Side Bars – Who We Are – The Name – Christian, not Conservative – A 19th Century Christian Theologian’s Comments on Secular Conservatism – Get a Political Tax Credit – G. K. Chesterton on the Political Right and Left of His Times

Ballot Recommendations Summary Measure 39 Measure 40 Measure 41 Measure 42 Measure 43 Measure 44 Measure 45 Measure 46 Measure 47 Measure 48

Answering the Opposition – Talking About Same-Sex Marriage

A 19th Century Christian Theologian’s Comments on Secular Conservatism

"This is a party which never conserves anything. Its history has been that it demurs to each aggression of the progressive party, and aims to save its credit by a respectable amount of growling, but always acquiesces at last in the innovation. What was the resisted novelty of yesterday is today one of the accepted principles of conservatism; it is now conservative only in affecting to resist the next innovation, which will tomorrow be forced upon its timidity and will be succeeded by some third revolution to be denounced and then adopted in its turn.

"American conservatism is merely the shadow that follows radicalism as it moves forward towards perdition. It remains behind it, but never retards it, and always advances near its leader. This pretended salt hath utterly lost its savor: wherewith shall it be salted? Its impotency is not hard, indeed, to explain. It is worthless because it is the conservatism of expediency only, and not of sturdy principle. It intends to risk nothing serious for the sake of the truth, and has no idea of being guilty of the folly of martyrdom.

"It always - when about to enter a protest - very blandly informs the wild beast whose path it essays to stop, that “its bark is worse than its bite” and that it only means to save its manners by enacting its decent role of resistance. The only practical purpose which it now subserves in American politics is to give enough exercise to radicalism to keep it “in wind,” and to prevent it’s becoming pursy and lazy from having nothing to whip.

"No doubt, after a few years, when women’s suffrage shall have become an accomplished fact, conservatism will tacitly admit to this creed, and thenceforward plume itself upon its wise firmness in opposing with similar weapons the extreme of baby suffrage; and when that too shall have been won, it will be heard declaring that the integrity of the American Constitution requires at least the refusal of suffrage to asses. There it will assume, with great dignity, its final position."

R. L. Dabney, Discussions, Vol. 4

NOTE – One need not agree with Dabney’s position on women’s suffrage to see that his take on the drift of conservatism without Christianity is right on the money: all sail and no anchor.

This voters' guide produced by Parents Education Association, PAC.