Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-05-15
ADDITIONAL LOCAL NEWS.

When the skating Kinks were intro
duced some of our enthusiasts saw in
them means of grace, steps of saliva
ton from the drinking saloon to
realms beyond the skies. We saw
the fruit in other places saw the
poor girl ordered out and her character
blackened forever by the whisper Of
the touch-me-not you common crowd;
saw that if nothing more. A few
unassuming women opened doors
here few weeks ago, and they, too,
preach salvation, but unfortunately
for them, not through the skating
rink or grog shop, and they are de-
nounced by the above-alluded-to en-
thusiasts. The trouble with them is,
they are not popular. If they'd drive
four-in-hand, cut dash in society
and be little more high. toned, these
self-constituted critics would be at
their feet,-a place they are not de-
serving of; other good people would
go on their way as before; and if
these newly-acquired swells would
leave in course of time-leave some
bills for those who went crazy over
them to pay, it would be what we
might expect. But they come here
to attend to their business, and as
long as they behave themselves no
one is justified in going out of his way
to interfere with them. Very good
people may not approve of their mis-
sion, but they have too much sense to
forget their duties for the moment
and oppose every wave that does not
disturb them. People who don't like
thing, needn't bother themselves
about il if it does not bother them.
There are plenty of subjects for saliva
ton in every town; there are even
some newspaper men who could stand
little more religious pressure. We
wish Sam. Jones and Sam. Small
could come here yet. They have a
way of saying some things that go
home as straight as an arrow and never
miss a mark. We have our churches
with their rules and methods, but
hundreds of people never find their
way to church and the church never
finds its way to them. Ifother means
reach them, it is we'll and good, we
are the last to oppose them. If they
lay themselves open to censure for
misconduct, we shall be the first to
expose them. If they violate any of
our laws, our courts ofjustice will at
tend to them. Until then, the free
dom of the city is theirs, and they are
entitled to the benefits of the laws the
same as others. 1t will be to the credit
of the town, and particularly of par
ents and children, if the Salvation
members are not mistreated as in
other towns. fyou don't like them
or approve of their work, stay away.
There are good many things we do
not like in all the churches, but that
is no reason why we should not give
them our support. Poor people are
out of place in the churches, or in the
world for that matter. The biggest
rascal is the biggest saint nowadays,
if he subscrlbes freely, and style is
the next through ticket to eternity.
If Christ would come on earth to-day
as he did 1900 years ago, there is not
church In the land that would recog-
nize Him. The most pious poor man
lives, dies and is buried, unseen and
unknown; while the man of wealth
and position, though he never gave a
thought to religion, is prayed over
and lauded for his christianity until
he turns in his grave at the mockery.
The Golden Rule is dead letter on
the modern road to Heaven. Men
are now guaged by the strata of
society they occupy, not by honest
lives and humble virtues.