The Washington herald., 1911-08-13
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD

are students on vacation. These laymen
supplement the ministers on auto trips.
Some religious bodies can lock forward to
vast numbers Of volunteer lay speakers.
Roman Catholics are urging the employ
ment Of these laymen. and the Apostolic
Mission House, connected with the Cath
olic University at Washington, offers in
struction for them to fit them for the
work.
In Connecticut, Ohio, Virginia, and Wis
consin, possibly in some other States,
ministers stationed In one town have
formed circuits four to ten times as
large as they could have formed under
the horse and wagon era, and this sum-
mer are maintaining preaching services
on them. The old-fashioned Methodist
itinerate system has come in again, a
grip under an auto seat taking the
place of the old saddlebag. Christian
people in small towns, cut of from re-
ligious privileges, have heard of the new
auto plan and are not only appealing
to missionary societies TO arrange tours
to include their settlements, but in some
cases are offering to contribute, in COM
pany with other. settlements, the auto
that will make the plan feasible. Cath
olic and Protestant, America, Canada,
and a good part of Europe, are intro
ducing the automobile.
OF IrOuDle IN
Religious and educational conditions in
Haiti, where there is at present a revo-
luton, are described as most .unfavor-
able by the agent of the American Bible
Society. stationed at San Juan, Porto Rico.
but having Santo Domingo and Haiti
in his field. The Rev. w. F. Jordan, a
careful observer and experienced in re-
li0in
natives as wondering why the United
States Christians send so much money to
China, Japan. and East India and pass
needy fields where ignorance, sickness.
and poverty reign in the midst OF trop-
ical plenty.
The society's agent describes children
as neglected, sanitation almost unknown,
the marriage relation loose. and whole
sections of the island, even large COM
munities. where the existence OF the Bible
is not dreamed OF. Sales OF Bibles and
New Testaments reached large numbers
last year, so eager are the people TO be
taught. The report expresses the convic-
ton that for a needy field, where condi-
tions are ripe. hardly one in the whole
world is greater. and because Of its near
ness has a stronger appeal to Americans.
at present for the island. but limit their
work wholly to Haiti and give nothing to
Santo Domingo. This church has for some
years been sending $4,000 year into
Haiti. maintaining fifteen to twenty
clergymen and having churches in most
principal settlements. Its work dates
from 1851 Circuits of the country have
been laid oSt. and clergy are supplement-
ed by laymen In ministering to them.
The entire membership Is less than 1,Ovo
Sunday schools. The Bible Society's
fore the late political trouble broke out
as follows:
The beautiful landscapes. second to
none in the whole world, and much sur
passing Cuba or Porto Rico. are the
scenes Of wretched filth and much phys
ical suffering, dwarfed and deformed
mentality, spiritual and moral degrada-
ton. Why are not Christians OF the
United States doing more to help Haitians
break the shackles Of superstition and
ignorance?'
The following timely criticism extract
ed from st. Martins Parish Monthly, will
doubtless receive a unanimous vote Of
thanks from the Catholic men Of Wash
ington: The big hat nuisance is hard
to cure. as women are notoriously i'm
pervious to sensible advice, when II is q
question of dress. The sixty centuries
have never known such abject slavery
as that Of women to fashion. Men there
have been who have given up the pipe,
drunkards have broken away from