Newspapers / North Carolina Christian Advocate … / Feb. 28, 1900, edition 1 / Page 1
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ESTABLISHED IN 1855. RALEIGH -MIST1AN ADVOCATE. A the North Carolina Conference. ri -bushed Weekly at Raleigh, N. C. rei as .-ecoiid-elass matter in the post-office at Raleigh. Key. T. N. IVEY, D. D., Editor. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. One Year, - $1.50. ! Six Months, Cash in Advance. .75 All ministers of the gospel and wives of deceased -..i'hprs fT.OO. ' ah travelling preachers in the North Carolina Conference, as authorized agents, will receive the paper free. Watch the label. It shows the date up to which r.-r subscription has been paid. Change in label serves as a receipt. When address is ordered changed, both old and "Tn stldne, sure to state whether it is for old or new subscription. Obituaries loO words longr, are inserted free ,f chirsre When they exceed this number one eenf for each word should be paid in ad- vance. Address all letters and make all checks and money orders payable to the RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE. EDITORIAL COTTON MILLS IN NORTH CAROLINA. SB For the last ten years it has been evi- and foliage, steeped in the languor of his dent to the casual observer that North toric association, it is one of the prize Carolina is making rapid strides in in- spots of the United States, and it is a sad dustrial development. This has been es- reflection on our Government that its Es pecially true in the cotton manufactur- toric value has not been recognized in ing industry. For over fifty years North some memorial way. Carolina has had cotton mills, but to-day One reason why Roanoke Island has thev are far more numerous than ever before. Counting those recently organ ized, there are now in the State 224 mills, having 1,649,000 spindles and 28, ?6o looms. The combined capital I reaches $23,000,000. Since January 1st J sixteen new mills have been incorporated I -an average of one every three days. j As the farm lands are valued at only $110,000,000, it will be readily seen J that the cotton mill industry is second in I importance only to the agricultural in- J terests. If the rate of increase during I the past year were to continue for ten j years, the State could no longer be called I an agricultural State. Those who do not live in a mill com- I munity can form only a very slight idea of the good a cotton mill does. The Henrietta Mills, the largest in the State, with a capital of $900,000, has 60,000 spindles, and looms in proportion. Every day they weave over 65,000 yards of :loth enough to cover a road fifteen feet wide for nearly eight miles. The land around the mill, which was worth $10 per acre, is now worth $50, and nearly three thousand people are directly r indirectly supported by the mill. In the same proportion, prosperity has fol- lowed the cotton mill wherever it has gone. The cotton mills in North Caro- lina now use all the cotton grown in the State about 300,000 bales. At 8c. per pound this is valued at $12,000,000, and tins is all it brought before cotton mills Vvere established. Now, however, in the form of cloth and yarn, its value is wubled, and more than doubled. In- ttead of twelve millions, the State now gets thirty millions. It is sometimes asked if there is not danger of rmr rvirrVi"no- tVip. thino- of building too many mills. The answer is, "No, not while we annually import millions of dollars worth of troocls from England." So long- as English spindles can run and make both ends meet, ours can run at a profit. Besides this, the de- mand for cotton goods is rapidly increas- ing. There arp in Ada anrl Africa Snn- 000,000 people who want our goods. As civil - -wm. a... V 11 A. - X M. V W w more urgent. There are in North and South Carolina thousands of looms mak- lng cloth, every yard of which is exported to China. Whil. cM, ie the good work go on. Nothing could , ORGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH. . V please us more than to see two mills where there are nowr but one; and let us all hope that such a condition is not far in the future. A MATTER OF STATE PRIDE. "Father Creecy" of the Elizabeth City Economist is urging Congressman Small to secure an appropriation for the ereetion of a monument on Roanoke Island. The venerable editor is to be highly com mended for his patriotic interest in this enterprise. He has been working to this end for over a generation. We can hardly understand how apprc priations Can be SO easily obtained for other things, when J . ' the chief event in the history of North Carolina, and the spot associated with the event are utterlv ignored bv OUr Govem- ment - Axriadas and Barlowe landed on Roanoke Island years before the Puritans dreamed of leaving Old England. Poets , , . . . and historians go into raptures over Ply- mouth Rock and the ruins of Jamestown. Yet Oil Roanoke Island aie ruins of a fort built by Englishmen, before John Smith ever left his English home. On Roanoke Island was heard the cry of the first Eng lish child born in Ameriea. The island seems almost an enchanted land. Washed on either side by the blue waters of two sounds, adorned with the beauty of flower not received recognition at the hands of the Government is because it has not re ceived recognition at the hands of the people of North Carolina. Our people are very self-depreciative. They exem- plify, to a remarkable degree, the state- ment our Saviour made, that a prophet i not without honor save in his own country. Our people know very little about Roanoke Island. We are afraid that they care less. If Roanoke Island were in New England, it would be the cynosure of the whole world. Why should not our people awaken to the fact that they owe a duty to Roanoke Island? When this is done, it will not be difficult to secure an appropriation from the Gov- ernment. SHELDON'S IDEA. It is not new. The value of a daily religious newspaper has been discussed for a long time. The readers of the Ad- voCATE will remember that we had an editorial on the subject about two years agQ. Mr. Sheldon's idea, however, of mate- rializing the idea is both new and unex- pected: Who would have thought that the management of a great daily news- paper, especially in the "wild and woolly West", would volunteer to let Mr. Shel- don or any other Christian minister, have the use of the plant even for one week, to demonstrate to expectant thousands the wisdom or unwisdom of a religious daily ? Yet the offer has been made and accepted. But is the motive of the Topeka paper good in making .the offer? We do not care to judge in this case, so we will not Lncwpr rlirectiv the auesiion. Yet we will say that the motive, good or bad, would have nothing to do with Mr. Shel- don's conscience or judgment 111 accept ing the offer. The motives of one who gives bread to a starving man has little bearing on the morality of the acceptance What will be the outcome of Mr. bhei Mnn's exneriment? We have not sum I w - I cient foresight to justify us in delivering ecv. Do we believe that the experiment will be success? Yes and no. It will be a fail ure in the way of pleasing the regular rUr of tliP Tnneka secular daily Mr. Sheldon as an editor will not please RALEIGH, N. C, FEBRUARY 28, 1900. them. He will be too tame. The ab sence of the sensational element will make an "aching void." When the Sab bath morning will come, and there be no paper to relieve the tedium of the prayerless, sermonless day, the disgusted subscriber, whose name is legion, will prepare to "settle up and stop." -But in time thousands would take his place. We confidently record cur opinion that the era of the religious daily will date from the week of Mr. Sheldon's experi ment. "So mote it be." THE ADVOCATE AS A WATCHMAN. (by request.) The duties of a watchman in any ca pacity are great and important. So much depends upon his vigilance and the wakefulness of his eye that his position i? one of grave responsibility. If his eve be ever open and he on the alert, immi nent dangers are frequently averted and golden opportunities are grasped. God makes his preachers watchmen, standing 011 the walls of Z1011, to give his flock warning of the approaching wolf. His position gives a more commanding vision and he is to faithfully give notice of all enemies that sweep in view. In a still greater sense, the Advocate is a watch man. While the preacher warns and in structs his hundreds, the Advocate warns and instructs its thousands. This act, with the confidence reposed in its ability and fidelity, makes its measure of responsibility very great, because it gives an influence that looks to an awful account, if improperly or imprudently used. The Advocate must, therefore, be Argus-eyed, looking simultaneously in every direction for the exposure of evil, righting wrongs, correcting errors, and upholding the good. But whom and what is the Advocate to watch, not cap tiously, but fervently and anxiously for the sake of Christ and His kingdom? The preachers that we may not ruin or curtail our influence for good or exert an influence for actual. evil by, riding on Sunday trains, by standing on street corners aud telling dirty, filthy jokes and unreasonable yarns, fit only for the ips of the truly vile; by preaching in cidentally and making the ministry sec ondary to some otheT effort, and making merchandise or the gospel; by being estranged from our brethren, and in prac tice annulling the very principles of charity we claim to be called to preach; by attending occasions under the aus pices of organizations where the devil's sway is unquestioned; by taking undue privileges in the social courtesies of life, and a demeanor which shadows our name and character; by imprudence in making debts and a consequent failure to pay them; by the contraction and practice of habits which have no defense; by refus ing to exemplify the teaching of self sacrifice for the Master's cause; by giving evidence that our hearts are not in our work, and therefore our hands should be out of it; by a failure to be true espistles or representatives of Christ, and instead misrepresentatives of Him. Paintul and detrimental illustrations to the church of each have suggested these thoughts to me. Watch the people that they may be constrained to loyalty to their church and pastor in a ready and cheerful sup port of both; that they may not be swept off their feet by every word or doctrine; that they may keep step with the growth and progress of the church to greater use fulness; that they may luliy appreciate tne connectional idea of the church, whose sons and daughters they are; that they may be impressed to be in their pews at all the services of their church ; that those unable to attend public worship, the shut-ins, may get chunks of wisdom and comfort from the pages to fructify and sweeten their solitude. Watch the ecclesiastical sheep-stealer who, with bland smiles, secret designs and false interpretations, invade the flocks of our fold and entrap the unwary with delusive and deadly fascinations. They are becoming: an abundant commodity. Not having strength enough to impress the world's raw material, they must prey unon the utilized material for the preser vation of their ranks or become a back number. Hence, they go into our Meth odist homes and say to our folks, "You ought to be this, or you would make a good that," etc., ana too ouen succeed in leadino- our sheep astray. Watch the educational interests of our rhnrch and people that they who stand for educational ideas be not misquoted . .. . ,1 V and maligned witnout tne mangner ie cervine a Roland for his Oliver in the exposure of his evil motives and a dis r closure of his malignant spirit. Also, that a political pull be not the potent tactor in the choice of a school for our Methodist boys and girls; that they may not be dragged into the currents of sin and death by attendance upon schools where Christmas and Commencement germans are adopted as innocent forms of pleasure; that piety and purity be so en throned in their hearts and minds as they shall go to our institutions where, first of all, the Christ idea is taught, Methodist schools for our Methodist boys and girls. But, above and beyond all, watch the spirituality of the church. Without spirituality, her multiplied machinery is vain. The engine may have water in the boiler and coal in the furnace, but there is no steam to move her without fire. Just so with our church. She must recognize that it is not by might nor by power, not by great numbers, nor by or ganizations simply, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts. I am free to confess my impression is that the ten dency of the church to-day is to rely on machinery, rather than God. I am glad the day of modern evangelists is gone, and God speed the day when their superficial, hand shaking, clap-trap meth ods have gone with them. Watch, to kindle the flames of love to God and man, and keep them burning on the altars or our people's hearts, and there will be no trouble about Epworth Leagues, Mis sionary Societies, etc., living and flourish ing. May the Advocate be God's watch to kindle revival fires that shall sweep from chafch to church, and charge to charge, until our whole Conference limits shall be ablaze with the glory and power of God. Yours fraternally, J. D. Bundy. Wcldon, N. C. THE RELIGIOUS PAPER. BY REV. I. I,. NASH, D. D. The printing press is the most power ful instrument among men for good or nl. Every great enterprise must have the aid of printer's ink. The world is not slow to use this wonderful power to further its purposes, whatever they may be. Really, "the children of this world are wiser in their generation," in this particular, "than the children of light." They know how to present their cause in the most attractive fashion; and they push their enterprises with a zeal and perseverance that should make the chil dren of God ashamed, or stir them to equal activity. Every business enter prise, has its advocate, and everything of interest to those interested has earnest readers, in these journals, that represent business, science, politics, or what not. There are many Christian people, who have not interest enough in matters of religion, to take and read a religious pa per, who are well supplied with every other kind. The devil makes large use of the w-r- ' I'. m I press, vicious literature is aomg more to corrupt the youth of the land than any other agency: It is appalling to see with what avidity some of the worst publications are read by hundreds of young people. Some of these publica tions are so vile that the pestothee au thorities will not allow them sent through the mails, but in spite of this restriction they find their way into the hands of the young people of the land. There are Christian (?) homes where no religious paper can find egress, where these vile periodicals go, and where they are read with eagerness; aud where a religious journal will not be noticed ! There is no more important work de manding the best energies of preachers and people than the work or putting our religious literature in the hands of the people. But our work is not done when we cir culate our periodicals; we must see to it that there is a revival of religious read ing. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. "And as he reads, so will he think. The tendency of our poor fallen nature is downward, and every step to ward a higher and better life is up hill. It will take line upon line, and precept upon precept, to wake our people up to the importance of reading good books, and good papers. This fight must be kept up, for every generation has to be labored with, and the work is never done. During this month, by resolution of Conference, we have pledged ourselves to make an active canvass for the Ral eigh Christian Advocate, the organ of the North Carolina Conference. Let us do this work more thoroughly than New Series-. Vol. , 2,, No. 4. ever before. It is not enough to make a tentative effort to circulate the paper. We must labor to get our people inter ested in reading good literature. No man can be fully interested in anything about which he knows nothing. If we can get our people to read our church paper, they will soon become interested in what the Church is doing, and then they will help on the great work of the Redeemer's Kingdom. Let us pray, not only for pur editors, and for the success of these rjeriodicals, but that God may give the people a taste for good reading, and displace the bad literature of the land. A good Christian, paper, coming into the home fifty times' a year, freighted with the best thought of the best minds of the Church, and placing the whole church in touch with everything that is being done for the salvation of the world, is one of the cheapest things on the market. The North Carolina Conference acted wisely in setting apart a special month to press this work. The plain duty of every ac tive member of the Church is, to see that every family has the paper, as far as it is possible to accomplish this good work. THE ADVOCATE" AS A FACTOR IN SUC CESSFUL CHURCH WORK. BY R. W. BAIT.EY. I lay down as a basil proposition the truism that a person cannot do a thing successfully until he knows how to do it. This proposition is readily and univer sally granted when applied to the arts, sciences and industries of this vvoild. But it is tco often the case that church wrork is expected to proceed nicely with out purpose, plan, or operation. Well did the Saviour say that the children of this world are wiser than the children of light. I modestly suggest that if the business institutions of j this State were conducted in the same loose, unsyste matic manner current -in too many of our churches, the Bank of England could not long float them. And, bn the other hand, if the church people were as intel ligent aud systema.?:. in church opera tions as are businesi;neh tions, they, too, w(.uld haye large cess. Our people need information. For, however unpleasant the thought, the great mass of people called Methodists, have not a "speaking acquaintance" with the fundamental doctrines of Methodism. They know but little of what our Church is doing in our own or other Conferences. They are largely uninformed as to what she is trying to do; as to what needs to be done, and the prospects of doing it. They do not help because ; they do not know that help is needed. The purpose and needs of the great missionary move ment, intended of Christ to be the domi nating principle of his church; the duty of church members to give support, fi nancial and moral, to the institutions of the church. The fact that; we are God's stewards, simply holding injtrust for Him whatever happens to be in our hands, are little understood by the average church member. The Advocate is a quiet but potent disseminator of just the information needed. It explains, from 'time to time, the cardinal doctrines of ojir Church, in stilling into the hearts 0! our people, making of them stronger church mem bers and better Christians. It broadens the views of ; the people by setting before them the operations of the Christian world, thus aiding them to fall out ot the contracted ruts 01 cnurcn bigotry, and to stand upon khe broad plat form of universal love and courtesy oc cupied by the Savior. It is not argued that the- Advocate is to take the place of the pastor, but that it is to supplement the work of the pastor. The stationed preacher who goes into the house of his flock once a month, and spends fifteen minutes at each visit would, ordinarily be called a fine worker. And if the circuit preacher, with six or eight appointments, visits his mjembers once in a year, he does well. But the Advocate may go into each home every week as an associate pastor. My observation teaches me that, as a rule, the Methodists who read the Advo cate are the Methodists thai can be re lied on to do the work of the church, in the different departments and in a meth odistic manner. The business and political organiza tions of the world all have their organs, and all recognize their value, and liter erally flood the land with publications setting forth their claims. ' Go and do thou likewise."
North Carolina Christian Advocate (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Feb. 28, 1900, edition 1
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