The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1885-05-16
THE CHURCHES AND THE PEC-

Kansas City Times.

PIE.
Kansas City Times.
The Catholic church succeeds IN holding
the working classes to her communion IN
all countries where she has considerable
foothold. In Catholic countries, in Italy,
France. Spain, and the Catholic sections OF
Germany the lower classes and peasantry
are more loyal to their church and worship
than are the upper and more aristocratlc
classes. In this country the Catholic
churches reach both high and and low
alike, and the highest and the lowest ranks
ara equally loyal to their faith.
. But in no country, Catholic or Protes-
tant. do the evangelical churches retain
their hold upon the great mass of the pe0-
ple. and this fact is really a most serious
consideration, and one which affects not
only our own day, but all days to come.
Certain among the sects in times not very
remote from our own did work among the
poorer people, and their recruits were
mainly from among those in the humber
walks of life. The Methodists began their
work among the poor and the ignorant,
and in this they gloried. But they have
become powerful and rich sect, and as
their ministry has become educated and IS
oiyen to the more refined habits of wealth
! and learning, they have also grown ave.
from those who live in novels and hamlets.
Hero and there, now and then, some spas
modic movement or sect springs up, ana
for A. time seems to catch the ear anu "
Influence the life of the men aud women
who earn small wages and whose expendf-
tures must be made with the most exactan9&
aconomv. But even such movements and
sects reach very small percentum OF the
very lowest sections of society. In Profess
tant Germany, in England and in Amer
lea, there are vast numbers OF the people
who never attend church, and whose chls'
dren are not brought up to do SO. Line.
have no Immediate and direct relation with =
the church whatever. The peop4s who
work in factories and shops; the employees
in warehouses and offices, working for
small wages and who ates.undertaking to
support families upon these meagre in
comes, seldom dream of habltually attend
mo church services. If there is any needed
restraint in religion these people manage
, to live without it, and if there is any sweet
consolation in religion they must forego T..
These classes of our population seem to be
wholly Indifferent to both the obligations
. and rewards of the religious life. Perma-
nent neglect Of public worship must teno
: to the lowering of the standard OF puoiic
o morals. If this result is not seen IN the
o first generation, it will surely be seen III
8 the lives of the second and third.
IS The people who grow into the habit OF
7. neglecting the worship and Offices OF the
:. church are not wholly to blame. OF course,
st the responsibility of non church attendance
n must be upon themselves; but thesersass
IL really some good reasons why the poorest
? sections of our population feel just1faed IN
n absentinp themselves from church. In the
II first place American church habits put q
ID social disparagement upon poverty. amer
Sc leans are the only people, outside the peas
rt antries of Europe, who dress for church
Tn all European countries, and especially
ed among the educated and refined classes
ed ladies dress very plainly, and it is deemed
10 rather underbred to make any display
I'd whatever at church. In this country
lis except in conspicuous instances, ladies
ry aress for church much as they would to
OF social calling, and often as they would fo7
he social entertainments. Therefore to dress
"a s;mnlv and inexpensively is the badge O
se, noverty. It is moreover and, in serious
a I reality. very expensive custom to rents
Gh pew in a church and keep up all the othe
get financial expectations which grow out o
to .nch church relations And this chiefly l
nd the ettcome of Protestant shortslghted
RS ness and moral folly in dividing the chufc
OO mn into 80 many redundant sects. In VII
re, }ages 90 small that there are not peopl
alo sufficient to adequately support one churc
no there will be. perhaps, half dozen stfus
ler ol;no ecclesiastical organizations. II Tn
will sacred edifices were constructed to sea
mas thousands instead of hundreds OF WORSHIP
elk. pers it would be wiser pohcy. l3 sue
eir a case one minister, one choir, one tanito
hey one heating and one lighting. not to spea
vas of hundreds of other details, would sef'
had where now, perhaps, quite five or SIX al
at needed to perform the same duty. y
ain expense of keeping up fashionable chufe
is needlessly enormous and IS out OF = q
will proportion to a standard OF necessls
is Poor people cannot afford to pay tor 10
on nries of church attendance and the maj
and ob,ioatious which grow out Of it.
aste Perhaps this separation OF the mass
who from the churches is not permanent 1e
.ble ture of our social life, but may oe look'
the nnon rather as phase which VIII pa
Mr.. away when the churches themselves ?
Blue ,ess stress upon trivial theological opinio
had and heed more reverentIy the souls Of nj
ere and their spiritual needs. Religion shou
.ure not be luxury, but should be looked up'
hite "a a necessity of life, and thereto
fur shonld be put upon basis OF the most
thur extensive but necessary duty of llfe
-, Through London by Canal +@f
IT. wouh astonish many L,ondoner 10
told that he can go Through Lonaoh
OF Canal - Nexertleless such is the fact; and Il
no canal is the scene of the little travels oi
Just writer in the May Harper s. who describes
detail how he journeyed from beyond faauit
the +on the northwest of London, through the M
, ro,nlous parts of the great city. to the East
a tho lover Thames ON of the ma
f;e,ht- -hoats that ply Oh t!is raging cana
l.. T. ia almost needless to say that the writer.
B. L. Martin. Is an American 1ot * 10
own countryIaen who have been the III
Why curious "a IT,, Dckens' pa