The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-18
SOME DUNKARDs, AND OTHERS

'~"o' "eeh' III noanoke county, amid the noun
tains and under tents met the old original Ger
man Dunkards. They are of the most rigid
sect. There are but something like 100, 900 of
them In the whole world. They hold to the
exact text of the Scriptures. They had a foot
washing Communion service following exactly
the recorded example of the Savious. the rich
humbing themselves before the poor. They
Illustrated idealism and chivalry in their highest
meanings, the strong doing mental service for
the weak AS a matter of cold fact, there are
no poor among the Dunkards: but those who
have prospered largely went on. their knees
and washed and wiped the feet of their brethren
who had prospered less and so expressed huml-
themselves to helpfulness. BY the rules of the
Dunkard Church every member is required to
pay his debts scrupulously. to the last penny
and to labor for his living
They are narrow people. They do not add
much to the advancing thought of the country;
but In their own deliberate and Bible guided
way they think and analyze, and their judgments
lof men and proposed measures is in wonderful
accord with the decisions Of the best thinkers
They looked at the telephone thoughtfully at
the session last week, and decided at last that
members might use it, provided they are dis
Greet. They considered carefully the matter Of
clothing for their members and decided that the
women should hold to the plain, untrmmed
snood over their heads and that men should
grow their boards and wear straight cut waist
coats and coats with skirts to the knee
That Is narrowness. Most of us laugh at it.
Yet we must face the serious fact that no
Dunkard girl ever has been given to the ranks
of the white slaves, that no Dunkard boy is in
any jail or pententiary ever has been ac-
cused of violating any law. No Dunkard ever
has taken benefit of the bankruptcy courts No
one has had fire which has not been obviously
honest and not one of them has had claim
against an insurance company Their religion
forbids insurance. According to their doctrine
fire in the act and ordinance of God, to be &C
cepted and submitted to.
/ Absurd" the business man calls that. Yet
the Dunkard girls marry early and have no di.
vorces and from their Dunkard husbands give
crops of sturdy boys and girls. The children
are clean blooded clean living, powerful in
strength and courage and productive power
They inherit traditions of hard and faithful
work on the ground, and they get results A
great people. They build churches and vote for
schoohouses and good roads after prayer and
consultation with their Maker They add to
everything and detract from nothing Patience
belief and habit.
| few years ago this kind OF religion was
general. Here in the South we were very strict
We believed in certain things. such as per-
sonal God, laws made by Him under which we
would be punished: actual redemption and re-
mission through the suffering and blood of the
Saviour, personal Devil and eternities of pun
ishment awaiting the wicked and of happiness
to reward the good and penitent Then we
swung into the thought. the theory that
Christianity was merely a code of ethics and
that the Bible to be interpreted and ap-
piled according to the notions of each reader
So we have fallen. as people, into manner of
loose living. Women show their persons, fire.
quenty in blind following of the fashion and
without thought of evil SO as to excite the
passions of men. The men disregard the eth
CdI COues 10 WnlCn tney we're Dorm ana DO not
connive at dirty things to gather in dollars for
themselves to promote their own pleasures and
vices. The churches and pastors are taught to
wink at these offenses. We are told Of universal
forgiveness and happiness In the future life and
taught that may live please and at the
last moment some general line of good
fellowship may expect peace and happiness in
the life to come.
Somewhere between the Dunkard and their
rules of rigid obedience to church ordinances and
the free thinking and resulting dissolute action
we have In our cities, is the right way 1t is
for each of to work out according to indi-
vidual conscience of woman or man. Each of us
knows when she of he is going too far, giving
bad example relaxing the rules that should
govern all of u.s. But it is far better to be
too narrow than to be too broad. 1t is the broad
freelvng, freethinking people who have daugh-
tiers in the divorce courts. the police courts, CEN
tiers of scandal; and sons in the penitentiary or
runaway from home under clouds. 1t Is people
Ike these Dunkards. narrow, strict iron walled
as they are who make the real substance, power,
moral force, producing strength of the nation,
in substance and in strong and clean and pro-