Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1891-01-04
NUMBER 33.

We snail reacn the most exalted pOSslOllt-
ties of what the art of expression can
achieve"
The Standard (Bapt.. Chicago) saws
Professor Swing called attention, IN his
sermon on Sunday last in Chicsgo, to
matter which to our mind is of very grave
interest. Ii is the fac. that from year TO
year the religious pages have been elimi-
mated from readers intended for use in the
public schools, He makes this statement:
Thirty-three years ego Mc5nffey's Reader
Contained lO1 pieces in prose and poetry, 80
OF which were religions. In bis sixth
reader, published recently, bUt II Of tho 1873
pieces pertain to religion. wit and humor
taking lis place. Children laugh more and
muse less. This religious sentiment is
iessened still further in recent fifth reader,
winch has only 4 religious pieces in 100,
| ana IN popular fourth reader there is not
religious piece. In an elegant fifth reader
| OF great publishing house of TO-DAY 5 out
| OF ~ chapters are granted to religion.
Whether or not, as Professor Swing main
tains, the State should make its own read
| ers fer public schools, this which be adds
IN that connection is certainly true, that
| 'money-seeking men should not be per-
mitted TO 'pander 10 the msteIialism of the
times. At least, be adds some power must
come along with the ability to perceive that
| AAAA kSAtlOh Vi tue llIeT4LuTe must D6 re-
| iigious. The school.reaGers must be for
| human beings, and that, too, in their early,
flexible years; and 10 bind up millions of
these books with the religious sentiment
omitted is 10 tel great faisehoods to mil
hons Of our children There is an i'm
mense peril in the direction towards which
these words point, and they ought for that
reason not 10 pass with mere utterance.'
| Deailng with the matter Of ministers
preaching in public halls white their own
churches are closed, the Copgregationalist
says: The throngs which pour into
Central Music Hall in Chicago. the vast
audiences which Mr.. McNeill has a .jdressed
IN the rink in Edinburgh and more recently
IN a ball on Holborn, London. show that
they may not De SO averss to the proclama-
ton OF the good tidingsas they are sensitive
| to the atmosphere of proprietorship and
| exclusiyeness which peryadss some
| churches. at all events if men like Or.
| GDnsaulus and Mr.. Mcneil feel that by
preaching in hall part of the time they
can double or triple the practical influence
| OF the Gospel upon the community, we
| honor them for making the effort. and their
churches for permitting them 10 do it. 1t
| is an expedient which, as q rule. would not
be advisable outside of the great cities. and
| even there only as temporary tuine at
| best. For there is no inherent reason WHY
| the setting of the Gospel message cannot be
made approximately as attractive as the
message itself. John Wesley NAV have
J preached in barn, but his followers in
| this country are erecting churches at the
| rate OF two day. Churches are essential
| to the permanence and power of religion.
| Why should not every Christian church be
so wide open to the Door, the wanderer and
| the forsaken, so ready 10 stretch out the
| hand of helpfulness, 50 warm and loving
| IN its welcome of everybody, from the lady
| in her silks TO the workingmen in his
| blouse, that all shall feel disposed to come
and listen gladly to the message of Chris,,7
The Christian Advocate Meth saws:
| DR.. South has sermon on the Fatal I'm
posture and Force of Words 1t is cele.
brated sermon, worthy of study fer its lit
erary qualities as well as for its moral
| teaching. In it he shows how miser will
| think himself practicing economy, and
| spendthrift will deceive himself into the
belief that he is liberal. So many Chris
tians who are opposed to theatricals have
| deceived themselves by the word cantata
into the belief that some things that are
| deieterious are harm 'ess. A correspondent
of the Sunday School Times writes to the edi-
| tor of that paper that some claim that
| Christmas cantatas have a demoralzing
effect upon the children, some of them be-
coming stage struck" and led away by
| them, and asks the opinion of the editor
! on this question: is the use of the Christ
mas cantatas, as prepared and published
by the different church publishing houses,
beneficial or otherwise to the best interests
of the sebool2' The answer is 80 disc.iGsi-
mating that we quote it here: The term
Christian cantata" is by no means a def
mite one Strickly speaking, a "cantatar is
choral composition, in which a narrative
| is adapted to music, but intended TO be
| acted" Yet there are Christmas dramas of
all grades, with parts for acting by different
performers. now published under the name
of 'cantata.' These theatrioals are out of
| place in tine sanctuary or the Sunday
School room, and a Christian child is out
of place in their performance. A Christ
mas cantata is well enough if it is acantata;
but Christmas theatricals are no better than
other theatricals simply through their be-
ing miscalled ''cantatas. z"
| The Christian Union says: 'Our readers
will recall Professor Booker T. Washing
tons statement, in an article in the Christ
ian Union some time since, declaring in
general terms the ignorance and immoral
ity OF large proportion of the colored
| preachers OF the South. They will recall
| the protests against this statement which
we have also given to them from certain
4 IL
| find in the New York Age q letter from
Bishop Payne of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church, written to Mr.. Washing
ton after reading Mr.. Washing.cn's letter
and the animadversions upon it. What he
says on the subject is so important that we
give it entire: In regard to the moral
| qualifications of the Methodist and Baptist
ministers, so far as have seen and known
| them by personal contact, | believe that
you have not overstated but rather under
stated the facts. | say, emphatically, in
the presence of the Head of the Church
thst more than one third of the ministers,
Baptist and Methodist, in the South are
morally and intellectually qualified l
| will stand by this statement, apd can
demonstrate the truthfulness by pain
full facts with regard TO names, times
and places. Doubtless | shall be assaied
like yourself for speaking truth aud re-
cordiDg facts. Denominational bias and
influence will not cause me to suppress the
| truth nor to hide facts wheE il is necessary
to speak out vita the spirit of Christian
reform. l am Methodist of the Method
lists, head, heart, and soul; and while love
Methodism sincerely, love Christianity
better. Therefore, in behalf of Christianity,
| speak what believe and know TO be true
| with reference to our people South. l
commenced forty-seven years ago to labor
| Tor well educated and thoroughly Chris
tian ministry. The apostles and prophets
were all condemned for speaking out
against the corruption of the chief priests
and the churches. But power from above
compelled them to so cry out We reaffirm
our conviction, though the reafirmation
seems hardly necessary, that The testimony
OF Mr.. Booker 7. Washington, confirmed
by that of Bishop Payne, is abundsntly
borne out by the facts, and that it is q folly,
very nearly approxima,ing a crime, 10 at
tempt 10 conceal these facts, or to present
in 8 more favorable light than they deserve
the present quality of moral and spiritual
education which the colored people OF the
South are receiving from those ministers
who have come to them from the old
regime, bringing with them the ignorance
and the vice which slavery fastened upon
the race, and offering them. for a religion
of obedience and practical righteousness,
one of wholly immoral emotionalism."
Origination of "Pin-Money."
Pins were introduced into England by
Catherine, first wife of Henry VIII. and.
as then made, were ornaments rather than
articles of utility. They were OF brass,
| 1890 e;I1ar or cold uara ulaaed in tho