The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-03-23
LETTER FROM DIR. T.. O. WATSON.
(Continued from page 5, column 2o

sand will, as tney Call IL, hl| 'ho
traiI' in Baltimore. This will mean
that thousands will quit drinking IL
quor, quit gambling, become better
husbands and better wives, truer
men and women, cleaner and more
decent in living; and the proportion
in whom such reformation will last
will, no doubt, be as great as the
proportion of final perseverance" in
any considerable number who are
brought to a better life through ex-
traordinary agencies. What objec-
ton then? AS Mr.. Sunday himself
would say: "If the house is on fire,
it makes no difference to me whether
YOU save my wife with her best
clothes on, or with nothing at all, so
she is saved" But does the illus
tration illustrate? What of the low
ering of ideals of reverence for God?
What of making religion matter
simply of reformation, of hitting the
trail" mere giving of ones hand
and the recording of ones name? A
travelling man in hotel lobby said:
Down in Virginia, when I was a
boy, getting religion was a serious
business, not hand shake, or a
joke Have We been all wrong
through these years of Methodist in
sistence upon real experience OF
religion? True the times change and
we must change with them, but it
does seem that God being the same
yesterday and today and forever, if
men in the past found Him only
through the heart-breaking expert
ence of genuine repentance toward
God and faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, that however the times may
change and methods of approach to
sinners be modified, there must ever
be genuine repentance and real
faith to bring a soul into right rela'
tions with God and start one on the
way to- heaven. Radical departure
from such standard, coupled with
irreverence, must in it's general ef-
feet upon the masses more than Off
set the reformation even of hundreds
of thousands.
Washington.
On the return trip, though anxious
to get home, 1 felt it almost duty
to spend some time in the national
capital The approach to Washing
ton, whether from the south or from
the north, is not impressive. The
first impression upon approach is
not pleasing. Once within the city
the massive simplicity OF the public
buildings takes possession of you.
You feel that a great nation is worth
lily represented in it's capital and in
3 all it's public buildings, unless the
white house be excepted. l listened
+ a while to discussion in both senate
and house. Was impressed with the
fact that neither body surpassed a
Methodist general conference in per-
Fsonnel or in the power of debate.
Most of the public buildings and
/. places of interest in the city were
casually visited, but the congressional
library and the national museum
claimed most of the time for me in
Washington. l could have spent
profitable weeks in either. It would
be we'll worth while for any young
man or woman to spend vacation
in the national museum. There is
scarcely a line of study that could
not be made more definite and clear
by even a few days there. The mu-
scum is constantly growing richer in
the treasures of the nation and of
world knowledge. The congressional
library is among the greatest assets
and inspirations of the nation. De-
scription is impossible. l wish that
every young man and woman OF the
nation might at least look upon these
great institutions for few days.
They would be better citizens, more
truly patriotic and grateful to God
for reunited country. They would
be inspired to seek knowledge with
eager soul.
Looking upon it all l heard the
"battle cry of peace" and realized
that as nation we had built only
for peace and were at the mercy of
any great hostile power that might
seek to exploit us. Once l greatly
admired the ''Commoner. and called
him great. Now I feel that he is,
however true in heart to his convic-
tions, a menace to his country. Less
than two years ago such war as
that now devastating all Europe was
not dreamed of as possible. Just
what has happened to Belgium can