National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-19

is TO get a situation as teacher or a
preacher, at a stated salary, regard
less Of real merits. These situations,
as we all know, are too ohen
aw' rded through influence of friends
regardless of merit or competency. How
few of the mep who now fill these pos
tions throughout this country and lrope
would occupy them a month if that event
depended upon their ability to make the
same amount of money which they now
receive at any other sort of labor Of prac-
tical character, either mental or physical.
They are not to be blamed for their lack OF
knowledge in matters of everyd day life,
perhaps, for how could they ever have &C
Quired it cooped up between the four walls
Of study? But it is the fault of our sys-
ten of education. Men and boys who are
not naturally over bright are sent to school
at an early age, to be manufactured into
teachers or preachers, because it is evident
that they will never be able to fight the
battle of life in the field of labor with any
chance of success. Once in the ministry
or educational service, however, the rel!-
gious community and friends of progress
will feel bound to take care of them. The
result of all this is that only about one per
cent Of the clergy and teachers of this
whole country are really men of mark
men Of that genius, originality and force of
character which commands the attention
and exacts both the respect and admiration
of the people with whom they associate.
How few of them are there who, indepen-
IDENTITY of their surroundings of the rever-
enCe AMI awe with which we are taught
from earliest childhood to look upon them,
who would inspire us by manner, teach
ings or daily walk with notion of Supe.
rior meekness, humility and affection as
the disciples and imitatOrS of the meek and
lowly Jesus. On the contrary, do they not
expect to be treated with marked consider.
ation on account of their positions in the
community, rather than ON account OF their
superior merits?
What advance in his calling does the
teacher and the preacher Of today mark
over those Of the days of Solomon aud St.
Paul? They teach ana preach in temples
as in those days, and while almost every
other calling in life has been revoiutiOnizcd
since the discovery of the art of printing,
that of preaching remains the same. A
clergyman is satisfied to preach two or
three times a week to three TO five hundred
people in temple costing from s., 900 to
100000, when the same amount of capital
invested in printers ink would enable him
to preach the same sermon to tens Of thou
sands.
Is not this a great waste of capital? And
is it not essentially aggravated when the
owners Of this church property come and
demand and insist that it shall be exempted
from taxation?
We do not begrudge the value of the
property for the cause of religion. Take |
il all and ten times more for the benefit of |
the bodies and souls of men, for the cause
of morals and religion. We are committed |
to these causes heart and soul. But we in |
sist that these OUTLAWS should be utilized. |
1t is the duty of Christians to so manipu- |
late the capital which they invest in the |
causes of religion and education that it will !
yield the best returns, and we do not admit |
that the vast amount of money invested in
costly edifces and their furniture, ostensibly
in the cause of religion and only utilized
one or two days in the week, is capital well |
invested. Ii looks too much like talents
hidden in a napkin. 1t indicates laxity and /
unwisdOm in the management of religious +
capital which is not characteristic of our
people in the management of secular affairs.
1t does not appear to mark the same adj
vance in the service of God that is made in
the accumulation of wealth. The laborers
60 not ap0ear TO take proper advantage of
their work by means of laborsaving
as is done in other fields of
labor. AT least so it appears to US some
tir,ns