The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-11-21

tressed and ragged humanity within
their shadows, "and their shadows
extend to those cast by the churches
nearest about u.s." as is made for the
various organizations, all more or less
foreign. there would hardly be boy
or girl in this whole community out
of the schools during the week and
practically all would be in attendance
at Sunday School and other services
on the sabbath. We don't mean to
say that money alone would do the
work, but reasonable amount of
conscientious labor, directed by hon
est, christian endeavor, would round
up forty-nine out of every fifty, and
this community would be a veritable
paradise. If every section boasting
! church should do the same thing,
/ illiteracy, crime and detected, gagged
poverty would almost disappear from
our country. Because the organiza-
lions we call churches absolutely fail,
individually to do this character of
work, it must be done, if at all. by
foreign hands, by money we contri-
butte that goes around the world, so
to speak, and then back again and so
much of it necessarily sticks there
and yonder, but little of it returns.
That is one kind of rolling stone that
gathers no moss. Strictly home man
aged charity and benevolence would
bear no overhead charges, and much
would be saved in that method. Ev-
cry church, with Christ for its king,
should have a good budget for the
relief of distress, for quick care of
the poor in extreme cases, special
committee to look after the sick, to
keep children in school, in fact the
church that would put humanity on
the road to eternal life should give |
about fifty times as much attention /
to the poor, the ignorant and grimy /
as it does to the man with the dia- |
mond stud and draped in broadcloth /.
and the woman wrapped in a hundred /
and fifty dollars worth Of fur shaded !
by a huge ostrich plume-But alas |
il Is the other way around. the poor
and unfortunate get little Or no at
tention whatever from the average
church as now governed and operat-
ed. The man or woman of wealth
and station is petted, coddled, if there
be such a thing, while the other class
is stunned and looked upon as some
thing communicating and to be left
severely alone. When the churches.
individually learn to help the help
less, the poverty stricken and way
ward within their own domains and
visitation bounds, they will have
awakened to at least a part of the
duties which the lowly Nazarene in
tended they should perform. The
fallen or the unfortunate will natur-
ally be exceedingly slow in uniting
himself with an organization claim
ing to be followers of the Christ,
when he must look TO some other
agency for help. if help and assistance
he is to get in times of trouble and
Of need. The Churches, as it looks
10 us, have unloaded their best work,
heir best opportunity for doing good
on a lot of other organizations, and
by that means the very religious life
IS being sapped from the churches, as
, natural result. What would home
drive for home funds, to be spent
in the home community look ana
sound like? And committees APP
pointed to visit and look after the
sick. we mean committees who really
lid it. what would they look and feel
ike? We venture that committees
,ould be selected from the most regu-
ar and best paying members of the
churches of this town, who would feel
and act like sheep killing dogs II
caught in broad open daylight visit
ng and attempting to relieve distress
N some homes in our community.
Doubtless some people whqread this
article, if any do, will think that the
writer is one awful pessimist or half
crazy. and we may be both, yet there
IS much of truth in what we have
said, and therein we have expressed
honest convictions.