The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-01-25
MR.. COLLINS SPEAKS.
He Answers the Editor Of the
Washington Post.

To the Editor of The Times: There APP
reared in YOUR paper some time since a
clipping from the Washington Post on
church music. 1t began with quotation
from a speech that was made before Ihe
Methodist Congress at Pittsburg oy Ut
Atchinson, of Illinois, which. Il correct,
is too severe. concluded to pay no atten-
ton to It, but since its appearance IN
your paper have seen references made to
it SO often by persons who Endorsed him
that have concluded to reply to the ar
ticle through your paper, if you will al
4 low me
will first notice the quotation, and
afterwards the remarks made by the
writer of the article. AS to the quotation
/ will notice it, first, as to the statement,
oThat sacred song in certain branches OF
his church had degenerated into car1ca-
tire" What could he have meant by
the words Certain branches" He must
have referred O certain congregations OF
his own denomination. He certainly did
not express himself in such an ambiguous
manner as that, but if he did employ the
term "pranches," to what branch of his
church could he have referred. 1t GER
tainlv Is very unsatisfactory way oil
doing. 1t seems to me that it is very I'M
usual for one to get up before great
body like that, and indulge in such insin-
uation. We have nothing TO say about
the music and hymns used by his branch
of the Methodist Church, but it is no
m ore than right that we speak for our
own side.
He said 'that sacred song in certain
branches of his church had degenerated
into a caricature." Does the Doctor lot
know that many of the songs used In
some of the congregations are of their
own selection, for which the church is
net responsible?
II he knows that to be the case, then
why hold the church accountable? Does
he not know that that class of music to
which he refers is the work OF individuals
for which no branch of any church can be
held responsible That kind OF music Is
not Endorsed bv any branch OF the nletho-
dist Church.
But even here we must make eXcep-
tions. Let him look over tho long list of
names of those whose songs have done so
much for the world. Il hope the friends
of Fanny j. Crosby will not see the arti-
Gle to which refer.) If ne will stop to
investigate he will certainly see he has
done some one great in justice by his crit
icism. cannot see why anyone should
be SO severe on the church now. There
never was time when the same COM
plant could not have Teen made, but it
VIII peas IL Is uOW, luc DcoD W liz SuA'i'o
the age while that of which he complains
will be forgotten. The chat is always
seen about the new wheat. The wind of
time will blow it away. If anything -
sung (Which he Gays is the case, now
stunworthy the history and genius of
Methodism, Tin our revivals, camp N eet-
ings, Sunday schools and Epworth League
conventions. who is to blame? Somebody
has committed blrnder in the selection
of tn. person in whose hands this work is
placed.
Such criticism does no one any good,
unless it is the thing he endeavors to re-
IN ove. 1t often'turns out n benefit to such
institutions, for 1t is often a good adver-
tisement for them.
Row as to the article itself. After Civ
ing the quotations from DIR. Atchinson's
speech, he begins as follows and says
s'It has become the rule rather than the
exception, not only in the Methodist, but
in other churches. to intiict upon the pu-
pills of the Sunday. schools the veriest
trash both as to rhyme and music. In
one Sunday school in this city washing
toni the children were ta"ght TO sing an
rreyerent and jingling lot of doggerel
set to the tune of There's little old log
cabin in the lane" Now as to the words
that are here called the everest trash.
If one will 20 to the trouble to look in
"Gospel Hymns" No. ., page 1O2, hewitt
find there the hymn called trash and that