Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ZIbe Xutbetan IDiettor GOD’S WORD, OUR RULE ; CHRIST, OUR PATTERN ; A PURE FAITH, OUR WATCHWORD. Vol.'XXXVI—No. 4 NEWBERRY, S. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1902. Whole No. 1703 From different sec- Klnd Word*, lions of the church come words of ap proval and appreciation of onr honest efforts to serve the Church, and to hold np the high standards of faith and and practice, for all of which fwe are very grateful. One of onr mott intelligent lay men, an edncator of marked abil ity ftnd success, writes, “I wish to thank yon for yonr article on ‘Football.’ I enjoy yonr work on The Visitor.” On the same subject one of onr rising and progressive pastors writes, "Yonr football editorial is very timely. Would that more leading man of the chnrch bad the conrage to speak ont against this and similar evils.” As we said nefore, we are in favor cf all manly and elevating forms of athletics. Boys at col lege need wholesome exercise, nor wonld we seek in any way to cur tail their pleasures or to suppress the honest gaiety of youth, but we regard football as the twin brother of the prize ring, and see no ground on which it can be justified. It is certainly not a healthy exercise, as facts will show, nor can it be shown to be elevating mentally, morally or spiritually. We can see some reason for baseball when engaged in with moderation, but none for a sport so brutal as the np to-date football. We fully agree with Prof. Stevens when he says, "It is reckless brutality.” Education and life at college should tend to refine and ennoble young men, and when they go out into the activities of the after life the world should be made to see in them models of gentlemanly bear ing and not simply men whose minds have been crammed with classic lore. When the young man is being educated he is litterally going through a process of mould ing, of character formation, and whatever habits are then formed he will, in all probability, carry with him throngb life. Just as the defects in the model of tbb sculptor are likely to appear in the finished work so the disposition cultivated and the habits formed in college life will in great meas ure condition the life thereafter. Hence we hold that true manli ness, refinement of manner and high moral deportment should pervade college life, and thus make it well nigh impossible to find a college graduate without these lovely traits. And this is true of many of onr institutions, at least in goodly measure, but this should be the rule ana never the excep tion. In onr several visits to Elizabeth College we were peculiarly im pressed by the spirit of refinement which pervaded the atmosphere of that school, and by the fact that the young ladies are expected and required to cultivate those charms and graces of manner which be come adornments of the highest importance in their future social life; and there is no good reason why boys in college for young men should not cultivate the same beautiful habits. This, however, will prove a difficult task where brutal sports and mischief vile are absorbing considerations. Though we thus speak it is fair and just to add that most of our young men cultivate refinement of manners, and would not stoop to things low and vile, and we hope that the co-educational feature in troduced into most of our schools will greatly tend to the cultivation of those charms and graces of manner which become jewels in the social life of every man who possesses them. For Lutheran Tracts —We have received for this obj j ct, for free distribution in Mississippi Synod, $1.00 each from Rev. H. E H Sloop and Mr. Jno. M. Hendrix— $3 00 so far. We want $8.00 more. Mission Work—Talk up the mis sion work in your synod. God wants workers, not idlers. Work for the Master—be true to the holy cause of God. . His case is urgent. The fact has C urch Grow- been brought ont ing latter Than in the religious Population. statistics that the growth of the church has been greater than the increase in population in onr coun try during the past year. Follow ing is a review of the statistics: Dr. H. K. Carroll, who was in charge of the religious statistics in the United States census of 1890, and has since then annually made up figures on the growth of the churches, has just completed the statistics for 1901. He finds the total church communicant mem bership, in the United States alone, and exclusive of members on for eign mission fields, to be 28,090,- 637, ont of a population that must, if population growth has been the same this year as during the de cade from 1890, be about 77,000,- 0(0 This is for actual member ship, and does not include adher ents and members of congrega tions. The increase, according to Dr. Carroll, was 730,027 last year, or 2.67 per cent. This is an in crease slightly greater than the an nual increase of population from 1890 to 1900. The latter rate of increase was 2.18 per cent. Thus, if Dr. Carroll be correct, the churches of the United States are growing slightly faster in mem bership than is the population. So far Dr. Carroll’s work seems to be all right, but in an appended table, showing the order of de nominational rank in 1890 and in 1901, with number of communi cant members in the respective years, his method is misleading. He divides the vatious denomina tions into their different general bodies, the Methodist Episcopal (North) standing first and the Lu theran General Synod last in the list of Protestant bodies, of which twenty appear in the table, includ ing the Roman Catholic Church. The Missouri Synod occupies the twelfth and the General Council fourteenth place, and with the General Synod are the only Lu theran bodies of which any notice is taken by Dr. Carroll, who thus places the Lutheran strength in this country at 1,116,936, or just about 600,000 less thau the real figures. The Augnstaua Synod, wiih 500,(00 members, is ignored entirely as well as smaller bodies like the Associate Reformed Pres byterians and our United Synod. Dr. Carroll’s figures appear in the metropolitan papers in such an in complete mauner that they have absolutely no value so far as the Lutheran Chnrch is concerned. Lutherans Ahead —In an article on "Religions Conditions and Pro gress in New York” in the Bap tist Standard of Chicago, we find the following of interest to our people: "The Lutherans are in creasing in membership in New York faster than any other reli gious body, Roman Catholics not excepted. This increase is due in large part to enrollment of families already here but not before identi fied with their own or any other cbmches. In this reclaiming of property, so to speak, the English- speaking element, chit fly sons and daughters of those who crossed the Atlantic, have led, and in the leading they have been not a little hampered by the element that in sists upon remaining German, in ways of looking at things as well as in speech. Recently twenty- four English-speaking pastors withdrew from the New York Min- isterium, and asked for letters die- missory to enable them to organize a new ministerium. These letters were refused, and it is stated the new ministerium will be organized anyhow. There is not wbat can fairly be called trouble, hut there is an absolute inability on the part of the German element to compre- heud ambitions of their sons and nephews.” Governor’s Message.—We acknowl edge, with thanks, the receipt of a nicely printed copy of the gover nor’s message. It is clear cut and gives no uncertain sound. The congregation of the Second church at Louisville, Ky., Kev. H. K. Fenner, D. D., pastor, has adopted, the plans for a. new house of worship.