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THE KING ’ S BUSINESS A criticism of our educational system comes from a source .that ought to command attention. Dr. W. A. White, Superintendent of the Federal Hospital for the Insane, near Washington, D. C., has given it as his
Over-Education of the Poor.
opinion that the training of children of poor parents above their station is a mistake. He says that daughters of poor parents who learn a little algebra, a little history, and a little music, are spoiled for their natural positions in life and still are not competent to fill higher positions. We cannot but feel that there is a great deal of truth in this statement. We have gone to great extremes in this country in thinking that everybody must be trained along every line of scientific knowledge. A very large share of our people must always occupy humble positions in life, and it is the part of wisdom to train them for the work that they are likely to do, and not to train them for positions which they will never have an opportunity to fill. To educate people beyond their position in life is simply to make them discontented and unfit. is to be hoped in permanent results also, those held several years ago. The movement is one in which not only the laymen, but also the ministers should be deeply interested, and it should have the prayers of all Christians. There was never a time in which there were so many openings for missionary work on the one hand, and so many difficulties on the other. The war has paralyzed the work of English and German missionary societies in some places, thus lay ing' an additional responsibility upon American Christians. In gratitude to God that He has kept us out of this awful war we should do what we can to aid the work thus hindered by the war, The great gathering in Los Angeles will be held in the auditorium of our Bible Institute, February 27 to March 1. Prominent missionary speakers will be present from different parts of the country, and it is expected that five thousand delegates will be in attendance. The local details are in the hands of a very competent committee, headed by Hon. A. J. Wallace, former Lieutenant Governor of the State of California. A fuller account of the Laymen’s Missionary Movement will be found in another part of this magazine. We extend a very hearty welcome to the Con vention. Our churches at the present time seem to be going to Over-Organization seed along the line of organization. Every new thing in the Church. that is to be done seems to call for some new organiza tion to do it. The various societies in some of our churches are so numerous that they are stumbling over one another. President Wilson, at a recent meeting of the Federal Council of Churches, spoke some wise words along this line: “ I have been a member of one or two churches that were admirably organ ized and were accomplishing nothing. You know some people dearly love organization. They dearly love to sit in a chair and preside. They pride them selves upon their knowledge of -parliamentary practise. They love to concoct and write minutes. They love to appoint committees. They boast of the num ber of committees that their organization has, and they like the power and the The Laymen’s Missionary Movement is conducting a series' of missionary campaigns in seventy-five of the Missionary Movement, leading cities of America. The meetings held thus far have greatly exceeded in numbers and interest, and ft The Laymen’s
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