ORGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, M. E CHURCH, SOUTH
Established in
RALEIGH, N. C, MARCH 16, 1899.
New Series. Vol. l, No. 4.
i:,
RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
Organ of the North Carolina Conference.
Purus:iBD at Raleigh, N. C.
Entered as second-class matter in the post-office at Raleigh.
T.N. IVEY, . .
N. M. WATSON,
Editou.
Business Manager.
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EbitodaL
As an answer to many of the questions
of life which have never been answered,
we may reverently write the word God.
"The new man in the stirrups the old
man with the bit in 'his mouth." This is
the Divine order rudely but clearly in
terpreted. Christ stands for something else than
strength in the hour of darkness and
death. He came that we might have life,
and that more abundantly.
A certain editor did well to write his
editorial caption "After the Revival
Meetings." There can be no "After" to
a revival. A revival never ends. It goes
on as a river.
With what complacent fortitude we
bear those troubles which we can lay at
our own door! What a temptation there
is to reproach God when we have trou
bles for which we are not responsible ! If
you wish to see how God regards this for
titude an'd reproachful spirit, read I.
Peter, 2:20.
You sav that you do not believe in a
''hand-shaking" religion. Well, we do.
;We believe in that religion which can
forgive an injury and can cause alienated
bretheren to "shake" hands again in
brotherly love. When you see a "hand
shaking" religion of this kind, you may
know that it is genuine.
We believe that it was Rowland Hill
who said in substance: "I can afford in
preaching to leave my subject, if I can
only stick to my object calling sinners
to repentance." There is a whole sermon
in this. "Sticking to the object" com
pensates for a thousand lapses in formal
homiletics. But it is bad in a discourse to
abandon both "subject" and "object."
.God never called a man to do this.
We learn from the Christian Advocate
of Nashville that the examining commit
tees for theTennessee Conferencehave in
view a Summer Institute for the instruc
tion of under-graduates and candidates
for admission on trial. The Institute is
expected to open at Vanderbilt Univer
sity, June 20, and continue ten days. We
wish the brethren all possible success at
least greater than we had a few years ago
at Trinity College when the same plan
was tried in t'he North Carolina Confer
ence. Of that ill-fated 'enterprise, Bro.
Smith and others "could a tale unfold,
etc." It is a memory which like an elu
sive wraith, still 'hides in the shadow of
the passing years. Selali.
There is being taught publicly just
now some tainted morality. A political
candidate last year pledged the whiskey
men that he would use his influence
against any legislation that would inter
fere with their business. Newspaper edi
tors and correspondents afe commend
ing said politician. They virtually admit
that he made a bad promise. But, in
their eyes, he redeemed himself by keep
ing this bad promise. Away with such
ethics ! The teaching is that the virtue
in the fulfillment of a bad promise rests
altogether on the fact that a promise has
been made an'd not in the nature of the
nromise. According to this, if a man
promises to kill another, he must do so,
w.qp he has nromised. We trust that
the indoctrination of such "morality"
will be a miserable failure. It is bad to
o cinfnl nromise. It is Worse to
liXflXVV, Ctr u..v. IT. "
kcerj j.t. v
A RETURN TO AN OLD PATH.
Old things give way to the new. This
is the rule of life and progress. Yet to
this rule there are exceptions. There
are old laws, methods and entities that
will last as long as the stars. Among
the latter are some old methods of ad
vancing the cause of Temperance.
The question of Temperance is one
which will not die. It is as old as the
Christian religion. Yet, perhaps, it is,
to-day, fresher in interest and more vi
tally connected with the welfare of the
human race than ever before. The cause,
with each spiritual ascension of humani
ty is lifted into newer significance.
The most active efforts in behalf oi
Temperance were not made until after
the beginning of the present cent it rv.
lne earliest advocates of the cause ap
plied themselves to the proper equipment
of the individual for resisting the temp
tation to strong drink. The moral and
social sides of human nature were ap
pealed to and strengthened. The tem
perance lecturer was abroad in the land.
He went with excoriations, exhortations.
and pleadings. He went with the Bible
111 one nancl and temperance pledges in
the other. These pledges were scattered
like snowflakes and were signed by thou
sands and hundreds of thousands.
Scores of temperance bodies were organ
ized. The social element was invoked
and utilized with powerful effect.
Not more than three-score vears aero,
another strategic point was seen and at
tacked. Temperance workers began to
try to remove the occasion of intemper
ance. They had been trying to help men
and women to keep away from the sa
loon. Now they proceeded to abolish
the saloon. Temperance entered poli
tics. "Prohibition" and "local option"1
were favorite terms. Both were given
fair trial. The Woman's Christian Tem
perance Union was organized, and
tnrougn tne errorts or mmareas ana
thousands of consecrated women, "the
saloon in all its hideousness became the
fnrnc nt 111 inf frptf -flirt f nifnnf iinr1-ino
hate
A late temperance issue of the Ep-
worth Herald contained an editorial an
nouncement, that cut like a knife, to the
effect that the' cause of temperance is
not advancing.
We believe that the edi-
cor was wrong.
We believe that the
moral sentiment in favor of temperance
is stronger than it ever was before. Ye:
it is not so strong as it should be, and
t'h'e blood of t'he slain is crving from the
ground.
Why is this the case? Many reasons
have been given. - Many more will be
given. We believe that one principal
reason is that we have left the good old
path the first one trod. We have not
kept up our efforts, a's we should have
done, to strengthen hit main, nauire to
resist the temptation. We 'have nothing
against the W. C. T. U. except the com
plaint that it has rendered its efforts
abortive to a certain extent by. joining to
its chief work certain extraneous hues o
activity. Wre believe in locaJ option. We
believe in Dispensaries. They mean tha
in a field of 10 snakes, 9 have been killed
and one has been left partially robbe
of its fanes. We believe in prohibition
We are looking forward to the dav when
there will not be a saloon in the land
But with all this, we call for a. return to
the old path. We have left it. The ok
timed temperance lecture is the excep
lion now. We are thankful that it is no
altogether extinct. Dr. Tracy of Ken
tuckv is lecturing" in North Carolina
now, and the gocd that he is doing can
not be estimated. Temperance pledges
are almost a thing of the past. Torrents
of ridicule have swept over them, but in
thousands of cases they 'have stood as
rocks supporting- lives of sobriety. The
social temperance organizations diec
long ago. They should be re-established
This may sound old-fogyish, but its truth
is manifest. ,
While we are bending our efforts to
remove the saloon, let us as a certain
writer in the Advocate a few weeks ago
suggested, do more in the way of pre
paring the moral nature to resist th
blandishment of the saloons that remain
In reading the many things said abou
Governor Roosevelt, we wondered
there was not a pious motner or
father behind his life. Our wondering
ceased when we saw this statement:
"Colonel Roosevelt's father was a Chris
tian business man who attained wealth
by working only five dayj a week. One
other day was spent in visiting the poor
and in doing good, and the first day of
fln-n urocl- it7nc cnnf in ivTkr;li i rtii n cr ( irtd
I and learning how to do good
HE LEGISLATURE THAT ADJOURNED
LAST WEEK.
The General Assembly of North
Carolina for 1899-adjourned on Wed
nesday, March 8, to meet again in Tune,
900. The session lasted sixty-four days.
The Secretary of State announces that
1,107 acrs and 79 resolutions were pass
ed and ratified.
This Legislature representing practi
cally only one party, and elected on the
ssue of white supremacy and of incom
petency and extravagance on the part
of the last Legislature, had resting upon
t a very grave responsibility.
Much legislation of peculiar and dras
ic nature was demanded and confiden
ially expected. It is not going too far
o say that popular expectations have
not been disappointed.
The Legislature of 1899 will be re
membered as one composed of men of
unusual ability. Such a fact was not ac
cidental. It was the result of a design
)orn of a purpose to bring to the ques-
ion of legislation this, year the soundest
udgment and the brightest ability.
Deep earnestness pervaded the delib
erations of both Houses. Only. at one
time did the dignity of the Assembly
suffer, and that was when the Senate,
ust before adjournment, acted with un
becoming levity. But we can excuse
his in the light of the fact that the ten
sion had been great, and a reaction was
natural. The legislators' devoted from
12 to 18 hours daily to their Work in
session, committee, and caucus work.
On some days the third session extend
ed beyond midnight.
The Legislature of 1899 was imbued
with the principles or economy. Some
of the economy proposed should go by
he name of parsimony, as in the case ot
reducing salaries far too small, and in
objecting to giving the hard-worked
ages a small bonus. Good, strict econ
. 1 , 1 1 1 .,
omy, However, cnaracterizeu legislative
action in the main..
We will not say. what was the most im
portant legislation enacted . Views dif-
er on this subject. What is important
for one is unimportant for another.
The election law was undoubtedly the
ocus of interest." A constitutional
amendment is to be submitted
to the people in 1900. The educational
qualification for suffrage commends it
self to the majority of voters, perhaps, 01
all parties in the South, whether the
votes indicate it or not. It is to be re
gretted that tine law embodies a racial
qualification in which the color of black
does not largely figure.
A great many good laws were passed
Thev are too maiiv for us to enumerate
We are glad that the State Hospitals
have received increased appropriations
Our readers remember the appeals
made last year by Superintendent Mur
phy, in which he disclosed the fact that
hundreds of unfortunate ones were not
able on account of lack of room to be ac
commodated at the Morganton Asylum.
We are glad that $100,000 were appro
priated to the common schools. This is in
addition to the usual levies.This year will
probably witness a greater number of 4
months schools than were ever known
before in the history of the State.
We cannot say that we detected in this
this Legislature, any unusually strong
temperance sentiment. Dispensaries
were granted to some towns, it
is true. but not from any
special force of moral sentiment in favor
of them. Size of petitions, urgency of
demand, gravity of interest played but
a small part in general, especially with
the Senate. The peculiar views of the
Senator of the petitioners were the con
trolling elements in many cases.
But in spite of all this, much
was done for temperance and
other moral reforms. We believe that
taking- evervthing into consideration,
the old North State in all her interests
will be better and stronger for the Le
rir for the Le-
islature just adjourned and now taking
its recess.
I expect to pass through the world
but once: if, therefore, there be any
kindness I can show, or any good thing
I can do to any fellow human being, let
me do it now. Let me not defer or
neglect it, for I shall not pass this way
again. Edward Courtenay, of Deven
shire. Act according to your faith, do the
works, of your faith. You believe that
God is holy, and that your life 'should
be pure; you believe that God is love,
and that we must love even to sacrifice ;
do this, and I venture to say to you
that to-morrow you will have more faith.
Eugene Bersier "
THE PASSING OF TALMAGE.
Dr. T. DeWitt Talmage has tender
ed his resignation as pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church of Washington
City. He has served this church nearly
four years. He explains his course in
the following words:
"The increasing demands made upon
me by religious journalism and the con
tinuous calls for more general work in
the cities have of late years caused fre
quent interruption of my pastoral work.
it is not right that this condition of
affairs should further continue. Beside
this, it is desirable that. I have more .op
portunity to meet face to face in reli
gious assemblage those in this country
and other countries to whom I 'have.
through the kindness of the printing
press, been permitted to preach week
by. week and without the exception of a
week, tor about thirty years. There
fore, though very reluctantly, I have
concluded, after serving you nearly four
years in the pastoral relation, to send
this letter ot resignation.
It is, doubtless, true that the pastoral
work of Dr. Talmage has suffered inter
ruption, and that the demands made of
him by religious journalism have been
increasing.
But the clear-eyed, sanely thinking
public will not fail to see in this unex
pected resignation the bitter fruitage of
pulpit "sensationalism." Dr. Talmage's
great power lias been in drawing a
crowd, and in finding a ready market
tor nis literary wares, lie nas never
failed to have large congregations. His
sermons and lectures have ?iee;n scatter
ed by the press all over the world. He
has never been noted for evangelical sue
cess. He has simply bad a "pull on the
public." Such success never stands the
tests of time, never measures up to the
Divine standard, nor satisfies the de
mands of sin-cursed humanity. The
shores of pulpit "seilsatioiialism" are
lined with wrecks. The vessel of Tom
Dixon drove ashore a short while ago.
By common sense and Divine grace he
may yet float her.
Dr. Talmage is a good and gifted
man. He has helped the world to be
better. But he would have done more
for the world, we believe, if he had tried
through the plain old gospel of Jesus
Christ, to get nearer to the suffering
hearts of men and women and to iif
them through the Holy Spirit from sin
to righteousness.
THAT PROGRAM OF THE DISTRICT
CONFERENCE.
You see it in another column.' Well,
what of it? There are several things
about it. In the first place, the bill of
fare presented is excellent. The sub
jects are practical, and the speakers to
present them are well qualified for their
task. The services are arranged with a
view to satisfying evangelical demands.
In the second place, the program
shows systematic and intelligent fore
thought on the part of the Presiding El
der. The Conference will meet on July
27, and here standing on the back door
steps of winter, before the crocuses have
began to bloom, this energetic, wide
eyed sub-Bishop proclaims in all its de
tails his District Conference.
In the third place, the program is
... . - r
marked by an artistic omission 01 a
very important thing. Did you notice
that: there is no place for the "Old Ral
eigh?" There is a place tor the Gospel.
A
Church Finance, Foreign Missions, Wo-
mans work, Sunday School.. Epwoith
Leasrue. Education, and American Bible
Society. But the "Old
Raleigh"
is left out. She has no
invite." She
feels bad. Not that she depreciates the
value of the other subjects but because
sue piaces a uig puce "--sv-
ature. we nave oeen asiceu 10 nidKc a
speech in the Sunday School mass, meet
ing. Tins is an important subject, but
to sp'eak plainly iiem! we would
rather speak on the "Old Raleigh" for
this time and have plenty of room. We
have a bran new speech.
Now, seriously, we wish to call atten
tion to the fact that we have not been,
and are not now, giving in our church
meetings sufficient attention to our
church literature and especially to our
church organ., This is why there is
such wide spread indifference on the
subject of religious literature. This
is one reason why we have not ten thou
sand subscribers today.
We wish to make this a year of great
prosperity to the Raleigh Christian Ad
vocate. Our organ ought to have right
ot way wherever Methodists meet and
talk, and we confidently believe that in
all our District Conferences this year,
the Presiding Elder will give the Advo
cate a special hour.
A MENACE IN BLACK.
We refer to the driftwood in the shape
oi negro soldiers which the current of
peace is thrown on the shores of . our
South ern life. A' 011 can see them 011 our
trains, and in our towns and villages
military Othellos without occupation,
rejoicing in their blue uniforms with
rtrass buttons, refusing to work, standing
in the way, and forming a black sore
on the body social.
This is not the worst. Accounts come
to us nearly every day of these muster
ed out negro' troops firing from trains
into crowds, standing at the. depot. Hen
derson, Raleigh, and Greensboro know
something of this. Last week, the may-
or ot a ueorgia town nacl to call out the
town militia company to protect the peo
ple trom a train of negro immunes.
It is a dangerous thing to dress a ne-
crrr in iinifiM-iii T t- . j. i .1
,ia uiiiiLHiii. l ib muie lo 111m man
royal purple is to a king. It is more
dangerous to eive him a min Whn
e is given uniform, gun, and whiskey.
he becomes a blustering brute a black
menace to society.
We think a mistake was made when
the negro troons were mnstpmfl ' nut
They should have been sent to the Phil
ippines to fight their cousin Aguinaldo.
WEEKLY REVIEW.
In the last General Assembly there
was much local and private legislation.
The bulk of it was educational and com
lnercial. Fourteen educational institu
tions were incorporated; five chraters
Ayere amended. Charters of incorpora
tion were granted to fourteen railroad
companies. Banks and other cognate
companies incorporated, 20; mills and
manufacturing companies, 4; towns and
cities, 26; graded 'schoolsrestablished, 8;
dispensaries granted, 9 ; laws amended or
repealed,64.
It is well known by our intelligent
readers that there has been rebellion in
China for some time. It is raging most
fiercely in the southern portion of the
Empire, north of the Gulf of Tonquin,
and near the French colonies.' The re
bellion is eagerlywatched by European
diplomatists. It is thought that France
on account of the strategic location of
her colonies will be drawn into playing
an active part in the game at an early
date. Through negotiations the difficul
ty between Russia and Great Britain has
been amicably adjusted. The Russiari
minister has withdrawn his protest
against the Hong Kong contract by,
which China had given to Great Britain
a pledge that certain railroads should
not be alienated to foreign powers.
It is conceded that the situation in Cu
ba as respects tranquillity and submis
sion to American authority is far from
being propitious. It has been an open
secret for some time that the Cubans ob-
ject to receiving from the United States
such a small, insignificant sum as $3,
000,000. But it was left for the impeach
ment of Gomez by the Cuban Assembly
to destroy every doubt that a warm time
is to be expected in Cuba. Thisjmpeach
ment is ominous when we remember that
Gen. Gomez has been lately criticized as
being too friendly with the . United
Staes. If the report be true tnat Gomez
is stronger than the Assembly, then we
can see some light in the midst of the
shadows.
The State Convention of the Y. M.
C. A. in session last Week at Durham,
was an important event. The assem
bling of the workers for Christ have a
value and significance that only a few
appreciate. The work of the Y. M. C.
A. has been lessened somewhat in the
smaller towns by the establishment of
the church societies. But in the Col
leges and in the cities, the Association is
a great power. Here is a partial report
of the State Secretary :
In connection with the work of the
State Secretary, sixty-one visits were
made to twenty-four different places;
thirty-one addresses were given on As
sociation topics ; forty-five conferences
were held with the Association commit
tees, Boards of Directors and College
Association Committees; 6,037 rniles
were traveled, and much time was given
in assisting different points in financial
canvasses. Three months were given to
army, work -
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