The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-17
GIVE US BETTER
LAWS ON DIVORCE
Thus Speaks Synod by a
Rising Vote.
CARE OF THE ORPHANS
Many of the Churches Agreed to
Provide for Stated Number OF
the Children at Barium Springs.
Report of Davidson
College.
BY j. III. HENDERLITE.

Durham, n. c., Nov. ia distin-
guished English traveller once re-
marked on a visit to the United States
that he had seen all the principal
deliberative bodies of Europe and
America, but none that so impressed
him with its appearance of dignity
and weight as the Synod of Virginia.
1t is indeed q most imposing body,
with it's very large proportion of VEN
erable doctors of divinity. one VINO
has come from that Synod to North
Carolina cannot fail to be struck by
the contrast. The latter Synod is
less dignified, less conservatie and
hostile to change 1t appears more
vigorous and aggressive and has
greater number of young men. 1t
has been said that Virginia is bound
ed by halo, and perhaps the sons
of the Old Dominion are still some-
what dazzled and enamored of the
past. North Carolina deals with the
present and faces the future. Her
issues are live ones. There are some
grand old men, however, nj the Synod
of North Carolina, as may be seen
by a casual glance over the body
now sitting in Durham. Such old
warehouses as DIR. Shearer, former
president of Davidson College, and
the Nestor of church education in
North Carolina; DR.. Jethro Rumple,
pastor at Salisbury for more than
generation and staunch friend of the
orphans at Barium Springs, of which
orphanage he is president of the
Board of Regents; DIR. IL. G. Hill, of
MaXton, orator, debater and parlia-
mentarian: DIR. j. M. Wharey, of
Mooresville, another exemplar of the
long paStOrate and fine specimen,
physically and mentally, of the old
school; these and other old veterans
of a hundred battles that have never
known defeat.
There is another class in the Synod
of men like Drs. \. II. Moment, w. d.
Morten, f. w Farris, j. M. Rose, d.
/. Craig, A. ID. Mcclure, who, judging
by the gray hairs and wisdom of
years, might be called old men, but
when one sees their alertness vigor
of thought and speech and their pow
er to turn off a days work, he must
class them with the young men.
Then there is Egbert Smith, of
Greensboro, who can lead his people
anywhere, and by the way, has just
led them into the finest and most mod
ern Sunday school building in the
South; j. NJ. Wells, of Wilmington,
student, preacher, presbytery; r. F.
Campbell, of ASheville, clead-headed,
sweet-hearted, silver-tongued, a power
in the West z. II. Gwinn, of Steele
Creek, with a country congregation
of seven or eight hundred, strong
either in pulpit or on the floor of
synod; these are but a few of those
who are carrying the burden of the
Synod's work. Howerton and Hardin,
of the First and Second churches,
Charlotte, have not shown up, but
c.. w Belle is on hand with the breezy
and dauntless bearing of the Meek
lenburg Declaration" itself.
DR.. McKelway, of the Standard, sits
meekly behind a temporary clerk S
table. The fiery editor is always lamb
like on the floor of the synod, but
when he gets back to his Charlotte
sanctum one does not have to listen
closely to hear something drop. A
very welcome and valuable addition
to the church's working forces is
DR.. Geo. l.. Leyburn who has re-
Gently come from Missouri to join the
editorial staff of the Standard. He is
strong, clear thinker and a polished
and graceful writer.
Two distinguished visitors on the
floor of the Synod are Bishop Ches-
hire and DR.. w. w. Moore. The lat
ter is the brilliant president of Union
Theological Seminary, and one of
North Carolina's most notable and
loyal sons. He is a man that the
whole church delights to honor.
Bishop Cheshire spoke to the Synod
for a few minutes on the divorce evil.
Boiled down his speech was to the
effect that if North Carolina did not
change her laws and do something to
check this growing evil, she would
ere long be taking a hand in the new
and very popular game now in vogue
at Newport and other places, known
as progressive matrimony. Whether
true or not, we cannot say, but if ~
is declared that there is one divorce
for every ten marriages in the State.
1t shows, by the way, that the
forces of Christendom are making
some headWay toward closer mutual
Episcopal Bishop can stand in fra
ternal spirit on the floor of a Pres
byterian Synod. That is a ''far cry
from the ancient stool of Jennie
Geddes.
People have not lost their interest
in foreign missions They are always
interested when something is really
pelng done, and especially will heroic
daring never lose is irresistible charm.
Until a very late hour the First
church was packed last night to lis
the TO speeches on foreign missions,
ana IT was one of the quietest most
attentive audiences we have ever seen.
Rev. Lacy L. Little, of China; L. c. |
Vass, of Luebo, Africa, and DR.. S. H. |
Chester, Secretary of Foreign Mis-
sions. were present 20 speak.
Mr.. Little's address was thrilling