Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-10-29
DoWlEISM.

John Alexander Dowie-who assumes
the title OF Elijah the Restorer. head
of the Christian Catholic Church In
Zion, as it is styled, whose present
earthly abode is at Zion City, located
about 20 miles north OF Chicago. The
cause of Dowies present prominence
is a grand crusade that he has engaged
upon. with 5000 of bis followers, their
task the regeneration Of New York
city. according to Dowie's peculiar
faith. or assumed faith. BY ten spec
ial trains the Restoration Host moved
on New York from Zion City tort
night ago, with Elijah the Restorer IN
chief command. Arrived there, the
prophet and his family put up at one
of the best hotels. while the common
soldiers qnartered themselves in the
bleak Madison Square Garden, the
huge coliseum where circuses, Wild
West shows, pedestrian and bicycle
races are wont To hold forth. Here
have been held for week or more a
series OF most remarkable meetings, to
Judge them by the common conception
OF religious assemblies. Dowie him
self has been the chief actor. The
burden of his talk has been the reyil-
ing of existent forms OF worship, the
SANDER of clergymen, the bitter de-
nunciation of the daily press and the
glorifcation of himself and his move
ment in a manner that is truly appall-
ing to the ordinary spiritual mind.
1t was not to be expected that Dow
les fierce onslaught would 90 unan-
swered. Press and pulpit have turned
their batteries upon him and rebuked
him with an earnestness quite unwont-
ed in this day Of liberal thought.
Dowie's pretensions have been riddled
and ridiculed seemingly out Of sight.
He is denounced as an arch-fakir, who
has obtained mastery over several
thousand deluded people whom he
warps to his own ends. He has made
mask of religion, they say, and by
the very boldness Of his blasphemy
has obtained sway over weak minds
who are his willing slaves.
Who is Dowie, and what of him ?
He was a native of Scotland, who
went early to Australia. He preached
there for a time About ten years ago
he came to America and located at
Chicago. He had no charge and no
means at the time. Soon Chicagoans
were startled by hearing that a pre-
tender TO the mantle of Elijah the
Prophet was in their midst. His radi-
cal utterances attracted attention and
he soon had a following. Thousands
went out OF curiosity to hear him and
while most OF them were disguised
some were converted. Dowie, what
ever he may be, is no fool. lie is a
strong personality. He aims at the
spectaculaI-andr reaches il. He cult
Yates the long flowing beard and hair
of bible patriarchs. He has we'll
rounded body, bright eyes and a
shrewdness that shines forth on all oc-
casions. With his flowing vestments
on, he bears a close imitation to the
popular conception OF Elijah or any
other old prophet.
Dowie has fourished under abuse
and criticism. He prods the ministers
and the papers and they answer back.
By this process Dowie has risen from
obscurity to kind Of fame from pow
erty to affiuence. The more that has
been said about and against him, the
stronger has been the curiosity to see
and hear him, and out of it all have
come some converts.
Dowie's mission, so he says. is to
restore Zion, the figure OF speech bv
which is commonly meant the CONVEX
sion of all the peoples OF the earth to
one form OF Christian thought. faith
and fellowship. But Dowie means TO
start Zion on modern, matelialistic
principles. So he has founded a city
near Chicago that he calls Zion Civ
% which his chosen people are invited
to come and dwell. It is a model city.
Even Dowie's bitterest critics admit
that. The streets are well laid out
vide and beautiful; the houses neat
and comfortable. There is no LIQUOR
selling or drinking and tobacco is Ia
booed. The city, which was a plain a
few months ago, now has 10000 in
habitants. The principal industry is
the Zion City lace works, the largest
lace works in America. The hands
are well paid, the labor is light and
the people are happy and contented.
Dowie is the head of everything; head
OF the church, head OF the city. head of