The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-11-27
How Is the World Growing 9-Better
or WOrse2

In your issue OF october is an ar
ticle from Rev. John S. Park, "Is the
World Growing Better p The wri-
ter is satisfied that he has the grounds
for saying "my views have become
better fixed, if possible, by subse-
quent reflection, that the world is
growing better" To oppose this de-
claration is pessimistic, ! am we'll
aware; yet, we may judge Of the
world by what we see of it and learn
of it in our own country, very fair
sample Of the rest. We infer that
the deduction made has reference to
moral and religious improvement, the
result of "this great Foreign Mission
ary country" Let US see if immi-
grants are any better for being ad-
mitted to "this land of religion and
liberty" No later than September,
1895, this statement was made by Rev.
Thos. Dixon, Jr., of New York, the
metropolis Of wealth, of population,
and the leading city Of schools, char
tiles and colleges:
aThe facts of the failure | state
with a sad heart, for the past six
years these facts have forced them
selves upon me. New York is the
metropolis of the nation, in addition
to this, the ground Of Professionalism.
New York is, without exception, the
most, goddess city on the American
continent. In 1840 there was one
church to every 1000 inhabitants.
To-day it has one church to every 1900.
There are districts in this city Of So
600 inhabitants where there is no
church. New York has 100000 hu-
man beings who, as far as regards
Christian knowledge, are heather, and
heather not in name and form, but In
heart and spirit. The numberof men
who attend church The does not claim
members is not equal to one-half OF
those who register at the city hotels.
The Methodist Church, which is the
most aggressive Of our time, had a
membership last year in New York of
II, 300, divided among Sc churches.
The subscribed and invested money in
these churches was $3.50, 900, and
there was gain of 241 members du-
ring the year. The Baptist Church,
with mem mbership of 18, 900, and sub
scribed and invested capitalof 81, ,5O0,-
900, had gain Of ZIG members. The
same state Of affairs prevails in the
Presbyterian Church and others, not
withstanding their immense wealth.
The Protestant Church is
moving up town, flying away from the
people, and losing it's grip on the
masses.
Statistics show that in 1850 one per-
son in every 3, 442 in the United States
was criminal. In 1860 one in every
1,648; in 1870, one in every / ia in
1880, one in every 1856; in 1890, one
in every 757 was a criminal an in
crease Of nearly five hundred per cent.
on the per capita basis. "We have
distanced the world in building school
houses and jails. The aboveis from
the national records.
The Chicago Tribune says: "In 1894
there were 4, ,912 cases of suicide in
the United States. In 1893 there were
4,935 in 1895, there were $3.50 in
1891, 2,640 in 1890, 2,224;, in 1889,
about the same number; an increase
of 12O per cent. in four years. There
were 6,615 murders in 1893, and $500
murders in 1994an increase Of fifty
per cent. in one year. Of the $500
murders in 1894, there were 132 cases
of conviction found by courts, and
1868 murderers were turned loose for
fresh violations"
These facts may be placed side by
side with temperance items, educa-
tional progress, new condition Of wo-
man, church societies, ad nauseum,
a.sq,te, and the bald fact remains that
we are loaded down in society with
crime and heartlessness. There is a
glamour that prevails under Church
patronage which has a parade OF pro-
gress, but the wedding out must come
to show the hollowness Of society, the
decay of morals and the speciousness
of profession. I am glad my brother
sees light. I wish I did not see so
much abhorrent darkness. u. T..
Hamilton, ESQ.,, IN Christian Observer.