MEN MUST PRACTICE POLITICAL SANCTITY
Men Must Practice Political Sanctity Prayer by President Glenn Frank of University, at Opening of Wisconsin Legislature Asks Members to Pni. Princinles First ALMIGHTY GOD, Lord of ail Governments,...
...Save us, in crucial hours of debate, from saying the things that will take when we should be saying the things that are true...
...Save us from making party an end in itself when we should be making it a means to an end...
...May w-o have greater reverence for the truth tlian for the past...
...May we be worthy of the high calling of government...
...Help us to realize that the unborn are part of our constituency, although they have no vote at the polls...
...we ask also for an ever finer insight into the meaning of government that we may be better servants of the men and women who have committed the government of this commonwealth into our hands...
...may the words of our mouths, the meditations of our hearts, and the intent of our measures be acceptable in Thy sight...
...May we know that it profits us nothing to win elections if we lose our courage...
...May we come with clear minds, clean bands, and courageous hearts to the sacrament of public service...
...Almighty God, Lord of ail governments, to whom all hearths are open, and from whom no secrets are hid...
...Save us from thinking about the next election when we should be thinking about the next generation...
...AMEN...
...Save us from dealing in personalities when we should be dealing in principles: Save us from thinking too much about the vote'of majorities when we should be thinking about the virtues of measures...
...Help us to know that the call to oft'we that has brought us here is nothing less than a call to co-operation with Tine in the wise direction of life in this commonwealth...
...Save us from the sins to which we shall be subtly tempted as the calls of parties'and the cries of interests beat upon this seat «f government...
...Give us the insight and grant us the power to lift this business of Government into an adventure that we may with reverence call the politics of God, because by it we shall seek to fashion the life of this commonwealth in the likeness of that City of God which has been the dream of saints and seers for unnumbered centuries...
...Princinles First ALMIGHTY GOD, Lord of ail Governments, help us, in the opening hours of this legislative session, to realize the sanctity of politics...
...Help us to be independent alike of tyrannical majorities and tirading minorities wh^n the truth abides in neither...
...Save us from indulging in catch-words when we should be searching for facts...
...We do not ask mere protection frem these temptations that will surround us in these legislative halls...
...Help us to make party our servant rather than our master...
...Help us to serve the crowd without flattering it and believe in it without bowing to its idolatries...
...May sincerity inspire our motives and science inform our methods...
Vol. 19 • January 1909 • No. 2
