The Christian index. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1872-1881, January 20, 1881, Image 5

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The Christian Index. BY JAS. P. HARRISON & CO. The-Christian Index. Publication Rooms, 27 and 29 S. Broad, St. (Secular Editorials. Upwards of nine thousand billshave been introduced in the Senate and House of th^^ Congress. The Berlin police have discovered a new secret organization of Socialists, extending over the whole of Germany. ♦ Rev. A. J. Harvey has been called to the pastorate of the Baptist church at Leesburg, Oglethorpe county, and has entered upon his duties. Western & Atlantic R. R.—We direct attention to the “Special Notice” of the Western & Atlantic Railroad in reference to the new rates of fare. The consumption of beer in this country, last year amounted to 414,- 000,000 gallons, or 8-28 gallons per capita, at a total cost of $375,000,000, or 4| times as much as the cost of pub lic education. Populous cities are monsters that destroy life rather than nourish it. In the city of New York, for the year 1880, there were 31,866 deaths and only 27,556 births. Two-fifths of the deaths are among children under live years of age. A general prohibition law is growing in favor in all sections of North Caro lina. Halifax and Chatham counties, through their boards of county com missioners, have already refused to grant any more licenses for retailing liquors. The total population of the State of Florida, according to the census re turns, is 266,566. Os this number 134,951 are males, 131,625 females, 256,891 native and 9,695 foreign born; 141,249 white and 125,317 col ored. Governor Jarvis, of North Carolina, in his message to the Legislature said the colored race, he is glad to see, are becoming more industrious and thrifty and that he regards it an imperative duty for the whites to see full and equitable justice done to the blacks in all things. Select School.—We call the par ticular attention of our readers to the card of the Misses Sergeant and Pra ther, who have established a Select School in this city. Parents desiring the services of first-class teachers in a first-class school, will find it to their interest, and their children’s interest to patronize these ladies Rev. W. W. Montgomery D. D. of Chattanooga has become associate ed itor of the Baptist Reflector, published at Nashville, We read the paper with interest before; we shall read it with more now, and we cordially welcome Bro. Montgomery into the ranks edit orial. We wish the Reflector great success. Home Fertilizer.—We had the pleasure of a call from Mr. Ketchum of Ketchum & Co., Savannah. This well-known firm are agents for Georgia of the “Home Fertilizer,” a very fine, cheap and reliable fertilizer. We re fer our agriculturists to the advertise ment in this number. The firm is a solid and thoroughly reliable one. —We had the pleasure of a call at our office from Rev. J. W. Beck, the popular President of Bowdon College. This college, we are glad to learn, is prospering. See the advertisement in another column. We also had the pleasure of visits from Rev. S. G. Hillyer, D. D., and Dr. Branch (of Cedartown), both of them true and valued friends of The Index. A large box was received and un packed at the White House on No vember 23rd, which was found to con tain a massive desk or writing tabic, a present from Queen Victoria to the President. It is made of live oak, weighs 1,300 pounds, is elaborately carved, and altogether presents a mag nificent specimen of workmanship. Upon a smooth panel is the following inscription: “11. M. S. Resolute, form ing part of the expedition sent in search of Sir John Franklin in 1852, was abandoned in latitude 74,41 deg. north, longitude 101.22 deg. west, on the 15th of May 1854. She was dis covered and extricated in September 1854, in latitude 67 deg. north by Cap tain Buddington, of the United States whaler George Henry. The ship was fitted out, and sent to England as a present to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by the President and people of lheUnited States, as a token of good will and friendship. This table was made from her timbers when she was broken up, and is presented by the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland to the President of the United States, as a memorial of the courtesy and loving kindness which dictated the offer of the gfft of the Resolute.” COALM UAISJT ZA’ AMERICA. This momentous social and political theme is endowed with a startling amount of vitality. It has long ceas ed to be a mere theory, but is, and in creasingly will be, one of the gravest of the great questions of political and social economy confronting our rest less age. This is more especially true of European countries, but from past and present experience it is a ques tion, also, which can not be ignored with safety by the prudent and thoughtful of ourown people. Bishop O'Conner recently delivered a lecture in St. Louis on this subject, and con cluded as follows: Nevertheless, there are very grave dan gers to be apprehended from communism in the United States. In nearly all our great commercial and manufacturing cen tres there are societies either avowedly com munistic or largely under the influence of communistic ideas. They are thoroughly organized and, in some instances, drilled and armed for the struggle they predict, and which, their leaders say, they are determin ed to precipitate between capital and labor, in this country. All the elements of disor der amongst us are in sympathy with them. Our great and ever growing army of tramps would rally to their support in any crisis that might arise. Property owners and law • abiding citizens generally regard them with ever increasing alarm. To withdraw their men from their influence and prevent their gaining absolute political control of our cit ies, large Arms and railroad companies are distributing their factories and shops over the country districts of every State. But the influences these organizations wield at the polls make them courted or feared by our politicians, who cannot be induced to fol low the legislation necessary to avert the evils they may cause at any moment. The destruction of even one of our large cities would be a fearful calamity; yet who will say that it may not be brought about any day by these societies, some of which are to be animated by the very spirit of the Paris commune? It is but three years since Chi cago seemed, for a time, to be at their mer cy, and when, in all probability, it would have been laid in ashes, but for the determi nation of the Irish regiment that had been called out to defend it. The danger for that and other cities is not over. It becomes everyday more and more threatening. And unless proper precautionary measures be taken to avert it, the consequences may be depk rable- Upon the above the Macon Tele graph and Messenger, of the 11th inst., comments as follows: “The way to fight communism in Ameri ca is by absolute equality of burdens and privileges. If it be seen that the property of the rich escapes taxation, or that tax is levied for any other purpose than the sup port of government, that it is imposed for the purpose of bounty to favored classes, while itoppresses the masses, we may antic ipate the growth of communism. But in a country where absolute and transparent equality of burdens and privileges is main tained, and when all are able with ordinary diligence and economy to become property holders, we can defy communism. Nothing, however, is so fatal in its influence as class legislation and partiality in taxation.” Our able contemporary proffers a ready weapon with which to meet and overcome the foe, namely, the main tenance of “absolute and transparent equality of burdens and privileges,” but admits that nothing is so fatal in its influence as “class legislation and partiality in taxation,” evidently hint ing that these iniquitous elements are present with us. In this our contem porary shares the belief of our disting uished statesman, Hon. Alexander H. Stephens, who emphatically denounc es our system of taxation as “iniqui tous,” and as the worst in the world in its effects upon the country, and as the direct cause of the “tramp” trouble. If these direct and indirect arguments be true, in fact and by inference, it follows that we lack our contemporary’s infal lible resource for defying communism, and should at once set about to place this puissant Excalibarsword within reach of our hands. Until this shall have been done, our contemporary’s implied doubt as to our political invul nerability, and the open charge of Mr. Stephens, painfully suggest good rea sons for the apprehensions expressed in Bishop O'Conner’s lecture, and will justify the reproduction of the words of a recent writer on this point: “All that I am forced to admit is, that danger does lie in the supinemas engender ed by an overweening sense of political strength and security, in the face of ondo. ous facts, showing an increasing tendency of the times in the direction of Agrarian is.>i. ’Eternal vigilance is the price of liber ty.’ We must not allow the majestic, con servative elements which nature and the healthy forces of our national life place at our command, to remain quiescent, whilst evil communistic elements, fostered by na tive vice and malevolence, and steadily in creased by an influx of the foreign article, spread themselves insiduously throughout the land. The poison of the cancer must not be allowed to reach the inmost vital parts of the body politic. It will be well to remember, for the good of all concerned, that ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ "The great question of s proper adjust ment of the mutual relations between La- Literature Secular Editorials Current Notes and News. ATLANTA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1881. borand Capital must be allowed to reaca a legitimate solution. The deadly conflict of extremes must be prevented. Law and Common Sense must imperatively command the peace when the spirit of mobocracv is rampant, and the anaconda of Revolution would twine its terrible coils around the cradle of Liberty, to crush it, and the pre cious redeemer of the ages within it, intfe an indistinguishable wreck. "It will require sleepless energy, and a sturdy maintenance of the Right, to c./er come and keep harmless the Satanic, si irit, now tnanife ting itself everywhere.” [Hub nrr's “Modern Communism,” pp. 68 69 ] THE REVISED ENGLISH BIBLE. —Rev. Philip Schaff, D. D., Presi dent of the American Bible Revision Committee, recently delivered an ad dress in the Citadel Square Baptist church, Charleston, 8. C. upon the re vision of the English version of the Bible. The following is a synopsis of Dr. Schaff’s interesting address : “The present movement for revising the English translation of the Bible, the lecturer said, originated ten years ago in the Convocation of Canterbury. It is carried on by two committees, the one British and the other American, co-operating with each other on the same principles and exchanging from time to time the result of their labors. The British committee meets monthly in the Jerusalem chamber of the Deanery of Westminster, London, and the American committee meets monthly in the Bible House at New York. Both committees are composed of eminent Biblical scholars from, all denominations using the present au thorized version of the Bible. The re vision, therefore, will be the joint pro duct of all the Protestant churches of England and America, and is intended to supersede the King James’ version, if the churches adopt it. The object of the revision is not only to retain the idiom ami vocabulary of the authorized version, but to bring it up to the pres ent state of the English language and of biblical scholarship. The chief im provements contemplated will be as follows: First. All obsolete terms which have gone out of use or have changed their meanings will be replaced by in telligible terms. Second, The text will be improved from the oldest and best manuscripts which have been recently discovered and compared with the ancient trans lations and the quotations of the early fathers. Third. Actual errors in translation will be corrected. Fourth. Inaccurate renderings, which arise mostly from an imperfect knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek grammars at the time the present revision was made, will be made ac curate. Ffth. Inconsistencies in the render ing of the same word in various ways will be rectified and uniformity of ren dering will be secured wherever the sense requires it. These inconsisten cies extend also to proper names, such as Timothy and Timotheus, Elijah and Elias, Isaiah and Isias, Miriam and Mary. Where the same person is in tended the rendering will bo made uniform. Hebrew names will be giv en in Hebrew spelling and Greek names in Greek spelling. Sixth. Real differences, which ex isted in the original Bible and which have been obliterated in the prevent version will be restored. Seventh. The Italics which repre sent words and phrases not found in the original will be reduced to the smallest possible number, so that noth ing shall appear in the revised Script ure which does not belong to it. The business of a translator, the commit tees have agreed, is simply to give the best equivalent in idiomatic English for the original Greek and Hebrew without addition, without deduction and without change of any kind, so that the reader may be brought face to face with the original word of God. Eighth. The division of the Bible into chapters and verses, which was made many centuries after the apos tles, and is found to be very injudi cious, will bo supplemented by arrang ing the prose in sections and printing the poetry as poetry according to the laws of Hebrew poetry. One-third of the Old Testament is poetry. The book of Job, Psalms, Proverbs and Prophe sies arc all poetical writings, and if properly arranged and printed will show to much greater advantage, and its beauty, symmetry and rhythm will be better appreciated by the read er. After ton years’ labor, Mr. Schaff says, the committees have completed the New Testament. The Old Testa ment will be completed in two or three years. The New Testament will be printed by the University presses of Oxford and Cambr.dgb in the month of February next. —A petition signed by over four hundnd persons in Eatonton bos been prepared, re questing the County Commissioners of Put* nam to increase the tax for selling liquor in that county to live thousand dollars. NEW BOONS. “Povkrina." An Italian story, translated from the French of M ue- la Princess O Can tacuzicne-Altikro- D. Appleton & Comp , New York, publishers A more graceful, picturesque, pas toral romance we have not read, in many a day, than “Poverina.” Pure diction, pure sentiment, charming de scriptive passages, of life and of land scape, aglow with the light of Italian skies, and filled with its music, are the prominent qualities of the book. —“Progress and Poverty: An Inquiry ins to Hie Cause of Industrial Depressions and of Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth —The Remedy.” By Henry George New York, I>. Appleton & Comp., New York. —A work for thinkers, yet so clear in diction, direct in purpose, and filled with the very marrow of our nineteenth century vitality, that even the casual reader will be attracted by its interest ing statements, and forced, almost against his will, to consider earnestly the author’s theme. The author is unquestionably a deep and logical thinker, terse and original, and possessed of the mastery over a peculiarly lucid and manly style. He is fully able to think originally and to write entertainingly on the very great and potent questions discussed in these pages. The chapters trampling upon ihe doctrine of Malthus are honorable to' any intellect, and are a triumphant re futation of modern skeptics and realists, like Darwin and Tyndall. —From the same publishing house we have received: “The Orthoepist,” a pronouncing manual, containing a bout 3,500 words, including a consider able number of the names of foreign authors, artists, etc., that are often mis pronounced. The author, Alfred Ayres, says, “This little book has been made for the use of those who aim to have their practice in speaking English con form to the most approved orthoepical usage.” It is a valuable little manual, and contains knowledge with which every good writer and speaker should be abso lutely familiar. —The Bible Students’ Cyclopedia; or Aids to Biblical Research. By A. C. Morrow. With an Introduction by Rev. James M. Buckley I). I). Illustrations and Maps. New York. N. Tibbals it Sous, publishers; 37 Park Row. Price $ 1.50. Dr. Buckley’s “Introduction” so clearly explains the purpose and scope of this volume, and withal is in itself of. more than passing interest to all who revere the Bible, and who are an xious to promote the Sabbath-school cause in its highest meaning (as a light giver in the systematic study of the Holy Scriptures), that we cannot do better than to give the preface entire. Dr. Buckley says: “Whether the Word of God is read systematically and for devotional pur poses to so great an extent as in former years may be doubted. There are many indications that it is not. But that it is studied and examined for teaching ! purposes much more generally, that is, by a greater number and with greater attention to details, is believed by those who have the best opportunity to form a correct opinion. The change that has taken place in the methods of Sabbath-school instruction is unques- I tionably very great, and it is, in some respects, a decided improvement. We do not think that every alteration is for the better. Radical changes drop 1 something of real value because it will ; not incorporate with the main prin ciple of the reformation. The present j method of Bible teaching and study I is pre-eminently one of questioning. Every thing that can be known of the Bible, of its mountains, rivers and sens, its minerals and metals, its plants, beasts and fishes, as well as its taber nacle and temples, its prophets, patri archs and apostles, its kings, judges and priests, its singers and players upon instruments, its mighty men and those who were obscure, its women, children and youth, its implements of agricul ture, and its weapons of war, its ar chitecture, music, poetry and oratory, its weights and measures, its geneal ogy and chronology, its civil and ec clesiastical polity, is searched out. Hence there is a great demand for Bible dictionaries, hand books and , cyclopedias, the sale of which is con stantly increasing, the demand for books of this class being the measure of their usefulness and their use. The light of cotemporaneous profane history is ' thrown upon the Bible as never before; I and analogies drawn from other reli gions are employed to assist in the understanding of God's Word. Two things are now recognized; viz, that he who does not understand tiic Bible, does not understand human history, and that lie who knows nothing but the Bible, can not fully understand that. Therefore the Bible, as now taught, not only requires but com municates much collateral knowledge. There is a law of the operation of the mind which has given rise to the uniqu ■ compilation herewith offered to the public, which is this—the philosophy of facts is remembered by many much more easily than the facts themselves. When once the facts are recalled the mind classifies them, and reasoning proceeds spontaneously, or can bo car- ried forward intentionally, with ease. It is well known that many can not recollect dates, and some find difficulty with proper names. Yet without names and dates the vision of history is neb ulous. To refer to a huge work, to read an article of many pages in fine print in order to authenticate a single fact, date or name, when its relation to history or to the unfolding of truth has long been known, is tedious and an unprofitable outlay of time.” The writer then goes on to say that the “Bible Students Cyclopedia” gives an answer to every question of fact which can be asked concerning the his tory, contents and collateral relations of the Bible, the question with its an swer isolated and complete. "BOYCOTTING:' The expression of “Boycotting,” by the force of recent events in distracted Ireland, has become a permanent and very expressive colloquial epithet. It meets the eye in almost every press dispatch,and has become as familiar to the readers of newspapers as the terms “bulldozing” or the South Carolina ex carpet-bagger’s distorted definition of “ostracism,” though “Boycotting” means a far more terrible experience to its victims than was ever realized by the nimble-fingered and rapacious po litical cormorants to whom the former system of social repression was once applied. The Montgomery Advertiser, in reply to a correspondent’s query, gives the following satisfactory definition of the now famous word: The word got its origin from Mr. Boycott, one of the active agents against the land reform movement in Ireland. He was so badly “Boycotted” and so offended withal, that he went before the courts with his injuries and claimed immense damages therefor, but with what success has not yet transpired. The presence of a “Boy cotted” person is not acknowledged by a word, a look, a gesture. Not only is there no intercourse, but no business is directly or indirectly transacted with him. Nobody will buy his grain, his fruit, his garden produce, his horses, cattle, fowls, or anything he has to sell, nobody will sell him a pound of meat, an ounce of flour, a gill of whiskey, or an hour’s work. No one will give or lend him assistance in any way, and no money will tempt a man to ap proach his dwelling. Under such cir cumstances, a “Boycotted” person must stock his house as if he were going on an Arctic cruise, for otherwise,no mat ter how large his bank account, he may starve in the midst of plenty. Even when supplies have been pro cured from a distance he would lead the life of a castaway on some desert island, with the stinging consciousness that, in his case, solitude bore constant witness to the hate and loathing of every human being within reach of eye or ear. In a word, “Boycotting” means much the same sort of compulsory isolation as that to which lepers were subjected in ancient and mt diteval times. In deed, the Irish process is, in some re spects, a harsher one, since, even among the Jews, the kinfolk of a leper were allowed to bring him food and clothing, provided they laid the arti ' cles on the ground at a certain dis tance. It is not at all impossible, on I the other hand, that under the stern | application of the Irish proscriptive I measure some landlords may he made to feel the same pangs of hunger which their tenants have so frequently exper ienced. It is certain that a threat of “Boycotting” is already regarded with 1 peculiar dismay, and that this intpal-' pable engine of coercion has already 1 proved more effective than overt acts of violence and armed resistance. We add to the above the following ■ instance of the attempt to introduce ! this system upon American soil, which we find in the news dispatches: Father Walsh, a Catholic priest of Connecticut, in an address to the Irish people of Hartford the other night, stimulated the organization of a “land league” in that city and proposed to , deal with the New York Herald in this way: “I’ll tell you what to do with that paper—let’s Boycott it.” (Cheers.) He suggested that every Irish Catholic news-dealer who sells the Herald bo 1 avoided in business dealings. It should be remembered that the Herald was the cause, the most liberal contributor to, and the most active pro moter of the “Irish Relief Fund,” whereby hundreds of thousands ot dol lars were distributed to the starving people of Ireland during the late fam ine in that unfortunate country. In the House of Lords the Earl of Beaconsfield declared the accession of the present government had unsettled everything in Europe, Ashland Ireland just at the time when, under the pol icy of its predecessors, pence had been assured. Mr. Gladstone made a lengthy speech defending his government, which, he said, hud entered on a task which might fail, but which would re dound to the happiness and honor of all if it succeeded. ESTABLISHED I 8 21. GEORGIA NEWS. —Columbus will soon have a flourishing public library association. —Miss Maria Randolph left SI,OOO to tha Presbyterian church in Washington. Prof. A. B. Niles lias accepted the posi tion of Principal ot Sam Baily Institute, at Griffin. —There are in Georgia 88,522 colored men who own, by the tax receivers’ returns for their respective counties, 551,199 acres of land. —Macon city council has passed an ordi nance forbidding cows to run at large on tha streets. When will brilliant ami progressive Atlanta do the same wise thing ? —Superintendent Smart, of Indiana, has been studying the public school system at the South. He reports a surprising growth of the system in Georgia and Tennessee. —Mr. W. A. Singleton ha> retired from the editorial management of the Buena Vis ta Argus, and is succeeded by his sous, W. M. Singleton, as editor, and J. W-Singleton, as associate. —The Louise King Association of Savan nah is in a most flourishing condition, and such demand is made for its service that it has a telephone attachment between its Sec retary, Executive Committee, Agent and Attorney. —Dr. E. A. Flewellen, President of the Upson County Railroad, has been tendered the Presidency of the Columbus and Western Railroad, now operating between Opelika and Good water, Alabama, a distance of sixty miles. —The Americus Republican has been shown a mammoth cabbage, which weighed sixteen pounds, and measured forty four inches in circumference after being divested of its surplus leaves. It was raised by Mr. Pink Smith, of Webster county. —The Washington Gazettesays: “A gen tleman in this county wrote to the State Superintendent of Fisheries for five hundred German carp, but was informed that the whole supply now in the United States were obtained from only eighty fish that were brought over a few years ago.” —Mr. Davis, who lives near Rome, a few days ago gave his little son what he supposed was a harmless pistol to clean. While play ing with the pistol he accidentally touched the trigger, causing the discharge of the con tents into the head of an infant who was sitting on the floor, and instant death fol lowed. —Journalism “down South” has peculiar trials to contend with occasionally, for in stance: The Athens (Ga.) Daily Banner was forced to suspend for a week because fuel could not be obtained, and it was impossible for work on the paper to be done without lire. It. at last secured a supply of wood, and on Thursday resumed publication. —The Griffin News congratulates its read ers on the advent of the new year upon the prosperous condition of their city, and the people of that section generally. It says : “There is a line future ahead for Griffin if our people will only make it. The present generation of our citizens can give no better legacy to the next than to .leave them a city throbbing with life, growing in population, wealth and influence.” —A fine department of natural history will be added to the Y. M. Library of Atlan ta, next summer. The museum will consist of over 5 000 well-marked species and varies ties, all in good order, properly named and located. Many of the species are very heav ily duplicated, which makes the collection contain about specimens. It will also contain the finest collection of birds eggs in the Southern States. —The Sparta Ishmaelite says: “There seems to be a misunderstanding on the part of the people of the design and workings of the Geological Department. It is not in tended for the working out of theories ofthe creation, or of determining how and when the different strata of the earth were deposi ted. It is, in a sentence, simply a school in which the people of Georgia may be taught the extent and the location ofthe varied and undeveloped resources of their good old State.”' —We find the following in the Dawson Journal of the Oth inst: "Elder Mathias F. Cowley and Elder John W. Taylor, two Mormon preachers from Salt Lake City Utah, have been, for several weeks past holding freque.it services, and proclaiming the tenets of their faith in the eastern por tion of this county. They have been zeals ously working in behalf of their cause, dis tributing tracts containing their creed, and preaching on Sabbath and during the week. ‘The writer saw one of their tractsand carefully read it over, but did not observe any allusion to polygamy. Thus far we have heard of but one convert to their ministry, and this one is a lady of good family and standing.” —The Columbus Sun says : “For a week or two past there have been large numbers of negroes passing through this city en route to I'exas. Every afternoon the second-class coach of the passenger train front Macon is crowded with them, and frequently to such an extent that a portion are forced to wait for the next train. They say good homes and better wages have been promised them, and this is the only reason assigned for leav ing comfortable quarters in Georgia. The majority of them are from the southwestern part of the State." Commenting upon this fact the editor re marks: "That section is regarded as the very garden spot of cotton culture in our State, The lose of so many good laborers will seriously affect planting interests. These frequent departures should prompt our Leg islature to take some measures to encourage immigration. To neglect this will be an act ol great inconsiderateness, if not superb folly. At present, the colored people are the best laborers the South lias, but will they be a few years ahead? That is a problem to bo solved. heir places must he supplied with other classes, ami what better can be desired than the prudent, industrious German, or kindred nationalities? His thrifiand Indus try are as well established as tlie easy cons tented character of the negro. The latter as a tenant works land to sterility, ami stock for all that is in them ; the foreigner, being more Intelligent, ami with a care lo I Im In - ture, improves the soil as he gathers its pro ductions. The one is u farmer, and acquaint ed with modern discoveries and appliances; the other a mere planter of cotton, supple mented with a little corn.- We should have population to replace that which has re moved, and to secure It inducements should bo offered to the better class of people who have a desire to settle in tho United States. Georgians should bo aroused to the needs of the country, not just now, but in the future. We should awaken to u perception of the means whereby the great West is made to prosper so bounteously. Tho Uouiiiion wealth should take immigration under its fostering cure. People will come if invited and urged, and valuable considerations are ofiered. This is an utilitarian age, and those who cannot appreciate this condition will retrograde.”