The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-15
A GROWING POWER.

lildI SuAh q ol"lSilLShI SOl41Co IL OI4S
Of the greatest newspapers in Am
erica gives it additional strength:
THE week about to come to a close
has been notable in the annals Of the
Sunday schools of Pennsylvania. The
celebration Of the jubilee OF. the Penn
sylVania association has given to the
Sunday school workers themselves d
renewed CONSCIOUSNESS Of their grow
ing power in the social life or the
community. But probably the most
valuable result of the jubilee week
will be q new and better understand
ing on the part Of those outside the
movement as to what the Sunday
school means.
The North American has never had
any Illusions on the subject. This
newspaper was probably the first
great metropolitan daily to realize the
Importance of the Sunday school as a
public force. We can distinctly re-
call the surprise even among Sunday
schools that a big city newspaper
should have given as much promln-
enCe and as much space to an i'm
pUrtant Sunday school event as to a
championship baseball game or a
lively incident in fashionable domestic
life.
the same time that we received
the pleased n surprised congratulate
tions Of the Christian forces we SUI
fered the criticism Of many we'll
meaning friends, who protested
against what they regarded as a
waste Of space, which they thought
might have been given over to more
virilc matter.
For the period is not long gone
when there was an impression all but
general outside OF religious circles
themselves that the Sunday schools
implied something less than manly.
They were thought to be all right for
very young boys and perhaps for girls
of any age. But the notion was eager
ly spread that Sunday school rain
ing, in some unexplained way, UNI
derminCd the Virility Of a boy and
left him without the fighting spirit
necessary to make his way in a rough
and-ready world.
In certain circles, and these not
necessarily vicious, to describe a
youth rs a Sunday school boy was
almost synonymous with calling him d
Sissy. The North American, as con-
sistent friend and companion of the
Sunday schools for years, feels free to
state these rather delicate facts with
out fear of being misunderstood. We
feel no embarrassment in the matter
because we so cordially disagree with
that old worldly traditional view Of
the Sunday schools. And we are
highly pleased that the Pennsylvania
jubilee now drawing to a close has
given us this occasion to express our
emphatic conviction, based on exact
knowledge, that the Sunday school
movement is led by strong, clean,
brave men; that its influence is for
the strengthening of character in
everything that makes for sturdy
citizenship.
And we are pleased that the jubilee
has given US not only the occasion to
make this assertion Of our belief, but
has laid the proof before the eyes Of
the entire community.
And now let us say. before we go
further into the subject, that The
North American is distinctively a Sec
ular institution. Our business is not.
with the souls Of men in the theologi-
cal sense. We leave that to the
churches exclusively. But aside from
any questions Of orthodox salvation.
our sympathies ana u support have
gone TO religion in the abstract be-
cause we thought we saw in it one Of
the most powerful Of all forces in the
tight in which We are gag to
make this a better world for all to live
IN here and now.
I'm considering the subject of reli-
gion we have not attempted to tr0st7
pass on the field of the theologian or
the preacher Of salvation hereafter.
That isn't u province.
we V encouraged religion be-
cause we saw it's great value as a,
force for social betterment. Neverthe-
less, we have recognized that he
handspring of this force is the prim1-
tive faith in the essential n super
natural phases of christianity.
The doctrine of social and indus
trial justice that Christ preached in
Palestine 1900 years ago is identical
with the doctrine of social and indus
trial justice which is stirring the civ
ilied world today, in Europe and Asia,
no less than in America.
Yet no mere philosophical belief in
IT as an abstract principle can give it
the life and force that spring from a,
faith that it was preached to man by
the Son of God. HOWsoever exalted a.
human view n may have of Christ.
1t cannot inspire the zeal or the enthu-
siaSm for His teachings hat springs
from a belief in his identity with az
personal, o~mnipotent God. Couple this
with a belief hat he sealed his words
with his human sacrifice on Calvary.
and we have the force that for 1900
years has been irresistible. Tho
churches have been the dynamos anc,
the storage batteries of that force. The
Sunday schools are the auxiliary en-,
| gines. :
This week Philadelphia has had a,
demonstration OF the splendid
of those engines. The Jubilee has heers
replete with phases that must appeaS
to every right-minded citizen. Yester1
days meeting of the veteran workers
was sublime with pathos.
In all human experience there is no
influence except religion that coulGI
have inspired such examples of con-
stancy to duty made a joy through
pure spiritual love. Fifty years Of
supplies an example valuable through
sheer force Of character,
And there were the mothers, many
grown old in the service. Their totter-
ing steps and dimming sight told of
~enteebled bodies; but the spirit was
as strong as in youth. What the
Sunday school n the church have
been to thousands of lives which
otherwise would nave been grim and
gray none know but those who have
seen the patient toll of the humble.
lighted by the lamp of faith.
These are familiar phases of the
Sunday school. But the jubilee week
presented one not so familiar. The
parade of $1,000 sturdy men of the
Bible classes on Thursday night was
a message to the community from the
militant church. Here is the answer
to the foolish notion that the Sunday
school lacked virility. Here is the
proof with which this jubilee backed
up our faith in the Sunday school as
a vigorous, vital force in the social
life of the community,
"Twenty-seven thousand marching
men must mean something at any
time. When these marchers are rep
resentative of a large army, all