Newspaper Page Text
The Presbyterian
Vol. 96. No. 16. RICHMOND, VA.
STRIKES are always bad in some features,
and sometimes they are all bad. Though
they are ever increasing in the number of people
directly concerned, one of the noticeable facts
connected with them is that they are conducted
in a far more orderly way than they were a few
years ago. It has not been long since it was
expected, as soon as a strike was declared, that
there would begin at once a period of disorder
for which the strikers or their sympathizers
would be responsible, and in which there would
lie destruction of property and often of life.
Probably the most gigantic strike ever known
in this country is now in progress. It is claimed
by the leaders of the labor unions that there are
now 065,000 coal miners on strike, chiefly in
live States. We do not claim to know enough
of the merits of the case to pass judgment on the
justification of the strike. But we do want to
commend both sides for the orderly way in
which it has been conducted. At the time of
this writing, two weeks after the strike began,
there has been practically no disorder of any
kind. If both sides will just adopt the prin
ciples of the Saviour's Golden Rule, it will
not be hard to settle this strike, nor would it be
difficult to prevent another. Abraham applied
this principle, when he said to Lot, "We be
brethren."
EVOLUTION is attracting much attention
today. The great soul destroying element of
this doctrine as taught by most of its advocates
is that it practically denies the existence of an
infinite and all-wise God. It at least takes Him
out of creation, except it may be to allow Him
to create the first form of life. Then life and
matter develop themselves, until they reach the
high state of present development . No doubt
this doctrine is gaining adherents, especially in
our educational institutions, but the fear that
this false and unscriptural doctrine shall over
come the truth is not well founded. It is being
shown up in its true character by Hon. William
Jennings Bryan and other men of ability, and it
cannot stand the light that is being turned on
it. Like some slimy worm that inhabits the
darkness scurries off to cover as soon as a light
is turned upon it, so when the light of God's
truth is turned upon it it will soon vanish away.
However while the light is being turned on
souls are being destroyed or are being imper
illed. Wherever this doctrine is being taught,
(lod's people should put forth every possible ef
fort to flood all our educational institutions and
all our homes with the light of truth as it comes
to us from God.
? ' <
CLEANLINESS is next to godliness, says
the Mohammedan Koran. One of the
strange things is to see an uncleanly Christian.
Such a man or woman will not attract any one,
?r produce in him a desire to follow in his foot
steps. Naturally there are certain kinds of work
which one cannot keep hand and face and
clothes clean, but when the work is over water
and soap should be used as soon as pos
^>ble, and his soiled clothes should be laid aside.
' lie man who. comes home at night from his
^ork and keeps on his soiled clothes cannot ex
pect his wife to be much concerned alnuit the
^av the house looks, and tlie woman who does
not keep her house neat has no right to expect
the husband to be careful about his appearance.
If the house is not attractive there will be little
inducement for father or children to stay at
home. They need the influence of the home and
a clean home, however plain its furnishings, will
do much for them. It will keep them from go
ing elsewhere to seek for what they do not find
at home, and thus they will be saved from many
of the temptations, which ruin so many men
and children.
TO ICHMOND PRESBYTERIANS are ral
lying finely to the support of the Synod's
Educational Campaign. A wonderful organiza
tion, consisting of about 375 workers, has been
completed and put to work. The meetings of
these workers have been very largely attended
and they are enthusiastic in their work. The
campaign is now fully under way and will be
completed on next Monday. It is confidently
expected that Richmond will do its full share
and give the $250,000 asked for to complete the
$1,000,000 fund being raised for Hampden
Sidney College, Union Theological Seminary,
HOPE.
? By Mrs. Mary Payne Garnett.
Disappointments fill our life,
But hope eternal springs,
And man will ever strive again,
While in his breaat it sings.
Our hopes perhaps are blighted ?
Hopes sometimes are, you know ?
We catch the threads and weave again,
Because God made us so.
Discouragement may be our lot,
Yet, if with every deed
"We trust in Him. our life revives.
Because God sees our need.
Then, if our hopes are blighted ?
Hopes sometimes are, you know ?
We'll catch life's threads and weave again,
Thank God, He made us so!
Brownwood, Texas.
the Assembly's Training School and the Synod's
Orphans' Home. This will mean a great deal
for these institutions, which are doing such fine
work in Christian education.
CHURCH REPORTS are sometimes con
sidered uninteresting reading. This is due
to a lack of anything in the report that is worth
while or else to indifference on the part of him
who reads the report or hears it read. Last
week we attended the midweek service at Grace
Covenant Church in this city. It was known
that the pastor was absent and that the reports
of the church were to be read, and that this
would take up practically all of the service.
Yet there was a large congregation present. The
meeting was in charge of two elders. First the
reports to be sent to Presbytery were read and
they were listened to with a great deal of in
terest, because they showed that the church had
done good work during the past year. Then
each organization of the church made a more
detailed report of its own peculiar activities.
These reports, especially those made by the
A ^oples organizations were sprightly
written and well read by the representatives of
these organizations. The result was that the
congregation learned more about what t^e
church was doing and went away feeling that
it was well to belong to a church that was doing
such fine work. Every member of a church
ought to be informed of all of the church's
work.
1
BEGGARS in China constitute a professional
cla.s8, and they have their guilds or unions.
The beggars in this country may not have
readied the organized state, but it is reported
from many cities that the professional beggars
are increasing very much, in numbers, in per
sistence and in the success of their efforts.
A! any of these beggars are not in need, but they
l)eg, because it is easier to get money in that way
than to get it honestly. It is said that in some
sections of New York a beggar will collect as
much as from $3 to $5 an hour. Some of thein
are said to have comfortable country homes,
where they manage to live without letting their
neighbors know what is the source of their in
come. Other cities all over this country are
afflicted in similar ways. These professional beg
gars with their lying stories ought not to be al
lowed to impose upon a kind hearted public.
If those who beg are really in need, they ought
not be so humiliated as to have to go on the
street to beg, but they oughA *o be provided for
either by the Church or by the city government.
A beggar on the street is a disgrace to any city.
BACK to the Bible is one of the new move
ments that is much to be commended.
Some Christian men in Ohio a little more than
two years ago began to feel that something
ought to be done to get people to read the Bible
more than most people were reading it They
decided that this could be done through the
secular press. The plan adopted is to select a
verse or two for each day and furnish them to
the daily pajjers, which will agree to publish
them under suitable headings. The movement
has been so successful that at last reports they
were being published in 871 papers in thia
country, 26 in Canada, 2 in Hawai, 2 in Alaska
and 1 in the Virgin Islands. The combined
circulation of these papers is more than 10,000,
000. No doubt many people are reading these
verses every day. It is sowing the seed broad
cast, but there is God's promise, "My word shall
not, return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which I please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto I sent it."
AUSTRIA is said to be about as badly off
financially and economically as any coun
try in the world. This is not surprising, when
we are told that the people of that country last
year spent $6,220,000,000 for liquor. Consid
ering the fact that Austria is now such a small
country and that its population has been so
greatly reduced by the division of its territory,
this enormous outlay for liquor seems incon
ceivable. What hope there can be for the coun
try under such conditions it is hard to imagine.
What a blessing prohibition would be so that
all this wasted wealth might be turned to use
ful purposes.