Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-04-18
Fairs and Churches.
For the Fayetteville Observer.
STEWARDS CREEK, LINCOLN Cry.


press is q new businessto me, and
nothing but zeal for God and
godliness upon the part of Adam's
apostate race, prompts me to ap.
pear before your readers in your
valuable paper, Like Elihu this
zeal hath filled me full of ma ter.
The spirit within coustrainetb me
TO speak, and God grant the hon.
lest yeomanry of old Lincoln may
take heed thereto and be refreshed.
In a certain notice published in
your paper, the people are exhort.
led to turn out en- nlaese and take
steps toward repairing and furn-
fishing their fair grouads, as a
means OF future wealth. and pros
! perity. Now, Mr.. Editor, l Am
not going to preach sermon upon
this subject, but | am going tc
make plain statement OF facts.
then deliver a short exhortation
in order to define my position
| will say | am no fair ground man,
for experience and study have
taught me, that county fairs Lave
never been Instrumental in eleva.
ting the morals or the intelligence
of the people, but SO far as morals
are concerned, the tendency has
always been to the reverse, and is
| it christian like for few inhuen,
tial men to use their influence III
what they term the pride of the
people just to feed that within them
that is earthly, sensual and devil
fish Who attends your county
fairs2 / am free 10 admit that
the beauty, refinement and taste
lof the county furnish their levies
and by their example raw recruits
are brought In to worship, not al
! the shrine of fashion, their means
are too limited for this, but they
must make show, and in the alb
sence of finery they substitute
rum and profanity. / am aware
that it is contrary to rules, but do
the good, the spiritual, the exem
plars in righteousness congregate
There ? But, sir, here is the point
/ wish to make in this commum
Ication, and what called it forth
mot that / would hinder the as
5pirations of the people of Lincoln
but would direct them to a nobler,
purer and boiler channel. Sir,
are your people destitute of any
iof the Robler traits of man? DOM
lay it TO pOverty-stricken agIicul
ltural associations, nor to unseem'
lily fair grounds. If say it must,
their evils are not to be wondered
at when we take into considera
ltion the little pride manifested up
on the part of the people in refer
fence to their houses of worship
This, sir, is a crying shame and 6
Turning sin. | know Of a large
!section of country in ten miles Of
Iyour town, and goeither direction
tyou please yru will hardly find &
,isingle comfortable, much less nea
and commodious, house of wor'
iship, and yet, sir, these people
must build elegant fair grounds al
the first step to future greatness
4 Will God bless such a people
! Will He not rather send the bligh'
land the mildew? Blind unbe
lief is sure to err and scan hi,
works in ruin. Christians Of Lin
lcoln, shall this be SO any longer
will you rob God, and build fail
lgrounds, will you not first builc
Iyour churches and repair the vast,
IplaceS Of Zion Il you woult
make your lands worth five dol
lars an acre mere, build nice
church in your neighborhood
would you invite immigration t,
Iyour midst, would you prepare
Iyour children for doing more goot
than you have done? honor Coz
by building Him q house worth,
-Iof your county. ~
] Brethren iii Christ, the gaunt
let has long been thrown down
I Will we longer be idle upon Thu
subject? Let us be up and abou
Jour Fathers business. Let us or,
aloud and spare not. and God will
not only bless US, but our people
; This is not written for controversy
bat for conscience sake; it is sim
'iply bread cast upon the waters.
ITINERANT.
EAYETTEVIIIE TENN Feb 22'70