The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-05-09
Voice Of the People
1.-THE Gate City does not assume re-
sponsibility for views expressed by

A Plea for the sparrows.

! A Plea for the Sparrows.
TO the Editor OF The Gate City:
| am not in line with the popular
campaign against the English spar
row. Most certainly the wisdom and
necessity for the prevalent con-
domination Of this little bird is to be
fcondemned, and the accuracy of
some of the off-hand statements as
to their undesirability are open to
challenge. Not the least of valuable
birds are the scavengers, and it Is OF
this class that the sparrow is mem
| Der.
| Who has not admired the pluck and
hardness of the little ball of wind
swept brown feathers perched out in
1.-THE winter cold-the only bird life in
Fsight except the pirate bluejay-with
| a wistful eye cast on the kitchen door
and the path to the refuse pail?
Guilty little chap, he gets a living
where any other bird would starve.
| The plucky chirp on a blizzardy
morning does any mans heart good.
! So far as publications dealing with
the sparrow are concerned, United
States government experts have
written of many other birds, song
sters included.
| The old time charge that the rob
ms. dwindling numbers-and this
charge is refuted by the great num-
bers of these pretty birds seen with
in the boundaries of the city of Keo-
kuk and are so tame as to cause re-
marks due to the vicious nature
of the sparrow, is not founded on
fact.
England and Wales are famous
for their great variety of beautiful
| Gil STr
there. Virginia is also a songbird
paradise, and Tennessee rings with
the melody of the hooking bird, but
sparrows are everywhere there, just
as here in Keokuk.
Everybody cherishes the robin, yet
he Is a noisy fellow outside of his
/ singing moments, something Ola dis
turber among the singing tribe, and
no less destructive than the sparrow.
Where is that songbird asylum in
which Dick Sparrow is not literally
represented?
Songbirds won't thrive where
sparrows are? How is it, then, that
KeokuIs is already the home of
thousands Of beautiful singers, or,
that if they are present in millions
elsewhere, the sparrows are there,
too, to keep them company?
OBSERVER.
Keoluk, Iowa, May 8, 1916.
Not an Invention.
To the Editor of The Gate City:
In your issue Of April % find
reference to a pamphlet criticising
Christian Science, and ask space to
comment briefly upon it for the in
| formation Of your readers. Because
Christian Science does not interpret
the teachings of the Bible as he does.
our critic rules that it "forfeits its
right to be called christian" No one
is clothed with authority to grant or
to refuse certificates of christianity.
To be christian Is to be a follower
Of Jesus Christ The most striking
thing about the four gospel records
Of Jesus ministry is the prominence
| they give to the spiritual healing
which always accompanied His
teachings. He expressly charged His
followers to heal the sick in connec-
ton with His command to preach the
/ gospel. That this was intended not
| for His contemporaries alone but for
all time is clearly indicated by the
fact that it continued to be the &C
| compartment OF the exercise of the
| christian religion for nearly three
centuries after the crucifixion.
Christian Science is not an inven-
| ton but a discovery of the underly-
ing truths Of christianity which the
Bible has always contained. It's re-
revival of primitive christianity re-
vived also, and in wonderful measure,
the healing of "all manner of dis
cases." which, in its early and purest
form, it abundantly manifested ex-
actly as Jesus promised to all hu.
imanity and for all time when He
said, these signs shall follow them
! that believe"
II that body of religionists who are
carrying out not part but all Of
Jesus commandments and who are
most closely approximating the signs
following His ministry. were to be re-
1 fused the right to the christian ap-
pellation, on what showing could any
determination be admitted? 1t was
the founder Of christianity himself
who declared, by their fruits We shall
| know them
| Very truly yours.
AVERY COONI1EY.