The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-05-08

The "CIass System."
We see the value of individual re-
sponsibiiitr in the temporal world. Why
should we not see the same results
from the class system" Of Mcthodismf
Your boy Is about sixteen years of age.
Where are you going to send the lad to
college? well you say, II would
like in many ways to send him TO one
Of our great universities, but the
trouble is am afraid There the boy
will only be lost among crowd Of hun
dreds OF other students, and no one
will be individually responsible for the
lad | think | shall send him to one Of
our smaller colleges, where he will
come in close contact with his teachers
and these teachers Will be able TO keep
their eye upon him. You send your
boy TO small college to secure the in
dvldual touch of a professor upon the
boy. "'Thlnk not" said President liar
per only a short time ago. that the
University Of Chicago is iii any sense
NV al VI lllt 6AIitlll tbliAi-fs 4 lltLt - llbt
professor upon our faculty who
would be so foolish as to advocate the
idea that young boys Of sixteen should
be turned loose in this great sinful city,
with no one to be individually respOn
sihIc for them. Chicago university IS
distinctively postgraduate institution
We have our collegiate department for
the sons and daughters Of those par
ents living in town. ANA not for those
whose homes are in the far distance
Now, the "cass system If Metho-
dism has double purpose first, Il
makes the Methodist convert n mem
Der Of a great gospel university IN
which there are hundreds of thousands
and millions of members and it gives
TO that convert the enthusiasm which
truly comes from great numbers, and
secondly, 1t separates the Methodist
convert from the masses, 1t places
him in gospel family for which some
one is responsible 1t gives TO him n
separate gospel garden In which 70
labor II says: "Old convert you look
after that young man and that young
woman Visit them in their homes
See that they have the right Kind of
companionshlp. When they are absent
from the house of God learn why they
are absent and tell them that they are
missed" individual responsibilities
for individuals that is the great mul-
tiplying slogan Of the Methodist 'cl9ss
system" For whom, o Christian man
are you responsible in CIrists name1
The Methodist church. in the next
place, is d singing church. whose songs
are nearly always kcyei Co the time
Of hope and joy and tie alorior- bar
monies Of a blessed hereafter is q
church whose music Is fllnd with bal
leluiah choruscs and battle hymns and
inspiring marching melodies Il is
church which believes that orr thanks
and gratitude for blessings received
can be returned to God as wei when
standing unon or feet and in the
words OF the pSalmlst 'Flnglng unto
the lord" as when on Blended knee we
offer them IN silent prayer in the
closet. The trouble with many Of our
churches Is they always imagine
Christ as keeping step to the slow time
OF dlrpe. but they cannot imagine
his moving lips rs joining in a we'd
ding march or in the joys Of social
gathering.
Webster.s TFfbute.
Daniel Webster once said. The proof
to me that the church was established
by Cod IS found in the fact that it has
existed in spite 0f the begOwned min
listers who have been Gagged I'd to