Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-03-01
The Herald and Mr.. Wolfe.


Communicated
When hear good and true thing
said | feel always like saying amen
to it, When | read, it feel like writing
to the author and expressing my appre-
citation. 1t is for this reason that pen
this communication. Your editorial
last week upon Mr. Wolfe's work here,
is worthy of all praise. 1t voiced my
sentiments, and the sentiments, know,
OF very many others in this long suffer-
ing community. say this not with
with exultation but 'sorrowfully. / had
hoped that his coming would awaken
this people TO realization of their need
of the religion of Jesus Christ. The
result, | believe, has mainly been to /
stir up few TO belief in the religion
of Wolfe. which is far from Christlike,
and to cause the mass of the commun-
itY to form low estimate of what is |
called conversion, as taught by Mr..
Wolfe and bis adherents. In so far as
the recent agitation may lead any
earnest soul to search the scriptures, to
become better acquainted with the |
teachings of the Redeemer, and to live |
in accordance with what He laid down
as the rules of true christian life it |
will be productive of good. That good
may result from it is my earnest prayer.
But that good fruit may be brought
forth. it is necessary that those who
have blindly followed Mr.. Wolfe and
have listened, belieyinglY, to all that he
has said, should dismiss much of his
teaching from their minds, and learn
by diligent search of the NewTestament
what 1t is to be true follower of the
humble, charitable and loving Nazarene
who through all his ministry labored
only to do good and to elevate human
ity to purer and nobler plane of being
in this world, and to fit men and women
to live in holiness with him in the life
to come.
Ii those who have drank in as though
it were divine nectar, the coarseness.
slang, and uncharitableness which Mr..
Wolfe has poured forth in too many of
his addresses, are content to remain in
the belief that they have received moth
ing but the waters of the River of Life.
the evil results will far over balance the
good. 1t was a sight to make angels
weep to see mistaken but well meaning
men, and pure matrons and maidens
listen, with apparent eagerness, to Ian
guage that should have made every ear
Jingle and every cheek blush. L. is
grave mistake to say that it was neces-
sary so to speak and so to listen that
the sins of the world might be known.
That is paltry excuse. Would any
father. fit to be father, talk so in his
own family circle upon the plea that it
was necessary for the education of his
childrenP Would any decent per-
son endure to have q visitor enter his
household and talk to his sons and
daughters SOP Can any one give any
good reason why a person claiming to
occupy the high position of a religious
teacher. should use language that should
make every modest woman listener
bow her head for shame? One cannot
touch pitch and remain undefiled. One
cannot be filled with impure thoughts
in the name of religion. even, and not
be morally tainted. Many young men
and women, yes. children too, have had.
within the last six weeks, impressed
upon their minds impure images that
will not readily fade away. What
tlimsy excuse to say that they should
know evil in order that they may turn
from it to what is pure and good. That
is the excuse of the Police Gazette for
much of the filth that betouIs its columns
Those who claim to talk for righteous
ends should recall Pope's well known
lines and refrain from making their
hearers familiar with vice. He is the
wise moral teacher who teaches only
what is pure. The things that are i'm
pure and vicious are learned but too
readily. He need misspend no time in
presenting them.
But | would not have it supposed
from what | have said that | think MIR |
Wolfe culpable simply because he too
plainly presented what is evil MY
objection goes deeper than that. The
pictures he presented were often not
truthful, and all of them highly coored.
Mr.. Wolfe is a pessimist He does
not believe that naturally there is any
thing good in man. His doctrine is
that humanity is bad and is going on
continually from bad to worse. He |
views every action of others with an /
eye of suspicion. There is nothing
morally healthy in his tone; nothing to /
elevate men and women to higher living.
Judged from his utterances, his thoughts
hover much over the impure. A pure I
teacher must be man pure in thought
as well as actions, if the two can at all /
be separated. No one is pure who will
think and talk as much as Mr.. Wolfe 7
does upon things ignoble and debasing.
No one, for instance, who will think |
of dancing as he does and who will de-
liver the sermon upon it that be did. I
That sermon was an outrage upon de-
cency. |, who say this, am not an ad-
vocate of dancing, but believe dancing
to be far more moral than was Mr..
Wolfe's sermon on dancing
Town ELECTIoNs.-Th annual town
on the first Tuesday in April,
will be held April 3rd. In connection
with the subject of elections, we call at
tention to Chap. 391 of the laws of 1887.
All incorporated villages and cities not
existing under special charter have power
to assess and collect all taxes within the
same. They must, therefore, at the
annual rillage or city election, elect an