ORGAN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE, M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH.
Established in 18S5.
RALEIGH, N. G. APRIL 12, 1899.
New Series. Vol. 1, No. 8.
RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
Organ of the North Carolina Conference.
Pruiifsn ft d Wp-ewja at Raleigh, N". n
Entered as second-class matter in the post-office at Raleigh.
" T. N. IVEY, Editor.
; N.M.WATSON, . . . Bcsikess Manager.
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RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE
BMtodal.
If we would be true citizens of God's
Kingdom we must not have the culture
which avoids suffering. Bishop Caiid
lcr. What will we come to next? Rev.
Dr. Newell Dwight Hillis, pastor of
Plymouth Church, New York, preached
last Sunday week on the character of
Tito in George Eliot's "Romola." We
would suggest to Dr. Hillis and his ilk
that if they are out of "grist" in the
shape of biographical subjects, it would
be well for them to take from their
shelves their wedged in Bibles and turn
to the eleventh chapter of Hebrew's.
The newspapers have been publishing
lately an item to the effect that a visitor
to his pastors home found the son and
a number of his companions playing
poker. The father was away from home.
Of course, if this wicked boy had not
been a preacher's son, the item would
not have found such publicity. We were
inclined when we read the item to be
somewhat indignant until we reflected
that the fact of the wide publication
of this item is one of the very strongest
endorsements of Christianity. People
believe in the reality of the Christian
religion. They believe so strongly in it
that they expect religion to filter
through a father to a son, and when this
expectation is disappointed, it is a mat
: tcr for the Associated Press. Let us be
hopeful
Certain splenetic journals calling
; themselves religious are very effectively
; advertised in the South by the very par
' ties who are most opposed to the ad-
. vertising. For instance, a certain relig-
ious journal calls the South a land of
1 ''barbarism," Vvhere the Church fails to
''teach the sin of murder." Some relig
ious papers reply to the slanderous state-
inent, and, in doing so- give the name
the slanderous journal. The only ef
fect of this is to advertise a paper, which,
, j as long as it holds its prejudice, should
-.have few Southern readers. Let our
.brethren of the press reply, if they wish,
to the untruthful statements of their
j prejudiced contemporaries across the
border, but let them withhold the names
'of the latter. Let us advertise only those
- j papers that are worthy of being advertised.
'There is retribution in history."
.Last week: we were rash enough to es-.-pouse
the cause of Dr. Black, of the
"New Orleans," in his encounter with
.n irate correspondent who preferred an
Tare" to an "is." This week the blow
Mias fallen on us. . A writer who does not
Uign his name addresses to "Dr. Ivey, D.
.).," a few words in which he reflects on
the taste of the editor in publishing last
- Veek the poem," "Apele For Are."
tKow, really our beloved Mentor should
rnove up a few pegs his or her opinion of
lias. That "poem" was clipped from one
pf the most cultured religious newspa
pers in the South, and its publication -in
thc Raleigh Advocate was requested bv
fbne of the most cultured ta
llies of our church in North
.Carolina. Then, too, in spite of our
.lapse in taste, we have never written the
. lame title both before and after a name,
,ior failed to sign our name to an article
t Containing a personal criticism. We
..trust that this explanation will find its
tvay to our namelesss correspondent and
7r" "-olKcm to rasped aesthetic
" fcnsiMiUcg.
UNSAFE TEACHING.
Th(
strongest
foundations on which
nations as well as individuals can build
are hewn from the quarries of unselfish
devotion to duty. A nation cannot
evade responsibility on the plea that the
course of action involved in this respon
sibility will bring storms and end in
sacrifice. We must confess that we are
unable to appreciate the morality of that
doctrine, so widely promulgated in the
religious and secular press, which bases
its argument against territorial expan
sion on the ground that our nation must
have quietude, and freedom from further
responsibility. This is national Epicur
ianism which, in its ultimate develop-
ment, must orecu a weaKeneci lorm 01
national life. The influence of this teach
-i i i r r
ing is not wholesome for the young
manhood and womanhood of our coun
try. Argue against territorial expansion
and "imperialism," if you please, but in
doing so, do not place a discount on the
strength of responsibility and the glory
of duty in newer ever broadening fields.
We want no insipid, nerveless, stationary
life of ease.
It has been wisely said that "any great
crisis which demands, intelligence, lead
ership and mental power creates
schools." Such a crisis creates more
than schools. It creates moral manhood,
and all that goes to make up the true
strength of a nation. Success feeds on
crises. The brightest days in our national
life were born of the longest and darkest
nights. Every monument of civiliza
tion lies this side of blood and tears.
May there be a stoppage of this outcry
against those whose official position
carries with it the responsibility of try
ing to solve in Asiatic waters the great
problem which God in His mysterious
Providence has written out for us
on the international blackboard. The
problem will be solved. Let us help to
solve it by exercising an abiding faith
in the doctrine that there is a "God of
Nations." We rest serenely in the belief
that the current of our national history,
so tinged with blood and covered with
wreckage, runs parallel with the grand
purposes of God, and that in some way,
at some day be it never so far, it will
broaden into a more glorious life for
Christian freedom.
A STRANGE KIND OF LOSS.
Within the last few weeks wre have
seen much in the religious and secular
press relative to the reported loss in the
membership of the M. E. Church,
South, for the year 1898. It w"as stated
that the decrease was 8,300. We had
wrestled in months gone by with statis
tical tables made up from Conference
reports. We had found out enough to
induce us to receive the news of the de
crease, "with a grain of salt." In fact,
we "took no stock" in the statement.
We had no patience with the sundry
croakings arising all at once from the
Methodist meadows. We felt that if
there were really a decrease, that the
fact would not necessarily indicate
spiritual or ecclesiastical decadence. A
decrease in membership coming from a
purged roll often causes a church to rise
in the empyrean of spirituality, just as a
balloon, freed from ballast, sails with
new life into the clouds.
And now to the point. We have just
received from Nashville a statistical ta
ble of all the Conferences giving the ad
ditions and removals for 1898. This
table shows that last year the number
of members received exceeded the num
ber dismissed by 31,879.
The table closes with the words : "We
believe the figures represent the true
gain. We base our faith on the fact
that a Methodist pastor knows two
things and reports them correctly : one
thing is how many members he receives
into the Church; and the other is how
many are dismissed. The table will be
published next week.
A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE
OF NEWS.
SUBJECT
The. Conference organ should never
lose its character as a newspaper.. The
organ must furnish the news of the
Church or suffer in its patronage and
general usefulness. W'e wish to make
the Advocate a messenger carrying"
every week to our many readers, the
news of the Church. We wish to pub
lish, especially, the news of our own
Conference. We have never been able
to iibc our picachers as a news bureau
The average Methodist preacher is a
! failure as a correspondent simply be-
i i -ii , .
cause ne win not write.
There are some who have the ideas,
and who know how to express them, but
who cannot write a legible hand. We
are perfectly willing to "tackle" any
chirography that may come to us, pro
vided it be not strictly cuneiform. Yet,
rather than many should not write, we
would suggest the purchase of a type
writer. Typewritten manuscripts are a
means of grace to a printer.
There are others, who never write to
the paper, for fear of criticism. It is
often said that young preachers, to re
verse a popular expression, are
to be "heard" (in their pul
pits) "not seen" (in the pa
pers). If this criticism had been allowed
to do its perfect work, the world today
would be without its choicest literary
treasures. A young- man, it he has any
thing to write, has as sound a title to
the columns of a paper as has the older
man.
If our brethren would only write ! We
do not wish lengthy articles. We need
the special prayers of the Church when
the lengthy articles begin to pour in on
us. A correspondent of the Western
Christian Advocate suggests that each
Presiding Elder's District within his
Conference have an official corrrespond
ent. We think the suggestion a wise one
of our Conference. This does not mean
that this correspondent should be the
only one from the District. Brethren,
send us the news. Give in your newest
ideas. In the words of Dr. Lafferty.
"moisten your pens."
A RICH OPPORTUNITY
The Trinity College Library Associa
t:on, which was explained In the Advo
cate a few weeks ago, possesses a deep
significance, and gives promise of much
that is valuable to all students and lov
ers of good literature. Its purpose is to
spread over a whole State the benefits
of a larcre well selected library. It is a
very practical form of the University Ex
tension idea a combination of the
school room rostrum, the lecture plat
form, the reading circle, the literary club.
Carried to its ultimate development, and
wisely utilized according to its legiti
mate purposes, it is pregnant with results
that must prove a
great
blessing; to
Christian education in North Carolina.
It remains to be seen if this Associa
tion can claim from our North Carolina
-Methodism an adequate patronage. This
we can sav : The young student, wheth
er in the ministry or out, has one of
life's golden chances within his reach.
1 T T , t
witnout great expense, in ins own
study, in the home' the place of business,
or on the highways, he can surround
himself with the choicest treasures of
the shelves of a great college library.
It is to be hoped that our
voung
preachers may seize their opportunity
Whether or not the criticism be true that
the intellectual field is not industriously
worked by our young preachers, it is
certain that the harvests carried from
this field into the granaries of . Christian
thought are not sufficiently ample and
golden. Large areas of wonderful fer
tilitv have never been worked, and never
will be, unless by workmen of rich heart8
and robust, well-equipped minds.
We trust that all of our younger
preachers and laymen will not delay in
sending their names to Dr. J. S. Bassett
of Trinity College. The expense will be
small onlv a dollar a year. The out
come in the way of mental and spiritual
development will be surprisingly large.
SADNESS IN THE HOME AT CROZET.
Hundreds were shocked on last Tues
day morning at the news of the death
of Dr. Walter B. Lafferty, son of Dr. J.
J. Lafferty, editor of the Richmond
Christian Advocate. He was found ly
ing unconscious by the track of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, near
Meechum's river, with one of his legs
crushed and suffering from other severe
injuries. He was taken to Crozet, where
he died shortly after.
It is not known how the accident hap
pened. It is thought that he was struck
by a passing train.
Thus there is sadness in the home at
Crozet. We feel, however, that the
Master is there witfi all the sympathy
and consoling power that He carried to
the home at Bethany. The bereaved
ones have our sympathies and prayers
WEEKLY REVIEW.
Gen. Gomez is practically head
again of the Cuban army. He, Masso,
and Rodriguez have been named as
members of the Executive Advisory
Board! There is some difficulty over
the third member. This Board will have
charge of the distribution of the $3,000,
000 given by the United States Govern
ment to its soldiers of the Cuban army,
now to be disbanded.
It is to be hoped that the "beef"
trouble is about over. Eagan, one of
the chief actors, has been practically
shelved with a reward by the President.
General Miles, opposed so bitterly by
the administration, has apparently made
his charges good. He has been under
a hot fire, but it is the consensus of
opinion that he comes out unscorched.
The Figaro is making trouble in Paris
in connection with the Dreyfus matter.
This paper, in spite of continuous fines,
is publishing daily, the evidence given
in the sitting of the Court of Cassation,
which is the supreme court of France.
The evidence is indirectly in favor of
Dreyfus and Picquart. The very
strongest army men now concede
that both Dreyfus aid Picquart. must h.
released.
It must be gratifying to the public, to
know that for the quarter ending March
31st, the number of business failures in
the United States was smaller than for
a like time in seventeen years. The vol
ume of business is reported larger than
it has been in the history of our coun
try. It is evident that now is not the
happy time for the prophet of evil. The
outlook is prosperous enough to en
courage the helpless.
The proclamation of the United
States Philippine Commission assures
the natives of the cordial good will and
fraternal feeling of the President of the
United States, and the American people,
and claims that the object which the
United States Government has in view
in its present course is the well-being,
happiness, and prosperity of the Philip
pine people, and their elevation and ad
vancement to a position among the
the most civilized people of the world.
It is thought that the proclamation will
do good, provided it can be made to
reach the Filippinos. Aguinaldo and his
chiefs will intercept it as much as possi
ble. The Samoan affair is in statu quo.
Definite trouble is over at Apia. Pub
lic attention is now being centred on
the Commission which is to take the
matter in hand. While Germany con
cedes that Consul Rose may have been
in the wrong in upholding Mataafa
still there is an insistence that the
British and American authorities ex
ceeded their powers. It will be some
time before the Commission will be in
shape to act. Disagreement is looked
for.
The umpireship, however, of King
Oscar is the thing which peace lovers
are looking to. The latest news is that
Malietoa Tamis has been made King.
THE "ROUSEMENT" FOLLY.
(Wesleyan Christian Advocate.)
To torture the lachrymal gland to get
a tear, to wring the risibilities to evoke
a smile, to stir the emotion with a point
less tale, to deodorize the carnal mind
with a drop of lavender, to paint a dy
ing groan with a stick of pigment, to
span a gulf with a bridge of sighs, to
burn in the truth with metaphorical fire,
to pound the Book or storm the temple,
to get up a "rousement," and then try
to persuade ourselves or others," that we
have got the Spirit, O the folly of it!
the folly of it ! It is but the impersona
tion of a naked deception without even
the apology of a fig leaf. We can't tap
the heavenly fountains with false instru
ments. We can't force the sap of life
along spiritless arteries and avenues.
A TREMENDOUS "IF."
(Alabama Christian Advocate.)
On the other hand, sometimes the
preacher makes the work of stewards
easy. How? In many ways. If he is a
truly religious man, if he studies his Bi
ble closely for his personal good, if he
prays much in secret, if he impresses
his own family that he is indeeed relig-
ious if he, in a prudent way, talks about
religion and prays with the families he
visits, if he is interested in their welfare,'
if the people know he loves them, and
,cares for them, that he studies their in
terests and works for them, if he makes
them feel that he is one of them, if he.
gains the love of the children as well as
the parents, if he looks after the Sunday,
school, the prayer meetings and the gen
eral collections, -if he gives his time to
his people, if he does all things (which
he ought to do) the -
1 .
ill 1-
terested in him and ii e moiv ; :
freely to his support. The stewards will
have a much easier time.
THE GOOD
OF DISCOURAGE
MENT. (Exchangc.)
We may at times get discouraged.
If this feeling makes us more humble
and holy, if it drives members and minis
ters to their knees in earnest prayer, dis
couragement will do good. Things are
not what they should be and never
were. But all things after awhile are
to be summed up in Christ, all things in
heaven and earth the whole universe of
created beings to be one society, one
communion and fellowship; not divided
by differences of race or lineage or lan
guage; all one in Christ. Until then
we will have to wait ; but then and there
by such grandeur and glory and happi
ness as the universe has never known.
CONCLUSIVE.
(Herald and Presbyter.)
We have been asked to give some
counsel against "the dissipating and
time-destroying habit of card-playing."
We do not see how there could be any,
more severe arraignment of the. habit
than is found in these words. There are
people in the world who are anxious to
have something by means of which they
may "kill time." Such a conception of
life is degrading, and can be held only by
those who do not' accept God's estimate
of the value of time and the inestimable
importance of improving it. The apos-
tie urges us to be wide awake, "redeem
ing the time." Time and life are not re
deemed at the card table.
TOO LONG A TRACE.
Central Christian Advocate.)
If we had but one word of advice
to give to young preachers, also applica
ble to some old ones, it wouid be about
like this: "Do not get too far ahead of
your people." Whenever the preacher
travels at such rapid speed that he gets
out of sight of his people, they lose in
terest in him, and he loses his influence
over them. Keep with your people, in
sympathetic touch, accelerate their
speed as much as possible, and don't
run off and leave them.
THE PROMISE IS GOOD EVERY
WHERE. (Southern Christian Advocate.)
Whether we have, like Texas, a great
gathering of preachers, or not, we can
have its purpose, a zeal for the souls
that will not be satisfied until the Revi
val comes down from on high.
"The rapid rise of the land about Hud
son Bay is said to be the most remarka
ble gradual upheaval of an extensive re
gion ever known," says the "Scientific
American." "Driftwood-covered beaches
are now twenty to sixty or seventy feet
above the water, new islands have ap
peared, and many channels and all the
old harbors have become too shallow foi
ships. At the present rate, the shallow
bay will disappear in a few centuries, ad
ding a vast area of dry land or salt marsh
to British territory in America."
A most remarkable convent h to be
found in the catacombs of the Russian
cathedral at Kiev. Deep down beneath'
the magnificent cathedral are miles of
subterranean corridors, lined with cells,
in which 1,500 ascetics perform their dai
ly devotions and duties, live, eat, and
sleep, in the grim company of their dead,
predecessors.
Fifty walnut trees" in Cass County,
Mich., w-ere recently sold for $10,000
cash. Ihese trees have now- been felled,
and will be shipped to English buyers.
The largest tree was seven feet in dram
- "' i-cp nnfi 'vill yield lumber
AYQjth from oo to iAQQO,
,J