Daily Republican., 1881-08-15
Why she Camp is Spiritual Fati'

The BrandyWlne oumini' 'a'h 'N'
ing is nearing close, and yet to use
n commonly used phrase not sonl has
bean converted, unless such athing has
occnrcd where and when not known to
anv finite being except tha converted
one and so far, at the close OF the
seventh day, only one soul bas shown
his need of salvation by publicly com
ing forward and bowing asked for the
PRAYERS of the people. Unless the con
version and saving of one soul prepon-
derates in the scale with all the labor OF
the camp meeting, then Indeed may the
camp be said to be a failare 80 far as
saving souls Is concerned. There must
be some reasen tor this want OF success,
ut q caap meeti.g which in former
years counted its converts by the hun
dreds, and in no year was without 8
number Of spiritual trophies.
There will no doubt be many reasons
given fsr this asst onisiing lack of religi'
Gus interest. Ssme will say the camp
is nothing more than a picnic on huge
scale, and the people attend for the
pleasu,e Of the thing-to spend q few
days in the PLEASANTLY shaded grove,
with the adyar tages OF a change Ct al
mosphere, chang Of water and a
change Of iivng & in general. We haze
no Doubt this is the controlling motive,
with krt few,exceVions, but even with
those taotians in view camp meeting
need not be spiritual failure.
The people who NOW attend inls7 d
camp meetiB gs are generally those who
are either net ablein a financial paht
OF view, or whose business will not per
init them to resort for, two or three
weeks TO the seasEsre, and Influenced
by those who do 60, they make the
camp meeting p.easurabie place Of re-
sort, a. near like a sojourn to the sea-
shore es possible. Under these eircaxa-
stances it can hardly I've expected that
those who attend camp will labor oil
day and every day aud most Of the
night around menner's bench, even
if souls are trembling in the balance. II
is generally thought, where there are
churches verywlare snd convenient to
everyt odE, c,at in them is where special
efforts should Re madetor the conver-
sion ofsoula The foregoing thoughts
are nc doub bt few OF the reasons for the
spiritual daaulence Of camp meetings.
But there iseone othec thing which we
would net overlook IN seeking for the
causes of poG success at the Brandy
wine Summit camp, aud we doubt rot
exists at othe, camps. We refer TO tht
wholesale dissertation of the Sabbatl
day.-a day xThich is priced and rever
ended as a day of sanctity AID rest by
al christian people. That the managers
of the Brandy @ine SumMit camp sane
tion the deSeGrstion of the Sabbath we
would not for moment charge, bu,
there are omi ssieEs Of duty which are
as culp&ble as tie commission OF tran.
re,sion. We would not, however
Judge them too harshly, as the laws Of
Pennsylvania in relation to the preSer
walton o. order and the prohibition o
traffic on Sunday are not the same as il
Delaware and Maryland. The woods
in which the camp meeting is helt
is not very large, but all around then
on adjoining farms, were numeroL
booths where ice cream, fruit, cakes
lemonade, nectar cider, ginger ale, anc
perhaps something stronger, were open
ly sold, and amongst these Sunda.
trafficers were many of those who wer
privileged to traffic on the camp gronnt
except on Sunday. The latter rightly
argue that having paid for the privi
lege OF trAtiicing On the g.ound, and th'
camp meeting association falling tt
protect them against squatters arount
the borders Of the woods who pay moth
ing for the privilege they have y rigl
TO protect themselves by entering int
active competition whenever ant
whereve. they can. One of these out
side sqnatter booths was on an adjoin
ing farm not more than fifty yards from
tie tent circle and did treInendou
business in the sale of ice cream a..
small drinks. Rev Mr.. Stephens at tn
opening Of his sermon last night regret
ted the permission Of the wholesale desc
Grafton OF the Lords Day which he hat
witnessed and told tho managers tina
they would fail to do their duty unit
they had exhausted the law in the pun
ishment of the offenders.
But another phase of disorder pre-
&: va:1el f,r which the managers are NOR
responsible than for their failure t.
- prevent Sunday traffic We refer t.
rthe great lack Of order and de"orun
not only all over the camp ground bu
within t ,e circle where the copgreca
ton 1t il supposed should be seated
Here were s6ne six thousand peopl,
roaming around over the woods al
day, thousands prornenading witbi
the circle cfttnts, around the preacher
stand, many smoking cigars and puff
ing smoke IN the faces OF ladies, eve
wnile preaching was going on from tn
stand and W EN- tired took seats to tai
OF farming and politics, keeping up
continual hum drum, that none coui'
hear word from the preachers stant
even If disposed to do so without gpin
close up TO the front. For all this tt
-. ~ Il