Daily Republican., 1889-08-27

BETHEL, Aug. 2ith.-A.ter the whole
County b re had been almost inundated
With heavy, continued rains, came the
dry uae, TIL last Thursday nj hit the re-
ir, shing rain dt dtscende1, and now tie lat-
er crops may produce gooJ re4ults. The
camp meeting season here Is nearly over;
to morrow will be the last, and we who
are interested In the prosperity OF the
church are very glad OF 1t. The writer
sharpIowi, aSd tfs other Eeaf RpfIis
school house on Conccrl circuit These
camps werc held over two Sab6aths And
demoral zed the chur .het and Sunday
schools for large distance from those
camps. They were not held the same
time, and thus attracted the peoples at
tentioG FIR several Ssbbaths. The ex-
curs'on boats were run, horses and car
Iiages were hired, even church members
patrohizing the boats ard hiring their
horses on Sunday. Members Of the
church. even class leaders, stewards and
Sunday school tuperiDtenit tents lesv .ng
thier church and schools to the enemy, TO
crafty morbid desire 10 see the crowds
The camp meeting authorities had very
lite respect for the eabbath becau Q they
sold on Sunday. II not 10 q very public
manner, behind the door. Thus, as you
said in your editorial, sery little good Ia
accomplished at camp meetings now. II
one-fourih the wish uns expense was ex-
pended at home 10 the churches, ten
timfs the amount of good would be done.
Those protesting re igion at camp meet
ings arc usually excitable PERSONS, and
the WORK is only partial, like stony
ground hearers, and when temptation,
ETC., arises, they fall away and remain
TIL the next year, when they have to be re-
newed again. Also the effort to get
chi dreu converted Is usually wrong, for
very few give permsnent evidence OF
thorough work. Oftimes much harm Ia
done the children, for they are taught by
the enthusiastic workers that they are
converted, now praise the Lord, when II
10 hardly true conviction. After they get
older, we don't know what TO do with
them, for their experience is very shallow
and thus they rest Ia precarious condi-
ton.
The writer knows this to be fact to
his own sorrow. We believe In the con.
version Of children, but they should be
instructed in the doctrines and plans Of
salvation, ard questi,Aied careful y at
our public children's meetings, and
only encourage them TO volunteer in
their approach to the altar, and then be
very careful to see that they give EVIL
dences Of conviction and change Of
heart, and not tell them 70 praise the
Lord before they really know that their
sins are pardoned. The great desire
now Is to make money at camp meet
ings, and the privileges are Usually sold
10 the highest bidder and In tho ex-
element too much 10 paid. At little
camp near here, OF twenty one tents,
where most OF the tent holders board
themselves, and nearly every one that
drives to camp bring their provisions, the
proprietor OF the boarding tent pays
S33, and bread tent $40. They certainly
can hardly pay expenses this way, SO the
manager threw out inducements to
violate the rules Of right. This-is wrong.
At one Of tho camp meetings, the first
sign we saw, in large letters, was "Se-
gars for sale" and the second Tobacco
and sogars." We were shocked tc
think that the church, at hir religion,
meetings, would sell such thiness tha
our rules discountensnce.