The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-01-22
COMPLIMENTARY INDEED -


iston, who does not venture to favor us
with his name, doubtless because he is
ashamed Of it. II we were not IN a su-
perlaiively good-natured mood, We
should consign it to the waste-basket
because it is anonymous. The intro
ductory extract, which probably is all
the writer knows about Mrs. Duuiway
or the NEW NORTHWEST, aud which,
we'll venture to guess, was clipped from
some paper he uepsr paid for, was part
Of au editorial letter that was first
printed in these columns:
The stranger is a little surprised that a town
as old as Lewiston Is so destitute OF churche,
and other public buildings. Nor is his wonder
lessened when he sees the people so orderly,
intelligent and hospitabIe as 20 put 20 shame
ful many town we wot Of, where the good
citizens are pestered 70 death formoneyto pay
needy parsons and build rival churches. or
course, the saloons are plenty and prosperous;
but they arc not one whit more so than in
other towns. and we opine that there is more
religious tolerance and general reverence here
for ihe real Gospel now than there Will be
when every rival sect has sent church spire
heavenward, and further depleted the peoples
finances by buying bells and organs Tor the
exclusive use Of the self-righteous few who
control them. We like Lewiston. We like
her because she is cosmopolitan, whoic-souled
and honorable and destitute OF other airs than
those Boreau ones that come sweeping down
from their mountain homes 20 be tempered
here by hills and wales and rivers, condensing
the vapors into gentle rain, ard the hoar frost
into dew-drops.-lMrs. Duniway's Letter.
Complimentary indeed We are somewhat
surprised that a lady OF Mrs. Duniway's noio-
rIsiy as a reformer and her good sense aud
moral cultivation should 10 far detract from
the dignity and importance OF the Christian
religion. True, We have many good people in
Lewiston, and Ills natural d lady visitor should
come in contact with only the purest and least
offensive element OF society. There is much
needed reform here, and this work can only
be accomplished in the workshop dedicated
TO the service OF the Almighty God. We do
not want saloons 10 prosper and iniquity TO
stride unrebulsed through our streets. We do
want churches and the great power of religion
90 I'm as out of the rubbish OF immortality and
shame and transplant Us 10 the vineyard Of
the Lord. Take the saloons aud give US
churches. A CITIZEN.
Truly, "a Citizen" of Lewiston is tor
mented before his time. We are re-
minded much Of an ex-parson we once
read Of, who attended Gospel service
one Sunday and heard venerable
preacher, who could see through shams
and rightly estimate pharisaical shib-
boleths, declare that he had personally
known four erewhile "needy parsonsp
who had retired from the ministry as
quick as they married wealthy wives.
The eX-parson became indignant, and
ederyesced about the sermon in the
preachers presence in the same oflen-
slve style that our hidden brother uses
now. The good minister heard him
through, and then calmly said:
"Were you once a preacher ?"
Eyes" was the falteriug reply.
"And did you marry a rich wife ?"
ayes"
"Do you preach now ~
"No."
"Ahi Yours is the 9th case, then"
Now, We suspect that Mrs. Duniway
/ inadvertently hit "needy parson" in
the truthful narrative that called forth
the above anonymous rejoluder. But, if
our irate brother, who perhaps does not
know that the Scriptures say at is not
erery one who saith Lord, Lord that shall
enter into the kingdom OF heaven" had
been reader Of the NEW NORTHWEST,
ami an attendant at her lectures, he
would be spared the modification OF
making himself the laughing stock of
the thousands who understand her SEN
timenis aud teachings clearly. We
know, and SO does everybody else tut a
boiled-d0wu bigOt, that the saloons are
just as pIenieous aud prosperous in
towns where there are plenty Of
churches as they are in Lewiston. Ii
our anonymous scriObier will direct US
to one community where the great
power Of religion that he talks about
has rooted out the saloons, we'll travel
FAR to see that place and pay due
homage to that religion.
We found no churches, but a great
deal Of reverence for the real Gospel, in
Lewiston, and said so. We now re-
iteFate everything in the above extract.
Aud yet, there are thousand reforms
needed there as elsewhere; aud candor
compels Us TO say that nowhere are they
more greatly needed than among our
so-called Christians, who, by paying
"tithes OF mint, auise and cumminn in
the shape OF churches for the exclusive
use Of the self-righteous few who con-
troll them, " are guilty Of "neglecting the
weighiier matters Of the law"
We believe in churches. They are
an outgrowth of humanity's needs.
But we would have them builded, ded-
icated and used for the good Of the
people. All out-o'-doors belongs to God,
aud is the workmanship Of His hands.
God is not man, that He can be placated
by church spires, nor appeased by SOM
Der buildings that are shut like charnel-
houses all through the week, under a
farce Of holiness" for the "needy par
sons" use on Sunday, while the saloons
and other agencies Of evil are open
six days out OF every seven.
In conclusion, We respectfully ask the
Lewiston Teller to re-publish this
article, as We know Of no other way to
reach the anonymous scribbler, who
hides himself behind his bombastic self
Righteousness while taking US to task
fnr taIlinr Gnlls efernal tr,,th