Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-02-17

Empire Il appears that 301 pse csut Of
The mae adult population do not knos
th. II lettees- 60 70 Southefh Europe,
Gross the Alps and enter Italy. For
long centuries, a. you are aware, the
Eibte vas prohibited and rieoeoosly
kept from the people over all the Italian
peninsula, and here the Law l am speak
ing Of receives its most striking CEN
hrmation. In LombarO y Of the whole
population ab0us one half could read.
Going southvard to Tuscany and ths
adjacent provinces, vhare the exclusion
OF the Bible has been more HiRoroas,
about one quarter Of the whole popola-
ton can read! But even this 10 exceed
ed in Spain, ~here for 800 years the
Bible was closed to her people. have
been left without il: and of her 1900,
OOO ls In fact almost incredible, 12.OOO.-
OOO dont know their letters, and 1000
OOG can write their names. You SEQ
how uubrOkenly this Law 10 maintained
in all civilized lands. Wherever the
Bible IL given to the people. popular in
teiiiRence rises 70 its Rreatest hight.
wherever it is absent care not what
tho reason of its absence may bs-there
popular intelligence disappears." He
then gives equally forcible statistics Of
the pfevalence of crime in the absence
Of the Bible, and adds: "rhese are
characteristic facts. illustrating the
stsaDgo but unbrokou oooneotion b.
tween the presence Of the Bible and
popular morality. EQglaDd hae annu-
ally four mufdesB 70 q million Of her
population. France thirty: Naples and
Sicily Ons hundred-' He cites Bridge.
port. in Chicago. AZ a fair OK mpie Of
the class OF people living without the
Bible in free. enlightened community.
A missionary had lately canvaased the
district, aud Of 123O families. he found
l2D without the Bible. The police re-
ports show that in this part of the city
tho greatest lumber of crimes are COM
united.
He closes with q reference to govern
ment, az fsllowy: Name the lands of
the Bible, and you have the lands of
Scotland, England, Holland. America.
receive their liberties from Gods word.
France, largely destitute of the Bible
for 80 many years, has tried fifteen diff
ferent governments" (thOueh she has
had some Of the faest scientists in the
period "all directly or indirectly of a
AoVOiutlOuoIy ObI8iu, III 0S8uty- y-t0I00
years. Prussia, at her side. though he
meath government harsh and with fea-
lures Of severity. has known how to
avoid the desperate remedy of constant
and bloody revolution. She has ad-
vanced her liberties by calmer methods,
and has maintained herself stable. pres
pereus. strong. Mexico has cast ont the
Bible. Il il bat few months since
saw the Bible Of one of her people
stained With martyrs blood" referring
10 the Acapulco massacre, 1875) "and
Mexico has had fifty-six revolutions
since 1921"
Now, l am aware of the lecturers ar
cunent IN all this. Modern civiliza-
tim will stand good deal of Christian
ity." Yes. agree with him. It stands
It grandly, and more Christianity and
less iniidslity will improve the solution.
will give little bit Of religious his
tory connected with our government,
with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas JEFF
fersOu, Roger Williams. the pilgrim
fathers, Daniel Webster, and q few
facts about Kepler, Calico, Copernicus.
and the work Of the middle
ages, which will answer the rest of his
lecture. at the Baptist Church this even
ing. D.J. PIKRCE.