The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-07
by the Religious Rambler

oiUle loF STinSlnS our q most OF young
men who are now active in public life,
appears to be under way in this I'M
inense organization of young people.
Following hard upon the heels q a
ca m paign for efficiency, comes a def
mite turning Of the members attention
10 temperance work trained social
service ministry, and specialized &C
tlvlty in the church herself. The
movement crystaliZed in the recent
Los Angeles Convention, at which ten
thousand and one E~ndeavorerS were
registered.
There is more to this than lies on
the surface. 1t strikes deeply into
present problems, political, social and
religious. For if these ardent young
people are going to dedicate them
selves definitely to public and Chris
tan service, there viii he such an in
fusion Of new life into the days train
ed leadership that many present per
pieXitie3 will be advanced toward =
solution. Granite the entrance OF the
Endeavorcrs into the acute temper
ance fight-and they have sounded the
slogan, "A ~salooniess nation by 1920
and the consequences are likely to
be direct and important.
Young Men FOr War.
For a Methodist general conference
or a Presbyterian general assembly to
adopt resolutions upon public ques-
tons is one thing. The members of
these bodies are mature men, already
engrOsSed with cares; and ecclesiasti-
cal resolutions are VIGOROUSLY per
functory and ineffective.
But for these young men and WON
en-, full OF zest for life and effort, and
still in the glow Of chivalrous ambi-
tion--to pledge themselves definitely to
make it their life work TO serve the
!, church and the country, is really Sc
( rious business. A percentage of these
2 ~covenanted young warriors are sure
. to be heard from in actual fighting
. and service. All great wars are won
p by mere boys. Christian Endeavor
I has seized upon a great principle IN
q securing the pledged allegiance II
: youth to definite public activity. Nhe
o the k%nishtly passions Of youth are en-
listed, some dragons are b ,1nd to be
slain.
one recalls that in India Mr.. Col
sale, the great nationalist leader, has
organized a somewhat similar move
melt, OF young men SOlemnly pledged
G TO Give up all ambition save the unset
fish service of I'M 1ndia.' These
e~ndeaVorers. fired to a high pitch Of
/ patriotic fervor, and Of zeal Tor the
g church, are just the stuff OF which
! real reformerS are made.
!. into h Temperance Fight.
- Ali over the land the temperance
~ question has become a critical polfti
cal issue. The next few years viii
probably determine 1t, and at tn
= same time, settle the fate of the ole
political leaders and even parties. BE
:, hind it is massing a powerful mora
=. force of public opinion. Instead Q
a. being the cause of a few fanatics,
IA as II was D generation ago, the TEN
y perance movement today is Duttresset
a. by the goodwill and active supror
:, of the medical profession, the educa
III TOYS tho oonnn,niSfC tho social Wnlf3Y
ai workers, and a practically unanimOu
church. Only fools despise the tenn
~ perance cause today.
IS. Right into the thick OF this crftica
situation the Christian Endeavor lead
or ers have projected their forces. The
IN have appointed a national snperin
tendent of temperance and CITIZENSHIP
he Mr.. DAME A. Polling. Of Ohio. The
n are rallying the young people Of bot
tn sexes to definite and trained actlVit
for temperance. These E~ndeaVore
with their proverbial enthusiasm, w
IN do more ~tireless and effective servo
he than a legion of political workers no
W. ing for personal reward. In any crit
>e- cal state, as, for instance. PennSN
" vania, the Christian Endeavor inf
g." ence is quite sufficient to deterUll
nd the issue Of a political contest
IL Recruits For Church Work.
IN From it's inception, the main idea
in the Christian Endeavor Society N
" been to train young people 10 do VOL
nd in the church. The new pledge, m
la signed at the July Convention in l.
ast Angeles, goes farther. 1t seeks 10 :"
ian ron young peoIie "Ho 10
Christian citizenship, their life III
sion. It is designed to meet the ne
for the great variety Of Specialists.
the ministry, on the mission held,
ina ~ ~ - I-nr.tion To- j
Al pi.ose - a., r-oT
% the main point is that he shall
tn0 consccrated to 1t as a life yocatc
and not as a mere aNCc3tlon. 4
WOW is as solemn as the student Y
~unteer pledge for foreign missions.
a name has been adopted for
~signers Of this new pledge. j
dir Christian EndeaVor t~oFenanteF
While the first ecrult were reg
ea1- tered at Los Angeles, it Is now pls