The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-14

must be more careful with its attention
to the public ministrations. He would
work radical changes in the choir service.
The choir should never be stationed be-
hind the pulpit. It should be in the rear
of the church or stationed on one side
OF the pulpit He cited church IN
Buffalo where the choir was stationed on
a front pew at one side and when song
was announced the choir steps out In
front and facing the audience leads the
singing and retires
"a silly girl" said Bishop Vincent,
''sitting back of the pulpit can knock
minister's argument to flinders, no matter
how strong the argument may be. A
LAWYER who is unfortunate enough 10
have a fine bass or tenor voice and
skeutical mind, can, with a sheer or curl
Of his lips render an argument Of no ac-
count In the church of the future ev-
erybody will be active in the work OF
the church. The minister win not have
to do it all. The divine presence Is nor
in this Bible here, 1t is not in the sac
rament, 1t is not in the singing, put IL
is in the human heart. In order 10 make
a preachers sermon a success, there
must be more attention, more responsive
work. more congregational singing, lit
tie more art. But you do not want an
artistic choir with no feeling in it,
1.-THE future church must be all emorac-
ing. It must embrace education. politics
preaching. seaching. 1t must insist on
keeping seven holy days week. out
guard one day especially holy and sacred
It must work for the good of humanity
1t must seek to purify politics and IN
still religion into business.
.T,astlv. the future church must be
wholly Catholic. / believe it is better TO
have many denominations, many creeos'
and plenty of theological discussions.
There should be more preachers. One
preacher 10 $50 members IS not too much.
That is about all one man can handle.
So 1 say to every denomination, buiid
your towers higher. Congregational,
Baptist, Episcopal, Catholic, build your
doors wider and let your towers ascend,
for some day God will come and sweep
an arch from tower to tower and we shall
have a magnificent and glorious unity
with Christ our only creed and our
strongest anchor"
THE FIGHTING PARsON.
ference is Colonel Allen Buckner of Bald
win, who came down yesterday to visit
the conference. He is 70 years old and is
on the superanuated list, yet is a man
of wonderful will power and tenacity Of
purpose, and often he breaches yet. Col
onel Buckner IS known to his brother
ministers as the Fighting Parson," ow-
ing to his brilliant record in the civil
war and his fight for existence and the
preservation of his preachers during the
grasshopper period in this state. AT the
latter time. in 1873, he was presiding elder
of the South Kansas district when it
comprised the entire south half of the
state. Grasshoppers swooped down upon
Kansas by the million and devasted the
state No one had any crops to sell for
money and no money to pay to the
preachers and the result was that the
preachers Jared worse than most any
other sort of creatures in the common
wealth.
THAT was a terrible time for the
church." said Colonel Buckner while sur
rounded by a group Of ministers yester-
day. But bless the Lord we came out
all right. Everybody was sending out a
call for this and that, lbut 1 was interest
ed in my preachers, so I issued a call.
Well in a few weeks the boxes came
rolling in, and I was happy. At one time
several boxes came and 1 went to the
depot delighted. When I ascertained
that there was a freight bill of S33 at
tached 1 was nonplussed. I didn't have
a cent so 1 thought the people might
as well have kept the boxes at home. L
left the depot discouraged. Then I went
to the postoffice and there got a letter
with $100 in it. This enabled me to pay
the freight, and soon 1 was distributing
good things to the preachers and their
families. Everywhere I went to hold
quarterly meeting I took a sack of some
clothing and food for the preachers wife
and babies"
Colonel Buckner has war record that
is a credit to any man. He was officer
of the day of Sheridan's division at the
battle of Missionary Ridge when the ridge
was stormed by the federal troops, and
had charge of the skirmish line the first
time When they reached the foot Of
the ridge Colonel Buckner took command
of his regiment, the Seventy-ninth Hi
nois, on Sheridans right center and
showed it up the ridge 500 yards in face
of rebel artillery and musketry. The
Seventy-ninth scaled the rebel fortifica-
lions and was among the first to break
their lines Colonel Buckner is said to
have led the charge on Rocky Face Ridge
on May 9. ga, when he was shot through
the body and lay helpless in the hospi-
tai for a long time. He recovered sufti-
ciently to be in that terrible battle Of
Franklin, Tenn, in the winter of "a,
where he had charge of the Seventy
ninth Illinois, One Hundredth Illinois,
Twenty fourth Wisconsin and the vet
Grams of the Twenty-seventh Illinois,
and was on the front line when General
Thomas destroyed Hoods army.
Colonel Buckner's friends heap all
kinds OF honor on him in their admira-
ton for his splendid record in the cause
of his country and his magnificent work
in the church. While living at Emporia
several years ago he created a national
sensation by splitting up bullet while
in a paroxism of coughing. The bullet
was the one he was wounded with at the
battle of Rocky Face Ridge twenty years
before The bullet entered his breast
struck bone and glanced around rib
to the backbone and is supposed to have
lodged there and worked itself around
to where 1t could be coughed UP. Colo
mel Buckner IS a candidate for depart
ment commander OF the G. A. R., and IS
not so old but what he viii make lively
campaign and be able to handle the Of
fee acceptably. He is enjoying his visit
to the conference very much.
WORLD GETTING BETTER, SAYS
REV. HALL.
Rev. j. c Hall OF Hutchinson Is one
OF the successful ministers in the con-
faranca He has Just closed his fifth