National Republican., 1874-05-18

man life, and that the general welfare
would be promoted by permitting him to
renew his application for letters patent
and that the legislation asked for was rem
dered necessary by the negligence of MIR.
Wiard's attorney. in whose hands the
whole matter had been placed while he
(Wiard) was conducting experiments to
perfect said invention.
This case is but one of scores that might
be cited as illustrating the point we make,
that while there is danger of hasty legisla-
ton, especially at the close of session Of
Congress, there is also danger OF injustice
being done by the fachous opposition oil
members to-a bill reported unanimously by
the committee having it in charge, after
careful investigation of the subject and aftel
full information had been obtained from the
bureau or department having charge ol
control of the subject-matter of the bill,
and Is merely referred to on that account
IT APPEARS from the following resolution
adopted by the General Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South, at its re,
cent session in Louisville, KY, after q lively
discussion, that operate representations have
become so prevalent In Southern Methodist
churches that the Interference of the Bishops
has become necessary for their suppression
Il must be confessed that this Is shocking
state of affairs. "Operatic performances" In
Southern churches Why, in this latitude 1t
is rare, indeed, that the truly faithful Of the
Methodists (Wesleyan) can be persuaded to
attend s'operatic performances" anywhere,
much less to admit them into their houses OF
worship. But here is the resolution referred
to above:
Resolved, That our Bishops be, and they are
hereby, requested in their pastoral address, to
call attention to and express their dsapprobatiol
Of Operatic performance in our churches, which
browns the sense Of our hymns and utterly de
stroys congregational singing.
The discussion developed the fact that the
objectional feature of these "operatic per
formances" was the scientific character of the
music. 1t renders the hymns unintelligible to
minds of the members Of the congregations
Rev. DR.. Green seemed fully to comprehend
the difficulty, and delivered himself Of the fol,
lowing sensible remarks, but It was OF no use
and the resolution passed by large majority
DIR. Green said: am kind Of singing man my
self-have sung whole camp-meetings through
but we have to manage this thing the best way
we can. We won't accomplish much by legislat.
ing or BY the pastoral address. Ihsve found that
q church is made up Of different characters; first,
you find one man that is happy when he's got
something to do with the money matters; he
sees that the preacher gets his pay, and don't
believe that anybodyy gOt religion that don.
meeting. He prIys good prayer himselt and
he gets happy, and the meetln'-ls always better
for his being there. Another says class meetin's 8
by all means He's got Q good experience and
he wants to toll it. Another goes for the preacher
when he comes. takes him to his house, and treats
him kind, and gets him to tell stories for him.
Another doesn't care much for the meetings Or for
anything else but the preaching; he always thinks
the last sermon tho best. Another doesn't have
anything to do with the prayer meetingsi doesn't
care much about the sermon; he doesn't sing, and
we don't know what to do with him; but he keeps
the candles snuffed; puts water on the pulpit,
and keeps out the dogs, and makes the boys be-
ever see better order than THAR" And another
comes up to you and asks you for the hymns. He
says they amt much on singin', but he's got
Now, my plan Is to cultivate 'em all, each In his
own way, and work him where can, so as not TO
get one opposed to another. l tecollect an old
''hfnles." They got choir in his church, and
one day he came over to me and said he wished /
would go down there, that they had ell got into
with long ends IN thar, and were tryin to sing
two or three tunes to the same words, at the same
time-they were singing bass, you know. The
fact is, they had :upplsnted Abram. have had
a great deal OF trouble about singing. i have
given out the hymn, and Snooks over there started
tune too short for it; and then he tries IL again
and gets It long, and after two or three times
his son Job holloes out, Stop, dad, / think I've
got it." There amt many OF them that can start
q tune rIght-they either get SO low as to drown
or so high that they can't get over. Now. there's
two ways to remedy this-frst, by dispensing with
the hymn-books altogether and give out the hymn,
line upon line, or give them all hymn-books and
give out the hymn-not the number Of the hymn
and the page, too, because they'll get confused,
but give out one or t'other. Tell them they've
all got to sing. Go to the leader and tell him:
Brother start plain tune, that the old folks all
know. Let the voluntary be o new tune, II you
choose, because II you don't sing new tunes some
times they'll never learn 'em. Let the preacher
take charge Of 1t kindly and not cautiously. They
won't read the pastoral address-the pastors
should manage 1t themselves.