Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-11-01
A PREACHER EDITOR.

a PREACHER EDIEoR,
The following dispatch appeared in
the newspapers a few days ago:
"%Pittsburg, Kan, October 26.-Be-
cause OF a declaration from the pulpit
by Rev. e. J. Bulgin, an evangelist,
that he could edit a newspaper bet
ter than the editor of the Pittsburg
Sun. that paper was issued today un-
der the direction of the minister.
Paul A. Jones, editor of the Sun, ac-
cepted the challenge of the minister,
and gave him the editorial direction
for one day. The edition, made up
under tho direction of the evangelist,
carried on it's first age a "screamer"
declaring PPittsburg needs a Moses
In addition a two-column picture
of the evangelist is given first page
position and an editorial Of one and a
half columns is given to an attack
on Christian Science. The minister
editor excluded card parties, divorce
cases and dances from the news col
Nmns."
So far as Christian Scientists are
concerned, let them make their own
reply to this evangelistic editors at
tack II they choose to pay any atten-
ton whatever to it, but for ourselves
and in the interests of that broad
Christianity which should keep pace
with advancing civilization we are
constrained to offer a few observa-
tons with regard to this divine's cri-
ticiam.
Let us pause long enough at the
outset, however, to remark that, SO
far as we have been able to discern,
Christian Scientists are behaving
themselves about as other Christians
b~ehave-that is to say, they are keep
ing out of jail in about as great pro-
portions, are minding their own bust
ness in relatively as great numbers,
mendable citizenship as other citizens
evince, and ii we are able to pass
intelligent Judgment upon the point
they are combining their daily walks
in life to about as near the center of
that straight and narrow roadway that
we sometimes read about as the aver
age member OF other churches.
II their practices and beliefs are
tending to undermine the social fab
rio OF the country or to oyerturn es-
tablished order, the attacks uponthem
which have come under our notice
have failed so to intimate. They are
assailed from the standpoint OF their
religion mot from the effect OF their
particular creed or belief upon others
or upon the world in general, as the
pioneer members of what is now the
great Methodist church were assailed
~ few generations ago..
This being the case. it passeth our
understanding why a nan pretending
to call others to repentance and as
Stunning to stand for the best in life
should divert his attention from his
mission in hand to berate others who
worship the same God as he worships
and who seek salvation in the life
that now is and that which is to come
through the intereession of the sans
Son who is asked to intercede for
him.
Upon the hypothesis OF the attack
In question, this evangelistic Bulgin
should assail the Baptists IL he him
self is not n among them for a
Wanton waste of water; or the Meth
odists If he happens not to be of them.
for employing it too sparingly; or the
Catholics and the E~piscopalians and
the Congregationalists for mot Jail
ing those of their number who in
dnlge In dancing; or the Free Meth
odists for shouting too loudly and too
frequently; or the Quakers for not
suficiently exercising their vocal
cords, and SO on ad inflnitum.
The spirit of the brotherhood Of
Nan is more pronouncedly asserting
- t<x<1R a. - Il ~ - ~ ,E5Gn. 4 ISSE A,x