Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1913-07-03
UNCLE TOMS LETTER


is there are more people thinking and
acting for themselves than we ever
knew before Then, again, we have
greater ideas and higher conceptions
of life than was ever known. True,
our would-be leaders have to keep in a
gallop to keep from being run over by
the progressive ideas and thought of
the day.
Preachers who used to sway aud in
fluence great congregations have had
to double their pace and tear up old
non-rrogressive sermons to keep in the
swim. Back number preachers are
not wanted anywhere. They are too
slow The so-called Evangelists are
losing their grip on on the people and
they can't fleece them at their will
and pleasure. This, I've noticed is
becoming quite prevalent. A preach
er wanting hundred dollars to hold a
ten days meeting is regarded as
CRATER People are getting their eyes
open along these lines. Grafters are
quite numerous in religion as we'll as
in other things, but don't for a mo-
ment attribute this to any retrograde
movement among the people. People
are not being duped now like they
have been in the past. The evolution
and development going on in church
and state is wonderful. The old stand
patters are going out of business. Par
ty lines and church lines are getting
so very weak and slender that no one
cares to acknowledge he is governed
and controlled by either. There is
vast amount of Independence among
the people. But while this independ-
ant spirit is prevalent it can't last
very long. A better spirit is getting
stronger hold on the world. A cooper
ative spirit or idea, that is one of the
grandest ideas the world has ever
known Or eyer will know. Think of
real cooperative church. real cooper
ative system of government. 1t Is no
longer u theory as the enemies Of the
idea would have us believe, but is
practical idea and is being developed
and worked out day by day. The So
cialists dream of 1t as panacea for
all human woes and sorrows. The
christian prays for its coming as per-
iod of universal peace when all men
shall known God and to know God
means to help your brother. The So
cialist and the real christian believe
better condition of things is near at
hand. Christians will have to give up
their UNCONVENTIONAL selfishness and
pride. The socialist has no such sacri-
fee TO make, for already they realize
that a cooperative system of govern
ment banishes the selfish, covetuous
idea both in church and state.
Our ideals are higher and better than
ever before.
The socialists claim they are the au-
thors and fathers of the cooper ative
thought. doubt the claim for the
reason millions are claiming to be pro-
gressive in spirit aud actions and pro-
gressiveness is sweeping the country
and the movement is so universal that
undoubtedly. there Is an unseen hand
directing the movements. Then there
is master spirit abroad. None of US
need to doubt knowledge is increasing
and / believe the world at large is
growing better and not worse. These
grand and noble ideas are attracting
attention, and l can't agree that the
world is retrograding at all. My opin-
ion is, men are learning to get more
JOY and pleasure out of life than our
fathers did We are not so drastic as
they were. True, we are retaining the
best and discarding all the worst. We
can have a nice, social good time with
out the saloon and rum demon. Look
at the great reunion at Chattanooga
where there were thousands. How
many wero drunk in that vast crowd 7
Vely few. But back in the days of
the fathers there would have been
many and several fights. Hardly a
house raising, log rolling or corn
shucking without fight or drunk.
l say we are more temperate than our
fathers. If / remember rightly, and /
think do, our social pleasures are
just as nice and genteel as ever and
conducted on high moral plane. Our
boys seem to have lost some of the
chivalry that characteIiz ized their faith
ers and do not have the manners they
had. The average young man of today
is deficient in manners when in the
presence of ladies. His cigarette hab-
it spoils his general makeup. If that
was cut out he would be almost on
par with the boys of so years ago. Our
girls are not near so modest as their
grandmothers, but that doesn't say
they are not virtuous.
Overshadowing everything else the
cooperative idea looms up as one of
the most powerful Men are beginningI
to understand the real aud true mean \
ing of the two great commandments as
never before L veil is b ing pulled
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