Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-12-30

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tract, by the number of industries that
have sprung up, by the quiet and order
Of the place and the peculiar novelty
Of seeing large community that has
no theater, no drug houses, no saloons
and no cigar stores. But the thing that
will impress you most Is the fact that
nearly every one of the men that lives
there. in home he does not own, on
land he never can own, has ambition,
initiative and force OF mind about
equivalent to that possessed by a
sheep.
Devotion Il Pathetic.
Those among Dowie's followers who
have marked intelligence or who
have certain amount Of independence
about them are not to be found among
the body Of the flock. They are the Of
ficers, choir leaders. assistant healers,
elders. or travelling representatives, and
being given high-sounding titles and
n small amount of executive power In
their little departments are held safe
~ within the ranks. But among nearly
all of the 10000 that form the popu-
lation Of Zion there is blind devotion
that will take them to the end with
Dowie, whether the end spells utter
ruin for them and their families or con-
tinued giving the tithes and all their
other available assets as soon az they
are earned.
Many have striven to rilicule this
devotion, but 1t 10 rather pathetic than
ridiculous. 1t Is startling thing to at
vcnu- DnU Or 1c~scy- mrrtfngg6 6d See.
1000 or 5000 men and women in. an
age like this, sit meek and approving
under storm of his melodramatic In
vective that falls little short OF pro.
family; to watch them silent and sub
dued as the man to whom they have
given up every dollar they possessed
In the world calls them dirty do9s.n
"swine," thieves" and .'vile cattle" for
not giving more.
Dowie ia fond Of saying he has been
lied about every day. That is true. But
1t Ia not lie to say that In one breath
he calls his people "my well heloyed''i
and in the next denounces them as
robbers of God" .plunderers OF the
holy temple" shameless hussies'' and
.puny brutes OF men" And through 1t
all they sit still. nod their heads In an.
proyal and then go out and mortgage
or sell more Of their property in the,
vain attempt to satisfy his money hun
ger.
+ Nobody who knows Dowie will ac-
cuse him Of desiring to appropriate
these funds for his own personal profit.
To be sure. he lives comfortably, but
the amount he spends on himself Is
very modest when we consider the
time and energy he puts into his work,
his immense capacity for labor and the
great sums that come into his own alb
solute control at regular intervals.
Nor will people believe any more
than his own followers believe, that
Mrs. Dowie has been made the means.
Of carrying out Of Zion large sums OF
money for investment or deposit else
where. That all Of the money Dowie
can scrape together will be used for
the greater glory of Dowie Is certain.
But he will not horde 1t away in pri-
vate channels. His tastes run more to
such spectacular distributions OF cash
as the New York invasion.
With his prophetic eye he already
sees another invasion OF the same city,
this time in 10 large steamers, of
course with his own flagship at the
head and himself on the bridge as he
enters New York harbor. Then he
has dreams Of other cities of Zion scat
tered through the United States.
His latest vision of self gloriflcation,
actually announced while the receivers
were going through the papers Of his
bank and the whole community was In
custody Of United States officers. is to
lead his sheep In body to Jerusalem,
purge that city Of its filth and reign in
the holy land as the only original and
genuine modern prophet.
Dowie Is in his 9th year. He spent
20 years of his life in Australia, most
Of this time In Adelaide, where, after
some years Of work In a large shoe
house he was ordained Congregation
al minister. From the first his paste.
rate was peculiar one, and before he
had been with his congregation six
months he began to proclaim the re.
hgion Of the healing of the sick by the
laying on of hands.
The story Of his removal to Sydney,
where his brother, wealthy and hon.
ored as splendid type Of Scotch set.
tier. now lives. his departure from
Australia, his arrival In San Francis.
co. penniless, his vain efforts to secure
foothold on the coast. his migration
to Chicago In the year before the
Worlds Fair and his subsequent rise
to his present height. is too well known
for repetition.