Newspaper Page Text
The Presbyteriatfcicljhe South
Vol. 96. No. 27. RICHMOND, VA.
July 5, 1922.
CANADIAN Presbyterians, at least some
of them, seem to be trying to follow the
example set a few years ago by one of the Pres
byteries in the Northern Church. At the re
cent meeting of the Canadian General Assem
bly, we see it reported, quite an animated de
bate was engaged in on the question of ordain
ing women to the ministry. We are glad to see
that this unscriptural proposition was defeated.
The question of union with the Methodist and
Congregational Churches again occupied the at
tention of the Assembly. But no conclusion
was reached, and the committee in charge of the
matter was continued with instructions to re
port next year on the legal questions involved.
The great majority of the Assembly seemed to
be in favor of the union, but the opposition is
real and will probably cause a good deal of dis
cussion yet.
CHURCH building is going on at a great
rate, especially in the South. According
to the Manufacturers' Record of Baltimore,
new churches to cost more than $25,000,000
:ire now being built in the Southern States.
This shows that the South is prosperous, not
withstanding the cry of certain pessimists who
talk hard times and predict that the country
will soon reach the verge of ruin. It shows also
that God's people are contributing more lib
erally than ever to the service of God. And
further, this is an evidence of growth in the
churches. The Church that is not growing in
numbers or activity or both is not likely to put
up a new building. It also means that build
ings are being erected for new churches just
organized. It is very gratifying indeed to see
Cod's people consecrating so much of their
wealth to His service in this way, and especially
as this is only one of the ways in which they
are giving into the treasury of the Lord for the
advancement of His work.
VACATIONS are beginning. What are
they for and how are they to be spent?
When a man or woman has been working hard
all the year a period of rest is needed. Some
people get the rest they need by stopping their
work and staying at home. Bnt most people
want to get away from home for their vacation.
Ordinarily this is better. Most people need a
change more than . they do mere bodily rest
Some people make the mistake of rushing
tli rough their vacation, spending most of it in
tfoing from place to place, with the result that
they return home worn out in body, even though
they may have much of change. For most peo
ple, the best plan is to go to some place that has
w?ne natural attractions or something of spe
cial interest, where there is the prospect of
nioeting friends or of making congenial ac
quaintances. There should be opportunity for
f'iitdoor exercise of some congenial kind. And
there should also be provision made for some
Cental entertainment and improvement. The
inferences to be held in many parts of our
0f>'intry during the next two months offer the
n>ost delightful ways in which to spend a vaca
tion. Those conducted under the auspices of
Sf>me branch of the Church are especially at
tractive. Besides providing for physical and
n>ontal recreation, they also provide rich feasts
spiritual things. One or more of these con
ferences will be held in almost every Synod of
our Church, and then there is Montreat repre
senting the whole Church. Located in the
beautiful North Carolina Land of the Sky, it
is beautiful for situation and offers many op
poi*tunities for rest and recreation. The pro
grams provided there are made up of addresses,
sermons and teaching by many of the ablest
men of this country. And many feel that the
best part of Montrcat is the genial fellowship to
be found there among the choice spirit that
gather from all parts of our Church. Every
one who can do so should arrange to spend at
least a part of his vaeation at one of these con
ferences.
ABOR strikes of gigantic size have been in
force in this country some time, and others
may be declared before this paper reaches its
readers. As to the merits of any particular
strike, we have nothing to say. We have been
struck with the orderly way in which strikes
have been conducted recently, with a few de
plorable exceptions. Labor, as a rule, has been
quiet and well behaved. The employers have
been considerate and have done little to arouse
the employes to animosity. The public has
been patient, considerate, and long-suffering.
If these conditions continue and both sides shall
put more fully into practice the golden rule of
our Saviour there will be less of friction and
soon all the cause of friction will be removed
and the country will shortly launch out on such
a period of prosperity, as it has never known
before. Let us all pray earnestly for this
happy consummation of our desires.
Representatives of the Young
Men's Christian Association from all
parts of this country and Canada recently met
at Lakehurst, N. J., to consider what can best
be done to emphasize more the religious work
of the Association. There is a very general
feeling that this should be done, and if it is
done the Association will receive a far more
cordial support than it sometimes receives. It
will get back closer to the ideals upon which
it was founded, and it will accomplish greater
things for the Master and for mankind.
IIICAGO frequently does remarkable
things. The latest that we have seen re
ported is the appointment by the mayor of the
citv of a pastor of a Methodist church as Law
Enforcement Commissioner. It seems that his
duty will be to see that the officials of the city
keep and enforce the law. Two questions have
been raised as to this appointment. One is,
why should such an office be necessary? And
the other is, if such an office is necessary, why
should a preacher be appointed? The answer
to the first is evidently that the mayor thinks
the officers of the law are not faithful in the
performance of their duty, and that he, with
all the other calls uuon his time and attention,
as mayor of a great city, cannot give the close
supervision needed to see that time serving
men are made to perform faithfully the duties
of their offices. The second question is an
swered by one of the big daily newspapers. It
says that the difficulty that presented itself to
the mayor in filling this office was to find a
man who was big enough for the job, who
would be willing to undertake it, and who
would not be controlled by political influence.
We know nothing of tlio man who was selected
by the mayor, but we consider his action as a
great compliment to the ministry. lie be
lieved that if a minister undertook tho work,
he would do so for the good of the city and not
for any personal aggrandizement. Ho also be
lieved that the minister would do the work
honestly and fearlessly and would not, as many
a politician has done, sell favors to those who
would pay for them in money or in }>olitical
influence. It is a great pity that there are not
more men of ability in our country who are will
ing to make a sufficient sacrifice to take impor
tant offices in goverment and administer them
honestly without fear or favor.
BOOTLEGGERS continue to do their nefar
ious work. It seems strange that this the
case, when it is remembered that the vast ma
jority of the liquor which they sell is more or
less poisonous. This does not refer to the poi
son that is inherent in all alcohol. The U. S.
Government recently secured through regular
bootleg channels 34 specimens of various kinds
of liquors. These were analyzed in the Gov
ernment lal)oratory in Washington, and it was
found that all but two of them contained poi
sonous elements, due either to adulteration or
crudeness in manufacture. The man therefore
who drinks this liquor stands just one chance
in seventeen of not being poisoned. The poisons
contained in this liquor are said to be of vary
ing kinds and of different degrees of strength,
but all will do injury and eventually cause
death. Is it true that self-preservation is the
first law of nature?
INTEREST in the Bible is greater and
more general today than ever before, not
withstanding the fact that the attacks upon it
are very numerous and very insiduous. There
have been prophets of evil in past generations
who said tliat the Bible would soon be an un
known book, and there are some people today
who arc foolish enough to say that the Bible is
an out-of-date book, which very few people care
for. But the facts are dead against all such
croakers. The circulation of the Bible is in
creasing by leaps and bounds, and it is being
given to the world in ways that would not have
l?een dreamed of a few years ago. The Bible
will be broadcasted by the Westinghouse Com
pany from their Radio Broadcasting Station in
Newark, N. J., according to a statement just
issued by the American Bible Society. Daily
readings are scheduled for broadcasting begin
ning Sunday, June 11th, from selections made
bv P. Whitwell Wilson, author of "Tlve Christ
We Forget" and other religious books, and cor
respondent for the London Daily News. "This
is only one of many instances of renewed inter
est in the Bible," said Frank IT. Mann, Gen
eral Secretary of the American Bible Society,
in commenting on this new program. "A west
em newspaper is publishing the Bible in serial
form. An organization in Cincinnati is fur
nishing Bible verses, which are now used daily
in hundreds of newspapers throughout the
country. These nil supplement 4he work of
the American Bible Society which distributes
annually nearly 5,000,000 copies of the Scrip
tures in 150 languages and dialects."