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10 (178) T H E P
EUROPEANIZING AMERICA. t
It is a singular fact that there are in Boston I
alone as many as twenty-eight publications, r
newspapers and periodicals, in languages other s
than the English. In contrast with this is the 1
fact that in London, vastly larger and far more i
cosmopolitan, there arc no such publications ex- 1
cept a meagre number of extreme socialistic ten- i
dency. One of the reasons assigned, in a recent
gathering of editors, for this most remarkable
fact in America, is that our American papers in
English are so provincial that they neglect foreign
news. The basis of the fact, then, is the
desire of the foreigners who come to our shores
to cling to the language, associations, and life
of the lands which they have left. Thev wish to (
be kent in connection with the old while they i
use the new far their profit. They wish to get |
all the benefit of the activity and prosperity and |
personal freedom ot' our land, but to hold on to
the spirit of that from which they have come.
There is wanting the true basis of patriotism. It
is with many of them more than a mere sentiment.
their attachment to their fatherland. If
they could they would make of this country a
mere colony, or, ns the "cardinal archbishop'*
of Boston lately put it when he returned from
Rome wearing a red cap as a "prince," they
would have this land a "province" of a government
over the seas. Nothing has prevented a
more pronounced movement in that direction but
the fact that these people of foreign spirit and
conviction have come from so many lands that
their foreign allegiance is divided to such degree
that they cannot unite on one policy or
line to have their way.
Ju??t here is the real menace of Rome to our
American institutions. Enough might he
brought together, and but for the common-sense,
love of liberty, and patriotism of a great mass of
them, enough of those who declare that their
first ?llr*rrinnpf? ia til Rnmi> wniiM Via hmnffVlt to
pother to make Rome and Roman ideas dominant
in this land. The hierarchy and priesthood
would do this if they could. They would bring
about the restoration of the temporal power of
the pope and would then subject every land to
that secular ruler.
The time may come when America will of
necessity follow the example of other countries.
Many of the latter resort to every means practicable
to unify their people, to secure such a
solidarity that nothing can break it or break
into it, to fuse their people into such a homogeneous
mass that they will be one. The required
use of their own language, the maintenance
of schools of the highest class as well as those
that are elementary, the enforced military service.
and the general paternalism of the govern
raent, arc among tne most common means in
nse. The ease with which outsiders may become
naturalized here and thns become invested with
every privilege of citizenship is not paralleled in
any other government under the sun. It may
have been wise once, when the country was forming.
and when it was the refuge of oppressed
people of other nations, but it needs marked restrictions
now that the mass of the incomers
are moved by a different purpose and come merely
for gaiD and retaining in vast numbers the
old allegiance.
A beginning has been made in the enactment
or more rigid immigration laws, the exclusion of
certain classes of any nationality, the shutting
out of the hordes from the Far East, and the
rigid examination as to health and means of
support of those who seek admission. If our
country would preserve its peculiar institutions
it must apply these lawn with great care and
enact even more. Esneeiallv should it crnand
* .
acainst the throating into our affair* and laws
of principle* and hahit* and title* which tend
RESBYTERIAN OF THE 8C
u prcncrrc tue iu reign inuui'iice huu seuinueiiu
t should not allow itself to interfere with the
eligion of these foreigners who come to its
bores. But neither should it allow their reigion,
or their opposition to our institutions
mder the guise of religion, to interfere with its
aws and principles. If the State, for instance,
irononncw a marriage legal, and regulates all
A. _ !i. At. .1 C? A- A.. -_1 1 J w- ^11
dju, pertains 10 it, mat oiaie suouiu uwiare ??i
hose to be in contempt o-f its laws who even
jnder the name of religion offend decency and
the law as well by *eaehing and proclaiming that
there is no marriage outside the church and that
all who are united outside the church are living
in legalized concubinage only and that their
children are illegitimate. And even such rhetorical
rhodomontade as the Boston cardinal's
should subject its utterer to the penalty of law
as suspicious and dangerous.
SOME CHURCH STATISTICS.
Dr. TT. K. Carroll's statistics for 1912 have
appeared. They are regarded as the most reliable
to be bad. Dr. Carroll was for many years
the government's statistician. lie gives last
year'8 figures in the New York Christian
Advocate. The report shows that in all the
denominations in the United States there were,
in 1012, 174.896 ministers, 220.814 churches,
and 36,675.537 communicants. Of the latter the
Roman Catholics had 12.907.189. the Methodists
6,905 095, the Baptists 5.894,232. the Lutherans
2.353.232. the Presbyterians 1,981,949. the Disciples
1,340,887, the Episcopalians 980.851. The
Reformed Churches' numbers, 459,106, should
be counted in the Presbyterian list, making the
latter 2.441,055.
The statistics of the Baptists are, we think,
very little to be depended upon. In our efforts
to obtain figures from them we have found that
their numbers are in many c?s<-s little more than
"estimates." So also with the Roman Catholics.
They number altogether hy "souls," that is, persons
baptized in their church, and to some extent
by families. For comparative purposes the
TT !a. J n AflC-. 1 11_ J 3 &
unnea OMii.es census v/inue mis usuiiuy ue'iucied
fifteen per cent, from the reported Roman
Catholic "population*' for baptized children
who have not heen confirmed. A deduction of
thirty-five per cent, would probably bring the
statistics into a fairer comparison. So also the
1/ntheran bodies are doubtless largely overestimated.
Their reported numbers and their
actual communicants are, we know, in many
eases far apart.
A most interesting feature of Dr. Carroll's
renort is in respect to the Christian Scientists.
Their membership, counted by themselves generally
at a million or more, are only 85,006, of
which some 20,000 or more are said to be conn ted
twice, throucrh a don hie me.nhership in the
"Mother Church." The report indicates n loss
to them in 1912 of 152 ministers and 76 churches.
An exchange rightly says that those who acquire
power by violence will not be apt to use that
power to promote the arts of peace. The suffragettes
of England are making very poor preparation,
even if tliey succeed in their present
efforts, to wield authority or power. Smashing
windows, spoiling botanical gardens and their
rare plants, destroying the people's mail in the
letter boxes, and trying to crack the heads of all
who are suspected as opposing them, is a very
-.1 1* ? ? -
poor Bcnoonng tor xne responsibilities of the
franchise or the enjoyment of any form of equal
rights.
Paltienee and strength are what we need; and
earnest use of what we have now; and all the
time an earnest discontent until we oome to
what we ought- to he.
> U T H [February 26, 1913
AN OVER-CONVENTION CHURCH.
Recently the miuisters of Atlanta Presbytery
and the Synod of Georgia have been called upon
to attend three Conferences in one month. "Wo
liri>Slim(> (tip Mmp lino Kwn tnio nf nthop Qvnrut*
arid Presbyteries. The question arises, if this is
not too much attention to what ought to be the
unusual thing?
The -whole country, political, social, and religious
has the disease of conventionitis in on
aggravated way.
Nothing can come up, no section of our country
be in the limelight, no question arise, bnt we
must have a convention on the subject. The
mi 3 v 1 i . # - *
-unuu grows. 1 ne neiignts 01 one convention
have no sooner passed away, than we feel the
need of another stimulant, and that which ought
to be given and taken in extreme cases becomes
our daily necessity. It becomes a kind of intellectual
and religious dissipation. Then do we
aa a Church need ao many conventions?
There are four assemblages of Presbyterian
Church Courts every year. Two meetings of
Presbytery, one of the Synod and one of the
General Assembly. The Session is required to
meet fonr times a year, and tbe congregation
from 52 to 156 times during the same period.
It would seem that here was opportunity
enough for conference on the affaira of the
Kinirdom.
It is true all cannot lift up their voices in all
these eourta and meetings, but all can speak out
n some of them.
May not the very important subjects, considered
in these extra bodies, be discussed with the
same effect in th^e conrts of ours*
In fact thcv have somewhat overlaid the
Courts of the Church. so that we hear more of a
Conference than of the Presbytery, more of the
Convention than we do of the General Assembly.
We have noted with great regret that many
who are to the front and even the risk of
bpcomiDg "platform sitters," are seldom seen at
Presbytery, or merely flit in and flit out.
Is it not time we were working the old-time
and God-made machinery of our Church Courts
more? Every great subject and worthy
handled in Presbytery, Synod or General Assembly,
and transmitted to the congregation by
1j ai._ ?j? * ? -
I^aniui anu C1UCI, kuuhi 111 ull* eilU rCBCn 1ST
more people. After all, is it not the daily, and
seemingly hum-drum work of the pastor as aided
hv an earnest Session that tells on th<? spiritual
life an<l benevolences of a congregation t
Are we not running off after inspiration from
.somebody else, when what we neod is perspiration
in the never-ending work of the congregation'
Are we not seeking onr information, ready
made and pepsinized, when we ought to dig it
out ourselves and get up an appetite for it by
hard work at hornet
The wnrlrl in nnt imintv 1?? ....
?v< g-M.ifk IU uv >ni u T CUIImittee
meetings, conferences and conventions,
bnt by down-right. persistent and patient personal
work. Jesus Christ went up to only a few
Feasts, and those w<ere God-appointed. Ilis
most effective work was with individuals.
The danger is, we may fail to do the lowly
work in humble places, and spend precious time
and energy in grpat gatherings that do not tell
i directly on the progress of the Kingdom.
[ One minister complained some time ago that
his benevolences had gone to pieces this year;
another reorrpftprt thn* ?
D- ...... kuvi c IC n auuiiMtlus
to his church; both had been called to the numberless
conferences of our Church.
We plead for a rest from conferences for a
I year or two. Let na try the old-fashioned
i Courts of the Iiord's Tlouse, and if they hare
i fallen into rots, and lost their power, we will
ask some of the bright, and capable workers-op
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