St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-19
SPECIAL CAR EVANGELISM.

. TLClhL O1h 1Sf +1NoHSt'Ao-'A'
The statements credited to Bishop
WALKER, of North Dakota. in his adj
dress at the general convention of his
denomination in New York. have con-
tinued unrevised. At first they were
hopefully distrusted by the home friends
of the bishop, which comprise a large
portion of those outside of his church
lines. There does not appear, however,
any reason to question the substantial
accuracy of the report of his speech. 1t
is a matter of general comment by the
papers of his spiritual domain. and it
will be fortunate for the able and hand
some divine if he can adopt the more
recent method of class of statesmen,
and persuade his people that a gust of
bewilderment aSsailed his mental res
ervOir at the moTent. 1t was q great
mistake in the bishop. although his inten-
ton may have been TO sUbServe the good
of his people by enlisting the sympathies
of eastern communities. Coming from
such high authority, it is largely ac-
cepted by those who would divert mi
grafton and capital to other sections.
and by those in the East who would
check the Westward movement and
keep the restless in their native regions.
1t borders upon the ludicrOus, however,
&c see attempts to dispaTage the state
hood of North Dakota OH this clerical
picture. As an instance of this the
Kansas City Times, a very bright and
influential journal, uses this language:
The bishop who told of the condition of
North Dakota, cannot be challenged on
the ground of partisaushiD or want OF
familiarity with the country. That new
pOssessOr of senators AMI electors can
never be populOus and has fewer votes THAI
st had year or two ago. The towns have
shriVeled'' and the citizen farmers are disap-
pearing. The big land owners take their
laborers tlere in the spring and depart after
the spring wheat crop is harvested and stored.
In North Dakota we have another pocket
borough like Nevada.
1t would be marvel and exception to
the history of new countries if there
were not occasional instances of disaster
10 farmers, and here and there a town
wrongly located, but general statements
of this nature are not warranted by eX-
listing facts. The towns are, as a ruie.
prosperous and growing. The largest
one is stated by the local papers this
week to be doing more business than
ever before in its history. The large
farms are confined to few counties
along the line of the Northern Pacific
road, and are gradually being reduced
10 the more desirable small farms.
North Dakota is more likely to have
100000 population in few years than
st was twenty years ago to ever have
any white settlement. But as two, if
not the entire three, who will represent
that state in the houses of congress are
capable journalists, they will do much
this winter to disabuse the public mind
of unfavOrable impressions. The plea
OF the bishop that he shall be provided
with a special personal ear to use
as a migratory church and spirit
ual dispenSary in his missionary
campaign seems very amusing to
the Dakota people. There have
been several instances in which
great political lights have shown from
the platforms of rail cars. PERHAPS the
first instance of the kind was that Of
STEPHEN y. DOUGLAS when he can
Yassed Illinois for the senate against
ABRAHAM LINCOLN in 1858. He went
about the state with a special car, with
a platform car attached. on which was
cannon that was fired for eclat and to
call the crowds at the small stations to
hear the Little Giant talk from the
rear of the car. 1t was a novelty. and
drew the pOpulace that the senator en-
Unused. made a rip-rOaring campaign.
and carried DOUGLAS back TO the SELL
ate; but the quiet LINCOLN, in logical
appeals to the judgment of the thought
full. without any of the spectacular array
of his opponent, sOwed his seed, and two
years later it developed popular ma
iOTity for him for president against
DOUGLAS in their common state.
Others have tried the special car
plan with no very striking re-
results. ANDY JOHNSON swung round
the ci rcle making little speeches in this
way when president, but he was not
elected again. Mr.. BLAINE had not
able rail car cavalcade in 1884, but he
las not quite been president yet. But
religious campaign on this plan has
not yet shown its possibilities. 1t NAV
be that it is just the thing to start the
religious natures of the DakOtians.
Still, if it were to operate when those
90 below zero Billiards the bishop re-
ports are getting in their work. there
would be discomfort for the prairie
audiences. and some OF the spiritual
food might be transferred by those lev
spears that he finds so active in biz
yards. This phase Of missionary enter
prise will be noted with much interest.
LET IL RAIN
In the cities and towns where the
O1panS of IRRIGATION arc n1enfifulIv SuD.