The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-27
ON 4 FIRM FOUNDATION
Sources of the Strength of the
American Republic.
Representative Eddy Addresses the
Annual Meeting of the washing
ington CONGREGATIONAL CIub-The
Four Important Corner stones Up
on Which the Government Rests.

|
sion memorable one. The evening was
| happily divided into reception by the
| ladies' of the club at s O'Clock, a business
meeting at $50. carefully prepared ard
daintily served supper at :. followed by
music and addresses at $50. Rev. NJ.
Ross FishburT, the retiring president, held
the chair for the occasion, and introduced
part in the programme.
Representative C. L. Littlefield Of
Maine was to have been present and make
an address, but was confined to his rooms
with an attack of influenza, and sent his
regrets. The programme included two
songs kipling's "Recessional,' sung by
Miss Mary E. Pond. and Ora Pro Nobis, -
rendered by Mrs a. D. Melvin in a mas
terful style BY a sweet soprano of excep
tional power. The others participating
were Rev Oliver Huckel. of Baltimore,
who spoke upon the subject The Mission
OF Our Church to the World" and Repre-
sentative Frank NJ. Eddy, of Minnesota,
whose topic was "Cornerstones of the
Republic" Mr.. Eddy said, in part:
The American Republic is a quadrangle
a perfect square. and it towers above the
other governmental structures of the world
! the other buildings in this city of states
men. Under each of the -FOUR corners is
'cornerstone shaped by the divine archi-
tect of the universe. and they rest not on
the sandy soil of superficial opinion or the
substratum Of error, but deep on the ever
lasting bedrock OF virtue so that the
building never gets out of plumb.
And these four cornerstones as the
Church. the home, the school, and the
nf
lance, but all are not of equal honor. Each
is separate from the other, yet they are
inseparably connected. for without the
Church we could have no civilization. The
theclogians tell us No cross no crown
and | tell you that the cross is. always
has been. and always will be the advance
agent CT civilization. No barbarous or
savage land in all the world was ever civ
lized until the Church plow upturned the
SGD on which to sow the seed of enlight-
eminent. Without this civilization 8e
could have no home; without the home it
would not be possible to upbuild the school.
and without the school the press could
not exist a single day. So you see that
while each of the -cornerstones' is sep
arate and distinct, there is mutually be-
tween them an interdependence of one
upon the other
Leading up to his subject the speaker
said:
The last but by no means the least
among the cornerstones is the press ard
l do not mean the mighty metropolitan
dailies that are the marvel of this marvel
Gus century. whose complicated machinery
turns cut papers, printed, folded, wrapped,
and addressed ready for distribution.
faster than the eye can follow or than a
man can count; whose facilities for gath
erinS the news are almost incomp, 'hensi-
bic to the ordinary mind; who utilize the
telegraph. the telephone, and the cable in
such wonderful manner that you are able
to read the afternoon happenings in the
Orient on the morning OF the same day;
whose tircless. wing footed. argus-eyed.
animated Interrogation points known as
reporters gather in everything that hap
pens, guess wonderfully close 10 what is
going to happen. and gather in Il great
many items that never have or never will
happen, and give them a circulation as
wide as the world. These are a part of
the building, and a mighty important part
too; if they were removed il would be
sadly defaced but not ruined. But they
are not the press that forms the corner
stone. That is the country weekly, where
oftentimes the same man is r.1Orter, ad-
vertising agent subscription solicitor.
business manager, compositor. devil. and
editor combined: whose weekly paper goes
into more than half the homes of the ma
ton where none others ever enter.
Once in every seven days the weekly
enters the humble home. 1t is an event
looked forward to; the mother holds il in
one hand while she works the churn
dasher IN and down with the other and
reads it all and wishes there was more of
it. 1t is the connecting link between her
and the great outside world. She tells
the contents the next day TO her poor
neighbor when she pays her an afternoon
visit. The head of the house comes in
after his days work is done. eats his sup
per. takes OF his boots. lights his pipe
and calls for the paper and reads every
thing perhaps beginning with the adyer-
tisements and winding up with the edi
tOrial on Porto Rico. and nine times out of
ten, by the time he finishes he is Of the
same opinion as the editor The next day
it is wrapped around the chidren's schoO!
dinner and they read it during incoming. 1t
is absorbed. 1t becomes a part of their
being. They grow to see things with the
EDITORS eyes. think the editors thoughts,
and he furnishes the motive power that I'M
pels their action.
And hence | denominate The Church OF
God, The Christian Home. The Cross
Road School. and the Country Press as
the four great corner stones of this great
Republic of ours that all loyal hearts love
so we'll. and what better corner stones
could be found? Then come what will.
come what may let the rain of adversely
fall. the winds of a misrule blow and the
foods of war sweep against it. as long as
God reisns cur house will stand and fall
not because of its firm foundation
MIR. Eddy was followed by Rev. Oliver
Huckel, who said in part
''Congregationalism is not 50 much q
denomination as spirit and principle
which may pervade all denominations.
This spirit and principle is the maiEte-
nance and extension OF three things. Apos-
tolic. simplicity. religious liberty. and
catholic comprehensiveness
1T is the primitive form Of the New
Testament Church. The whole Church was
first Congre gational. then Presbyterian,
later Episcopal and finally papal. after
which it broke again into its constituents. |
1T allows the fullest liberty consistent
with loyalty to Christ in all matters Of doc /
trine, government and ceremonies. 1t
encourages an endless variety and diversity
in church form, life. and work as long as
The spirit Of Christ is maintained. and as
long as II is sought TO honor and glOrify
God.
"Ccngregationaiism stands before the
world for the church as a republic of God
We believe in democracy in religious as
in civil affairs. The Church Will come to
this as its ultimate form, as il was its
primitive. 1t is religious government OF
he people by the people. for the people
II Is a divine blending of individualism and
socialism in the highest things of life. Its
possibilities are as large as the greatest
needs OF humanity II opens prospect OF
illimitable expansion. II is as broad as
Gods own Astounding and infinite love. The
modern missionary movement Is the
awakening of the imperial consciousness of