The Western star., 1900-01-27

to listen; their exposition of Scripture
listening to which either mas OF
leaves a man fool-would be heard
no more. BY the time these regula-
tions were enforced the Sunday school
would have ceased to exist. II the
pastor had the moral courage to Sec
ond the teachers efforts he would
soon find himself without congrega-
tion. One of the best conducted Sun
day schools in this city is managed by
an able school teacher. He is well
educated, progressive, religious, q
jealous church worker, but his is the
most poorly attended school here, II
we consider the size of the congrega-
tion. Suppose the teacher is asked to
conduct the prayer meeting; he knows
that in order to render honest service
to employers next day, the worker
must take plenty of refreshing sleep,
and he would possibly dismiss the
meeting in time for people to be ut
home and in bed by ten o'clock. His
sense of what is fitting might induce
him to protest against the long-winded
and often meaningless prayers heard
In no church of a civilized man save
that of the Negro. Those nondescript,
but catchy songs, holding kindship
with the war music of the savage, and
the strains once heard at corn shuck-
lngs, cotton pickings and log rolling of
slavery days, would be hushed; and
the reformer would be called an inf
del, and his position as teacher in that
place would go looking for another
man. III he did not object to these
things, If he did not strive to improve
upon them, but continued to try TO
lead, he would be weak man. seeking
10 gain and to retain place in the es-
tlmatlon of the populace by catering to
their Ignorance. 1t would be a "case
OF playing to the galleries." playing.
too, for the purpose of holding SCHOOL,
But what about attending church?
Generally speaking, the preacher who
complains of people not attending
church pronOunces his own condemna-
tiOn. Let him look to himself. Look
ing at this question broadly, l CHn
Isympathize with the intelligent min
lister. His is a trying position. If
he breaches up to the level of the
school teachers the greater part of his
congregation would starve intellectu-
ally and would not be slow in starv-
Ing him financially. wouldn't blame
them. There are not enough school
teachers, and their financial status do
not enable them to repair the damage
that could thus be inflicted by the H.
iliterate crowd.
If the preachers get down to the in
Itellectual level of the populace, his
teachers and editors are left high and
dry with nothing more nourishing to
feed upon than would be so much chaff.
husks, blue sky and sombre moonlight.
II the preacher can satisfy both of
these elements then he is a genius,
and | am not considering his case, for
know he has only one earthly COM
plant to make and that is the utter
lack OF companionship. Again. if the
teacher attends church, 1t is follv TO
expect him to get happy, to SHOUT"
and to fall into ecstatic frances as do
many of the older brothers and sisters
and which feats are very consoling to
the average preacher. A school teach
er who does these things is either
hypoCrit or fool or both. The very
thing that keeps the teacher from imi-
tating the older folks in their muscu
lar movements and wild gvrations. also
prevents him from initiating them in
the matter of giving money: it is COM
mon sense in both cases.
further. If the teacher is educated
that means that he has increased de-
sires to be realized. In this respect he
is like the preacher. If the preacher
likes comfortable home, pleasant
surroundings. good clothes. good food
etc. so does the teacher. If the former
doesn't want his wife to take in wash
ing, to hire out and cook. neither does
the latter. In view Of the foregoing
facts, together with the further fact
that the teacher works for starvation
salaries-considering the few months
In the year that he is employed-he
VIII never contribute any more liber-
ally than he has DONE and the less
said the better for all concerned. Per-
haps, it will not be considered a viola
tiors of the rules of controversy if 7
begin a flank movement and discuss
the preacher as a contributor to
churches and other public enterprises
There are no statistics at hand, but I
have been informed by brother who
attended all the conferences. conven-
tions, associations, unions. ETC., that
when it comes to contributing money
III ChduHeIS IeHOIe from preacher, this
latter gentleman IS not in the firing
ling by any means.
Lastly, the preachers vocation tends
as Macaully has we'll pointed out. to
make him desDotic. He is accustomed
to looking down to people from
level that is "six feet" above reply.
His statements are unchallenged and
his errors unexposed.
The teachers vocation tends though
in less degree, to effect him in the
same way. Each, in his way, is a king.
When they come together each for
gets to accord to the other what he
claims for himslef AS a result th5re
is mutual misunderstanding, and this
latter has been. is and will continue
to be the cause of all war.