The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-16

american ana Its recruits are from ALI
denominations.
It Is the simplicity of the Dunkard's
faith that appeals SO strongly to per-
sons OF religious mind. AS a. people
they are held In high esteem as law
ABIDING, non-speculative and riRidIy
honest AS farmers they are every
where successful. They have colonies
IN the richest agricultural sections OF
lne ohlted states, and wherever they
are they prosper. They are not ex-
ciuslVe In their dealings and prefer to
hve In mixed communities There Ia
nothlng in their creed that separates
tnem from their fellow man. and their
widely spread and open-handed char
NY, wherever they may be, is evidence
or their charity for persons of con-
lrary rengious belief. They practice
economy from good sense and from re-
ligious belief. and therefore have
always little store upon which
to draw when the church demands,
helpful to each other almost beyond
the conception Of other classes. they
are also willing to be of assistance To
othefs. There are no social grades. no
oi.eIehce IN standing in their commu-
mites. All are of the church and If in
favor with that body are entitled to
the love and respect and material as
slstance OF every other member OF -thA
church-not only the little organiza-
tlon or which one may be a member
out or the central organization as well,
Ihere Is no poverty which the outside
World Is asked to assist; no trouble a.
non~conformist is allowed To learn
The Dunkard Is by his faith bound IA
assist his brother or his sister to tha
extent OF his ability. The church takes
cognlzance Of distress-fnancia sr-
otherWise-and assists its members
Ihey give and take council" and SET
tie their own disputes They do nor
appeal to the courts, for litigation thew
hold IN adherence. Their petty differ
eEces are settled in the church. If one
OF the dlsputants in quarrel should
not abide by the decision of his church
ana appeal to the civil courts. his case
Would not be entertained by the civil
magistrate when the facts became
known to him. This has been tested
py contentious brothers, who found
they mad lost not only their right tn
appear IN civil court as a litigant,
Dut mad lost their membership in the
Dunkard's church as well. The civil
courts have held that all civil and conn
mon laws are based on ecclesia sticaJ
laws, and man having had fair trial
IN an ecclesiastical court, and having
agreed to abide by the decision OF thar
poay, has no appeal to the civil courts.
1t Is these qualities Of economy. indie
pendence and industry, and the sin1n1e.
YET nfm, belief in the doctrines Of their
t all tnat nave made the Dunkards al
strong and self supporting neonle,
Ihey are strictly practical in business
anu reilglon. They are frugal. tenn
perdle IN manner and habit, and avoid
politics as well as litigation. Their
creed Is Tor peace in communities al
Well as In national affairs. Thew have
accomplished without noise or pretense
what the ordinary dweller in this vals
OF tears seeks to bring about bv meana
or the caucus, convention and haIlof
pox They waste no time nor snend
thelr earrings for frivolities. In habit
as Well as dress they are simnle ana
are without vices in the use of stin1r
lahts In any form. The standard hf
morality is based on the word of thu
scriptures and no where in the world
is that standard more rigidly adhered
to. S*
Association with the Dunkards ID
necessary to bring out their best feat
ufes or life and religion AS a neon1a
tney are not OF the intellectual or hfeh-
" educated order The ornamental in,
lie mas been. sacrificed to the practical
with them Life with them. business
as we'll as ritual, Is a business AZ anu
worldly commands given him. so thew
literally obey the injunctions of tha
New Testament Where Christ conn
mands his disciples to wash one an
others feet, they obey 1t literally con-
tending that whatever of spiritual sig-
nlncance 1t may have cannot and must
not be divorced from the literal act,
They follow in strict accordance wiz
the command of st. Paul greet We ona
another with an holy kiss" "anoint thA
SICK with oil in the name of the Lord
swear not at ALL do violence to no
man." and other we'll known intunc-
tons that other creeds do not inter-
pref literally.
But If the Dunkards are not an in
tellectual people, at least they are In.
terestlng TO study and attractive in
many ways. In communication thew
are open and frank and hearty. TherA
is an air OF sturdy independence about
the men that commands respect One
forgets the uncouth dress and the
shaggy beard and hair in contempla-
ton Of the clear honest eve, the
straightforward and manly bearing.
AS we forgive eccentricities Of manner
and dress In those who have great
wealth or genuis.-so also must we
credit these Dunkards, with all their
pecullaritieS, the prescience of success
and forget their odd customs and
singular beliefs. 1t is astonishing how
sweet a girl of sixteen appears in her
queer head garb and plain gown; there
Is placidity of countenance that com,
pels admiration In the face that is half
hidden in the shadow Of the ugly sun
bonnet! Even the Dunkard baby is an
cute and cunning and lovable in its
oldfashioned dull colored gown as the
more pampered infant wrapped in laces
and bedecked with ribbons
But 1t must not be inferred that the
Dunkards do not value education. On
the contrary some of the ministers Of
the faith are men of high attain ncents
known in the world of letters as wciters
and publishers. Six colleges have been
founded, all self-supporting A re-
ligious paper, with circulation that ID
the envy Of many a prosperous daily.
Is established; and in other ways thew
are preparing for their children,a
future in educational matters One OF
their members, Rev. d. L. Miller has
made several tours Of the Holy Land
mainly to gather from the customs and
primitive history of that land all that
can be CLEANED that will throw light
upon the life of Christ and his immed-
late followers that the church Of to-
day may conform as closely IN Its
doctrines as time and circumstances
will permit to what it was 1900 years
ago.
There are more than 1000 Dunkards
In the United States. OF this number
about $500 have settled in North Da-
okla In the past three years. The
settlements have been visited by the
leading men and elders of the fofth