The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
4 New Hampshire JercmiaI

Governor Rollins of New Hampshire
seems to be determinedto SheldoHize that
solid old Granite State. II is not known
that he had made much impression on it Sc
far. but he is faithfully trying He has
now come out with a pathetic plea for the
| observance OF Fast Day. OF course. every
Governor. in the old Puritan States. makes
Fast Day proclamation. and the duty is
usually more or less perfunctory. But Gov
ernor Rollins seems to make almost a per-
sonal matter of it. and quotes Longfelow
in moving way
II is matter of record II not of remem-
brance that some time ago this official
came out with lively Indictment against
his State as a degenerate section of the
country. without proper respect for relig-
ion. He seemed TO think that the matter
Moses of the occasion. But his words
sounded more like jeremiah.
He remarked with great astonishment the
fact that children were no longer christ
ened in New Hampshire and that there
were many communities where churches
Il
now married by justices of the peace: and
these things he thought signs that religion
was no longer respected in the State which
is under his anxious and paternal care.
If he had known more about the subject
he would have understood that the christ
ening of infants is abhorrent to Baptists.
and among primitive Congregationalists is
not generally thought necessary. although
the rite is practised in more advanced city
congregations. When he Puritans settled
New England they were in state Of en-
phatic revolt against the Church of Eng
land. and they consequently repudiated all
he customs of that church which they
could without interfering with what they
thought religion. Among the rites discard
ed by many of these communities was that
OF infant baptism. and if Governor Rollins
should take census OF the inhabitants of
his State, he would probably find that most
of the older people were never christened
AT all. Therefore, whatever the non
christening of infants indicates. it does not
indicate degeneracy as compared with the
customs of fifty years ago.
As to the fact that many villages 10
longer support a minister. but content
themselves with few months preaching
by some divinity student during the sum
mer, that is due to the decrease in popu-
lation rather than to any decline in reli-
gious faith. During the last half century
an alarming proportion of the inhab-
itants of this State have removed to
the West or to the Middle States, and the
farming population has migrated to the
cities. The reason for this is not religious
but economic. The farms no longer yield
a comfortable living for the self-respecting
farmer. He cannot compete with the West
and South, nor can he put soil where none
is. So he moves: and the village, once
prosperous and busy, is depopulated, poor,
and unable to pay clergyman's salary.
If Governor Rollins wants to create what
he calls a religious atmosphere in such a
community as that he will have to devise
some way to make the people rich.
He seems to think that what he calls
doubt and materialsm are at the bottom
of all this apparent decline of interest in
religion. Like most people who 90 on the
principle of giving others what they need.
not what they want, to quote Mr., Sheldon,
he takes no particular trouble TO find out
what they do need. Those who abuse the
materialistic spirit frequently do so be-
cause they are averse to using their rea-
soning powers, especially in matters of
ethical principles. 1t seems. sometimes
as II they liked abusing and reuroaching
other people better than discovering that
there was really no cause for abuse and
reproach.