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Christian laws governing marriage and divorce,
a better observance of the Lord's Day, better laws
for its protection, a revival of national religion
and the preservation of all Christian customs,
usages, laws and institutions."
work to a successful issue, with tbe exception
of tbe number attending from a distance.
Few
outside of a small circle bad any idea
that 20,000 would
the large outlay necessary.
gather at Portland with
The nomination
'of delegates' at headquarters could not bring
tbis about.
What was needed was for communities
to choose delegates, raising money
for their expenses.
This would give some
idea of bow many would attend. Adverse
criticism was freely made by the Oregonian
of the exaggerated estimate, as if the $15,-
000 given by the Commercial Club and the
publication outlay of the railroads had
met with little return. The coast knows itself
a good deal about "booming," but tbese
men
do not like it when it is done for a
convention.
This leads us to say that we
do' not believe the adoption of "modern
methods" is Vv-'ell for such an organization
as the National Reform Association. Tbey
can well dispense with a publicity manager.
The program took a wide range for National
Reform, even under tbe bead of Christian
Citizenship.
Mr. Redpath, mentioned in
the report of Sabbath evening, July 6, is
noticed in the Personals of the .Journal as
follows:
"Robert Redpath, of Olathe, Kan., who is attending
the World's Christian Citizenship Conference,
was in at the birth of the National Reform
Association under whose direction the conference
is being held. He is one of the two surviving
members of eight who organized a reform
association at Sparta, 111., in March, 18G3. A few
THE CHRISTIAN NATION. Vol. 59.
weeks before a similiar society was organized at
Xenia, Ohio. Out of these two societies grew
the National Reform Association. The early organizers
belonged for the most part to the Reformed
Presbyterian Church. Of the eight who
organized the Sparta branch flve were Covenanters,
or Reformed Presbyterian, two were
United Presbyterian and one was a Newllght
Covenanter.
" 'I am not a preacher,' said Mr. Redpath yesterday.
EDITORIAL
'Just a plain farmer, interested in reform
work. There are only two of those who organized
NEW YORK, AUG. 6, 1913.
the Sparta society living, myself and David
S. Faris, of Sparta. I wrote to him a few days
THE PORTLAND CONFERENCE.
ago, telling him that I was coming out here.
We conclude witb thiis issue tbe report of This is my firstvisit to the Northwest. I have
been in California, but never got this far North
the Portland Conference, taken from the
before.'"
large notice of it by the Oregon Journal of
In those early days, the movement stood
that city. Full credit was given by that
for the Religious Amendment to the'United
paper to the program as presented to tbe
States Constitution, for the acknowledgment
assembled people. The executive committee
in the Preamble of the authority of God, of
bf tbe Natiional Reform Association made
Christ, and of tbe Bible; and when at a
a wise selection in tbe men who spoke in
meeting of the Association years ago, in
Portland. Tbe general secretary, Rev. Dr.
Pbiladelpbia, a move was made to- eliminate
James S. Martin, had carried the burden of the
the acknowledgment of ithe authority of
preparation for thes'e two years, bringing the •
Christ, this was earnestly opposed, and the
early form was maintained. When the movement
was twenty-one years old, tbe editor
of the American edition of Messiab the
Prince, thus stated the aim of the Reform
movement: "To maintain all existing Christian
featureis in the American government, to
supply such features where they may be lacking;
and to secure the wliole by suitable provisions
in the National 'Constitution, is tbe
aim of the National Reform Association."
Tbis line has been followed for many years.
The subject of Divorce was taken up, the
Sabbath, and Temperance, but now the program
embraces The Direct Democracy, Capital
and Labor, Prison Reform, Immigration,
the Ethical Element in Systems of Taxation.
Tbis breadth afforded the Oregonian the
opportunity to say:
"Interesting as the addresses were both for
content and for the men who made them, we do
not see how they can exercise much influence upon
the thought of remote countries. What was
said is about the same as one hears from almost
every meditative and scholarly man who is up
with the times in his reading and thinking. The
pulpit and the press fairly buzz with the notion
of applying the genuine teaching of the Saviour
to the practical affairs of mankind, and nothing
was said at the conference whicn has not been
put fully as well by such men as Rauschenbusch
and the invigorating author of the 'The Call of
the Carpenter.' Jacob Riis, Jane Addams and a
host of their pra:ctical colleagues are doing in
fact what the speakers at the conference so engagingly
advocated in theory."
We know, of course, that tbe Progressives
support a number of the issues discussed, and
they will go on tO' triumph. We agree with
the criticism of the Oregonian in part, but
not for its reason. The fundamentals herein
are not a narrow platform. There are inany
questions in connection with them that are
asked and need to be answered. These occupy
the important place in the movement.
The aim of maintaining the Cbristian features
of our national life introduces a range
of subjects. Chrisitian citizenship has a
wide reach, but the orgarilizat'id.rt' needs to
emphasize and make prominent its great aim
wben occasioiii offers. Otherwise the Cause
fails to impress men as limportant, as pressing
: "Kiss the Son, lest ye perisih from the
way, when bis'wrath is kindled 'but alittle.
Blessed are all they that put tbeir trust in
him."
One of the speakers, as our readers have
seen, suggests the acknowledgment of 'God
and of Christian morality, as a form that
should not offend tbe Jew and the iVtohammedan,
while the very thing contended for
is, that Christ rules the nations. Thiis is in
no wise more acceptable to those who oppose
Him. The acknowledgment in the Preamble
is the nation's act as to the ultimate authority
and the ends of government.
We must note tbat the Sabbath, the Lord's
Day, was a Sectional subject. The newspaper
report of this section we gave in full. There
was little of it. There are few subjiects,
among ithe- "Chnistian features'' so important
as this. The call today is rather for "One
Day in Seven/' and was so stated by one
of the speakers, and is in the Program of
Christian Citizenship.
The Sabbath' is to ba observed in the public
and private exercises of God's worship,
except 90 much as is ito be taken up in works
of necessity and mercy. Now it is given over
to entertainment even within the walls of
churches. Professing Christians use it for
travel. They patronize .the "Sunday press."
Yet it is itlie keystone of tlie arch of the
Commandments of God. And here we feel
called upon to say, that the Sabbath mass
meeting, as in 1911 in Pbiladelphia, and thte
Sabbath stadium meetings of this, year with
the patriotic songs, the applause, the range
given in the subjects, are not in keeping with
the high aim of this Assooiation tbat stands
for the ideal Christian society. We believe
a better impression is made on a communiity
by a scrupulous regard for the Sabbath.
The Sabbatb for results is better given over
to meeting in tbe churches, where the matters
at issue (and by these we mean the fundamental
subj.ects that relate to God and
Man, as God and Human Government, the
Messiab and the Nations, the Bible and Civil
Society, the Sabbath and Worship, Marriage
and tbe Law of Christ) are presented
by opening up the Scriptures with
the limitations, if one chooses to eall them
so, of divine service.
The National Reform work opens up with
another gathering in view. Lessons are learned
from experience. We voice the thoughts or
many in a Churcb which has given freely to
this movement for a half century, and earnestly
desires its success, knowing that success
must come; iif not through us, yet it sha,}!
come, for ithe kingdoms of this world shall
become the Kingdom of our Lord and of
His Christ.