Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-10-10
CHURCH ANNIVERSARY.
CONTINUED from Page u

| ant population OF 662, has w people
who go to church at least one Sunday
out of three. This is in Christian
America, in good old Vermont, figures
of only five years ago.
"But the comparison of that year
with the period 20 years before is
more important and significant. This
shows that while there has been a
slight gain in total population of the
county these 20 years, there was a loss
in Protestant population.
Sin church membership there was a
gain of 4.28 per cent. though both
figures are distressingly small, the
highest being a membership of 1889
out of Protestant population of &c.
785. In church attendance, however,
instead of gain there was a striking
loss, namely from sOO3 in 1883 to 5537
in 1908, or 81 per cent.
1.-The loss in attendance in Tompkins
county, New York, was found to be 33
per cent in 20-year period. The con-
clusion of Mr.. Gill from his investiga-
tons extending over three years in
these two sections, is that the vitality
and power of the country church is in
decline.
II am not pessimist as to old Yer
mont, nor even an alarmist. l believe
in our State, in its people and in it's in
situations. know of no section in the
east where there is more alert atmos-
phere of progress, and more consistent
and intelligent endeavor for improve
ment than right here.
81 could make comparisons with
other states greatly to our advantage
as well as other men, but just because
love Vermont and believe in her with
all my heart want her to rise to all
her opportunities.
If the boys and girls of Belvidere
and Goshen are not in possession of
decent opportunity, let US arouse the
State until we give them a chance, and
a chance likewise to every last boy and
girl in the whole commonwealth.
81 love Vermont too well to say that
they treat boys that same way in rich
New York or great Texas, and so let
it go. What if they do? Let US treat
our boys right and shame those who
treat them worse.
''You may bring on all the rosy facts
you may as to progress made and i'm
lprovements effected and l will rejoice
with the most enthusiastic, but l will
still put it to you that there are COM
munities in Vermont sodden in iniquity,
low in intelligence, corrupt in morals,
and with a religious life unworthy, in
telligent and right thinking American
citizenship. l have seen them with my
own eyes and spent days and nights
among them. do not defame them,
but | ask you to save them.
1.-THE facts which have presented
call for a union for effort of the
churches of each county in this State
for work in behalf of the neglected
farm districts, especially in the noun
tain towns. Let each county take it.
self for its own field. Let committees
be organized and leaders discovered
Let US take the program of the Inter
Church Federation of Vermont seri-
ously and make an honest effort to put
it through.
That program pledges the churches
of this State to take for their first en-
deavor the economic, social, intellect
ual, and religious improvement of the
small towns of the State. 1t calls for
approach of the people on the side of
the work whereby they earn their daily
bread and for an endeavor to stimulate
better farming and better living so
that Vermont boys may realize that
they have chance in Vermont.
ut summons to the organization of
towns for recreation and common social
amusements to cure the ills of isolation
and neighborhood jealousy.
'It has also this prophetic word,
I'VE believe that each religious body
represented in Vermont should work
first for the welfare of Vermont and
should subordinate its own promotion
to that end.
eff we could have such a union of
effort. for such practical and worthy
purposes, appealing to the sense and
patriotism of every citizen, we would
have such a revival of religion as has
not been witnessed since the great
awakening, and such as cannot be
achieved in our time except as the
churches rally to the service of their
| communities ,,