The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-06-18
CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE
CHICAGO, June Is, 1868.

SHlC.AOO, u uHC IL; lCCC.
In my last letter to you mentioned the
fact tina! We are just at present having an
overwhelming visitation of street preach
srs, chaps who perform in and about the
court house yard. Well, they seem to
continually increase in numbers, and a
great many people begin to vote them a
nuisance At first some Of the dyspeptic
boxing young gentlemen of the Y. NJ. c.
A. had the field all to themselves, then
couple Of crazy men, who thought the
young christians didn't put enough vim
and brms.oue into their speeches, tooA 9
hsnd IN. After little, sharp liberalists,
nateria.ists, and sp;ritualists cot to whining
around and entrapping into discussion the
unrary young christians, who were more
remarkable for zeal than knowledge, and
for lungs than logic It was hardly fair
'hake for the young men. They were
generally innocent and harmless young
persons, often of the retail dry goods per-
suasion, and without any special training
or theological education, had 10 other
preparation than al unbounded faith.
Their antagonists, especially tie liberalists
and materialists were on the other hand
all keen, well-read, thinking men, several
* them adreit in argument, and to them
the job Of winding up The young home
missionaries was quite amusing. The
crowd gathered about to listen to these FIVE
min ute discussions, heartily enjoying their
sophi,tries and sarcasislEs and the public
feeling ia every case has been noticcably
against the profsssedly orthodox youths.
These discussions have now been Of almost
nightly occurrence, and yesterday (Sun-
day. they continued, with very brief in
termissions, from three o'clock in the aft
eruoon until eleven o'clock at night
Their tendency is certainly bad. Religion
has put put forth her weakest defenders,
and there is little or no public sympathy
for them when they get worsted in the lit
tie tournament. As the crowd shouted
last night to one Of them as he retired dis
comfted from an encounter with long
headed Scotch materialis.,- children
shouldn't play with edged tools
While treating of religious topics,
may as well post your church going read
ers with the latest fashion in church style.
1t has been introduced here at Trinity
church, and is certainly great step be-
yond old fashioned congregational singing,
being nothing more or less than the issu-
ing of programme of the music to be per-
formed by the choir on each Sunday. A
libretto will be the next step doubtless
The war between Chickerlng and Stein
way piano agents, has been resumed with
more vigor than before. Each abuses the
other daily in the public prints, claiming
his particular Instrument to be best, and
charging his rival with falsehood and
fra nd. The public has no right to disbe-
lieve either of them, but if half either SAYS
of the other be true, then states prisons
will never have their dues until these gen.
tlemea are jagged. Through all the
smoke they make, however, the public now
understand that this war is only sham to
make people think that theirs are the only
first class pianos, whereas the truth is that
neither of them took the first prize about
which they make such fuss, it having
been awarded to Broadwood, of London, at
the Paris exposition, and in order to get
even the second and third prizes, they
we're forced to enter into league to keep
all other American pianos out Of compe-
ttion with th:m at the exposition This
cost them great deal Of moicy, so did
their faociful and practically WORTHLESS