing that a street commissioner should be judged on their ability to make good streets, not their stance on national tariffs. He criticized the 'Machine' for interweaving favors with better citizens, noting that 'non-partisan, non-machine good government will never come in our cities until you as a servant of God learn to put the best interests of the city first.'
“What possible difference can it make to this city whether its street commissioner is a believer in a high or a low tariff?”
The turn-of-the-century struggle against political machines and the push for non-partisan local government echoes current debates in Washington about the influence of national political polarization on local school board and council elections.
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