The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-16
A Peculiar sect.

The great annual meeting OF the German
Baptists, OF Dunkaris, at Harrisonburg,
Va, closed on Friday last, and very in
teresting meeting it was. in some respects.
The reports of it which our dispatches con-
tanned were pretty full. and, doubtless, were
read with considerable interest
The Dunkards are a rather curious sect,
but they are very earnest and sincere, and
il is doubtful if there is any other religious
denomination whose members live more
closely in accordance with their religious
belief They try to do what they are
taught is right, and hence they seldom
have trouble with their neighbors or with
each other.
Their peculierities cropped out during
their annual meeting. For one thing it
was determined that the wearing of gold
watch was a sufficient cause for dismissing
member from the church. 1t would not
be an easy matter for one not Dunkard
to point out why the possession Of good
watch is sinful, and perhaps a Dunkard
could not make it clear, even to himself,
why it is more sinful to wear
gold watch than silver
one. Nothing was said against wearing
diamonds or gold bracelets and gold rings.
1t is to be presumed, therefore, that there
is no harm in possessing these things. But
why is tberemore harm in possessing ASSOC
gold watch than in possessing 500 in
gold. If it is the gold that makes one
proud, then one who has five $50 gold pieces
in his pocket is in just as much danger OF
feeling pulled up, as it were, as one who
carries 500 gold watch.
During the meeting the women were
warned against wearing riding habits. The
brothers of the church think, perhaps, that
the sisters will be happier at homo darning
stockings and attending to household duties
than in guiding high-spirited steeds along
the highways. Both men and women were
warned to keep away from the theater and
other places where they would be
likely to see something that would
amuse them, and make them forget for a
little while the trials, troubles and hard
ships of life. Even the use of tobacco was
frowned upon and a resolution adopted
providing that those who use the weed can
not be delegates to any Dunkard meeting
VI DcIlOfln "a b1c Qublco Vi clOoiS.
The Dunkard religion seems to be very
solemn thing. 1t shuts the sunlight
out of ones life. 1t fills ones
mind with gloomy thoughts and is
productive of long faces. 1t makes
the young old before time has marked their
facss with wrinkles or touched their hair
with gray. The Dunkards may find pleasure
in that sort of religion, but it is difficult to
see how they can.
Every sect, however, has its pecularities,
and other sects may seem to be as peculiar
to the Dunkards as they appear to be to the
members of other sects The Dunkards,
therefore, should be given credit for
sincerity, and their peculiarities should be
overlooked.
There was only one question of those
they discussed upon which they did not
reach decision, and that was divorce.
That question bothered them, as it is
bothering other sects. and the whole coun-
try. They put off action upon it until the
next annual meeting. Its doubtful if they
will be any better prepared year hence to
make ruling with respect to it than they
were at the meeting just closed.