The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-04
THE TEST OP NUMBERS.

The first number of the Indiana Christian
Advocate, edited by Rev. T. A. Goodwin, de-
votes an entire page to the late visit of Sam
Jones and Sam Small, Introducing the article
with an allusion to certain influences which
are thought to have been of a nature to preju-
dice their work here The advocate then
says:
"But, Notwithstanding these distractions,
his congregations were limited only by the
capacity OF the City Hall, which holds five
thousand. Had its capacity been double, it
would have been full every night Now,
what does all this signify? It is the more sig
nficant because it is not exceptional as to Indi-
annapolis. Wherever Mr.. Jones goes similar
results obtain, and he is only surface and
careless observer who dsmisses the phenome-
non as of little significance"
He is only careless and surface observer
who determines the value of anything, par
ticularly of moral and religious movement,
by the crowds it draws. If the attraction" is
to be the feature by which we are tc Judge,
then the ''revivals" of Mrs. Woodwork and
the demonstrations now progressing near Ma
rion, Grant county, under the lead of Mrs
Mershom, where 5000 people are drawn togeth-
er in a grove and kept at ''devotions7 until
3 o'clock in the morning, are vastly more val
liable to the church and to society than even
the strong words of Mr.. Jones' Judging by
numbers the strumming of young girl on a
banjo, accompanied by the meaningless min
strelsy of another, at the Loveland camp
meeting last year, was of greater Importance
than the preaching of the wisest bishop of the
Methodist Church, who was compelled to sus-
pend his services while the Salvation Army
girls went through their fummery. If num-
bers be the proper test, then the Sunday serv-
ices at the Acton camp-meeting, where the
managers divide the profits of the railway ex-
cursion trains, and where the Sabbath desc
Grafton" is not reduced to the minimum" as
has been urged by the Cincinnati Advocate
should be done, must commend themselves to
the Indiana Advocate.
We do not discount the value of Mr.. Jones's
ministrations in Indianapolis, but we must
put in protest against the theory that the
crowds they attracted determined their value,
or that crowds or popularity determine the
real value of anything in an educational way.
A circus will sdraw" more than a lecture;
smuggling match will have larger crowd than
a college commencement. Mr.. Jones, with his
eccentricities and extravagances will assemble
bigger audience than attends any one
of our city churches; yet we challenge
the idea that ten days of Jones,
valuable as they were or may be, can be pit
ted, by careful and thoughtful men, against
the influence of the regular, persistent earn
est, faithful work of the pastors Of our city
churches, who were made the butt of his sar-
casm, and whose work was the target for his
sharpest arrows. Jones comes and Jones goes;
these men stay year after year, working in
season and out of season, and their influence
upon society, as expressed through the
churches over which they are set. is worth
that of score Of Joneses. While extending
to Jones, and to Jones's kind, all the honor