St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-06-22

and advance the new vindication of hui
mainly and the spirit of God. Congre-
gationalism does away with mediation.
The church meetings are held in simple
fashion and the church members are
brought face to face with church life,
creed and organization. The scource of
authority is safeguarded by making men
intelligent. by giving high and noble
definitions of church, and opening up
springs of eternal life. The church is
made for the membership, not the member
ship for the church. The end of all church
life is the kingdom of God, and church
is means to that end. The simplicity
of religion and worship is a message
worth preaching. testimony worth set
ting 10th. Our times need special con-
sideration of all these things, and there
has never been SO much work for the
Congregational church to do as now.
Do not be discouraged if these works are
not made efectual, but take what we
stand for and the men who have stood for
these truths, and make the word of Con-
gregationalism many times as strong
as it is today.
Rev. w. S. Hazen, D. D., of Mortified
spoke on 1.-The Development of Practical
Fellowship" fellowship is a large
word in the vocabulary of Congrega-
tionalism. and there is general tend
ency away from it and towards indie
pendence, which makes it all the more
necessary to make strong attempts to
promote fellowship among the churches.
There is general felt need of revival of
fellowship and new methods to develop
it. A more generous and cordial fellow
ship among the members of churches
helps to bring together the churches of
the county and state. A most effective
change is needed in the spirit, to look on
the things of others, not to be independ-
emit. One church alone can accomplish
very little work OF the world single
handed. The development of practical
fellowship lies wholly in the hands of the
churches and a halt should call to-
wards dependence.
P. F. Hazen OF St. Johnsbury followed
with the topic Business Methods in
Church Affairs" He spoke of the ma
terial development of the country, of the
spirit of commercialism that was now
rife, and urged that church affairs be
managed with the same economy and
business foresight that man or a cor
poration now demanded in the manage
ment of those affairs. The pastor should
be paid regularly; the treasurer, should
have salary and his accounts carefully
audited; the business should be managed
taken into confidence, and a great deal
should be made of the annual meetings.
Rev. Charles L. Carhart of Dorset had
the concluding paper of the afternoon on
"Moral and Religious Conditions in Yer
mont Today-The Type of Church Need
ed to Meet Them" He deprecated the
spirit of individualism which the noun
tains foster and said the New England
highlander was sinking into lethargy.
The type of church needed is positive,
efficient and broad one. The church has
too largely lost this note of universally
and catholicity. Isolation, that is our
fellowship, that is our hope.
THE TEMPERANCE DEBATE.
The conclusions of the committee
of inquiry upon temperance legisla-
ton were presented to the convention
Wednesday afternoon by Rev. Charles E.
Hayward of Putney, one of the commit
tee. The personnel of this committee is
as follows: Rev. John L. Sewall, St.
Adams; Jonathan Ross, St. Johnsbury;
Rev. 6. Fl. Beard, Burlington; Rev.
Charles E. Hayward, Rev. Evan
Thomas, Essex Junction; Rev. Charles E.
Hagar, Hyde Park. The report as finally
adopted is as follows:
In printing and distributing results of
inquiry concerning temperance legisla-
ton in our state, the members of the
committee feel that they have given the
greatest service in their power, by offer
ing, to all who will read and ponder, the
opportunity to form their own xconclu
sions upon the facts submitted. In obe-
dience, however, to our instructions a
year ago, we briefly suggest certain
deductions from the published facts
which seem to US plain.
Under the workings of the new law,
the Eyes" alternative has been tried
chiefly in towns and cities that had the
most trouble in depressing Illegal sales
under the old law. The incoming of the
saloon has been followed by an excess of
drunkenness and kindred evils, OCCASION
ing general disgust and disappointment,
which was the chief cause last March OF
a lessening of 10000 votes on the Eyes"
side. In towns voting ''No" conditions
have been no worse than under the old
law, and in some cases better. The
change in the law has relieved municip-
alities OF town agencies, which had
largely become open saloons. The ope-
ration of the local option principle has
brought quickening of the sense of
local responsibility: the discussions and
experiences under the new law have
apparently increased the mo" vote
In many places there has been note
worthy abandonment of the saloon after
a years experience, and the substitution
of1ocal prohibition. The administrative
features of the new law have disap-
pointed even its advocates because of
their inefectiveness. While the immedi-
ate repeal of the present law seems to be
nowhere expected, amendment of its
details are generally demanded. On the
basis, therefore, of the facts laid before
you and the concensus of various shades
of temperance opinion, your committee
believes that for the sake of something
permanently better, this law should be
fully and fairly tried for two years more;
but that certain obviously and urgently
needed amendments ought to be made as
soon as possible. We therefore submit
for your consideration and adoption the
following resolutions:
In view of the widespread desire for
the removal of the elements of private
monopoly and personal commercial gain