The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-01-19
"A HELPFUL WORD
TO CHURCH SOCIETIES
BY A MEMBER OF ONE.


for our meetings such beautiful sub
jects as Love, Faith, Hope, etc, but
L suggest and plead that it would be
most suitable and edifying to consid-
er our behavior, especially along the
line of courtesy and order. that friend
ly relations may be established and
sustained. BE courteous" Let ev-
erything be done decently and in or
der" So essential is order, it has
passed into proverb, order is heaY-
ems first law"
Secular societies know the impor-
lance of enforcing order and shall
religious society that should be a
leader in all that is correct and excel
lent ignore it?
Order is of the nature of law and
all things that are lawless and all
that are not law-abiding tend to over
throw good government.
Order is like the foundation of a
building-if it is weak and shaky, the
whole structure is weak and shally. 1t
is like the law of health; you disre-
gard it to your own undoing. / repeat
it, order is of primary and essential
importance. This being admitted, l
put in a plea for order in this society
Not merely good will, nor patience
with offending, nor that gentleness
that sits quietly and silently while
others insist upon their views being
seconded and carried. beautiful and
lovely as these may be, but order.
Nothing can be a substitute for Or
der.
Order binds or holds together
membership, disorder leads to dis
cord, strife, bossism, wounded feel
ings, disintegration and is sufficient
to force it's stanchest member to for
sake such a lawless assembly.
Shall we suffer it? AS a society can
we afford to suffer it? 1t would be
hard to enumerate he manifold in
jury it works out. l admit that hui
man nature is weak. / admit that we
all need to grow in grace" but this
only accentuates the value of order.
Dignity commands respect. Dignity
and order go hand in hand.
A society should be helpful, not
harmful, but l contend that when i'll
natured remarks and impoliteness
are permitted unchecked and unre-
proved that the society is harmful.
We find some people who might lend
a helping hand hold aloof from con-
Meeting themselves with a society.
Why? 1t is not possible that the so
cietys reputation may be malodorous?
And why, again? Sift it down and
IS it not probable that the whole
.rouble hinges on it's order? 1t is no
title thing, it is no trifle, but it is the
very backbone of wholesome, good
government.
Analyze order then, what are its in
yredients? Well studied out and
ldopted rules that should be main
aimed without respect to persons.
Speaking hastily, tyranically, disre-
pectfully, or rudely, holding the floor
10 matter what others whose views
nay be more sound, though their man.
Ter be less arrogant, may think. All
his should be emphatically put aside,
{ the health-giving golden rule, Let
be done decently and in
rder," be observed.
In our courts even lawyers are made
D sit down, when they would speak
ssertively or out of order.
Who in this democratic land would
onnect himself with a society that
-as not democratic? We do not want
monarchy; we do not want oppres-
lon. The day is past for that. Let
le people vote-let the members
ote.
Would it not be an admirable and
mple plan to fine any member I'M
arrantably guilty of breach of or
der? This being adopted and APP
ying with equal force to all should
0t offend. A small fine, the chief
llue of which would be to impress
BON each one that carefulness and
tention to detail that, neglected,
'ings about great disaster, If not to-
| wreck and ruin.
When each one has q fair hearing
a meeting it makes for edification,
i'd, IL the opposite be wrought out of
e meeting has failed
People differ, some are timid some
e bold. What then shall encourage
e timid, what shall check the OPP
essiveness of he bold. Obedience to
der.
The interchange OF views when all
e for helping the same cause, is
ry valuable. You may have heard
9 common saying Two heads are