The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-03-04
WORST SINNER WOULD
Save HIS CHILDREN
American Sunday School Is the
Most Potent Influence
for Uprightness.
rs, o 900 ARE AT WORK
There is No Other Society Which
Shows Such Steady Increase
Glimpse at This Wonderful
Institution.

American Sunday school methods are
foremost in the modern forward Sun
day school movement, and other coun-
tries are paying their respects by send
Ing commissioners to study the sys-
TEN of work, says the Kansas City
Star. In a country with a widely scat
tered population n cities in which
are gathered the most cosmopolitan
people the world has ever seen, Amer
lean methods nave to be unique and
aggressive, as we'll as adaptive, and the
spirit of the nation has permeated our
Sunday schoo efforts as strongly and
strenuously as it has the Industrial
world.
the Sunday school cholar is thus a
potent factor in our American civiliza-
ton. With his Sunday school teacher
as a director and leader, he is almost
invincible, representing the strongest
and most aggressive agency of the day
for upright, honorable living. He
stands 100000 strong, reinforced by
a million and a half of teachers and
officers, representing all told an army
of nearly 100000 aggressive units.
His strength grows phenomenally.
There is no other society that keeps
such steady increase In numbers in
proportion to the growth of population.
There are clubs, societies and other
organizations Which spring up, meteor
like, and overshadow the Sunday school
army in their sudden growth, but none
of them keeps pace with 1t in the con-
tinuous development through years,
decades and half centuries.
From one international triennial
Sunday school convention Of the coun-
try to another close to 1900, 900 schol-
ars are regularly added to the roll call
of the army. This gain is over and
above the losses through death, with
drawals aud other OBJECTIONS from the
ranks.
When the First Union Was Formed.
The formation of the first American
Sunday school union, in 1924, was
epochal in the history of the movement,
and at that time-more than three
quarters of a century ago-there were
1898 schools, 1897 8 teachers and g.
764,610 scholars. Since then the growth
has kept pace with the increase of pop
ulation, showing gains in membership
greater than the churches or other re-
ligious or semi-religious organizations.
When a small settlement Of three or
four families is formed in the north,
south or east a Sunday school organizer
- sent out to start a school,. This is set
up in a deserted shed or barn, over a
public store, in a tent, or it moves
from n house to another, having no
permanent abiding place. AS scon as
possible, however, a permanent habi-
tation Is provided for the school. The
denomination supporting the Sunday
school organizers spends Its money
thus In some distant corners of the
cuntry in helping hundreds Of small
settlements to build their first Sunday
school.
With the building erected and the
Sunday school established, a rallying
point for a church organization is
made. II the settlement has a future
1t will not neglect it's Sunday school,
which in nearly all cases grows and
hourishes with the town or village.
Teachers are recruited from the settle
ment itself. The organizer stays in
the place long enough to obtain q
proper superintendent and a corps of
teachers. Then he moves on to a new
place to repeat the operation.
Would Save Children.
But he does not neglect his first born.
He returns to 1t as often as desirable,
adding new zeal and energy by his own
personal effort, and advising the leaders
In their plans for the future. 1t would
be difficult to find a settlement Of this
character where a Sunday school is not
welcome. The most hardened OF sinners
are willing and anxious to have their chill
dren receive the advantages of religious
teaching. They are mot much on relI-
zion" Themselves, but they will not know
ingly deny their children the opportunity
to follow a different life.
They would not contribute a penny to
the organization OF a church in their
community. But a Sunday school for the
children? Yes, funds are nearly always
obtained from the residents unit the
school building is erected.
The germ thus sown grows nightly.
The Sunday school fiourishes and has its
effect upon the people. Young and old
attend it. Some OF the latter teach, 9TH
ers listen, refusing to relinquish their
rights as scholar until they totter to their
grave at threescore and ten. The church
organization follows as naturally as the
fruit follows the bud and flower. Then
comes a regular or itinerant pastor, and
the Sunday school becomes a feeder to
the church rather than a leader.
Ten million lesson leaves are quarterly