The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-03-09
Y. NJ. c. Allie Proposed Change in the
Constitution.


Mr.. ED1ToR:-Your last issue contains
an article, over the signature of Church
Member" in which the writer advocates
that the Constitution of the Young Mems
Christian Association "shall be so changed
that any man of good moral character
shall be eligible to Office after the present
officers terms shall expire; or "that
an associate member shall have all the
rights and privileges that an active member
shall have, removing all distinctions, what
ever
Now, we beg leave, most respectfully, to
differ somewhat from the views above
expressed. The Constitution now provides
that to become an 0ctioe member the per-
son must hold membership in some evan
gelical denomination. All of the work OF
the Association is christian in its character.
Its workings and contemplated operations
partake of deeply religious and charita-
BILE nature. A large proportion of the
work to be done is such that no man is pre-
pared for, or willing to perform, without
the qualification named above-that of
being a live and active member of some
christian church. This, we think, the
author, Or any other church member, will
admit. Then, if this be true, does not the
inconsistency of his argument appear, when
he wishes to take persons, making no pro-
fession of christianity, whatever, and place
them at the head of a christian Institution,
having for its object the accomplishment
of such grand work as the above organize
tiono One of the specific objects the Asso-
citation contemplates, is the benefit and
improvement of the very class whom
"Church Member" would make eligible
to office. If, then, they are fully qualified,
in every respect, to "run" the Association,
what need of effort in their behalf? To
use "Church Members" own argument,
"They that are whole need not = physician;
but they that are SICK
Allow this proposed change to be made,
and does any one suppose the offices, with
all their religious duties, could be filled by
the associate membership? Not any more
than the official board of church could be
formed of non-professors. It would be no
lack of intellectual capacity, but of reli-
gious interest, that would disqualify them.
Placing associate members in these posi-
tons, would be similar to taking non
believer from the street and putting him in
the pulpit; and the former would be about
as consistent as the latter.
Again; / would ask, if this Society should
fall into the hands of the associates, as
"Church Member" in his zeal. would
allow, what would become of the name p
That, surely, would have to be dropped;
for they would not wish to sail under false
colors, and they could not do otherwise
nnder the cognomen of the Young Mems
Christian Association.
We would not be understood to be opposed
to giving the associates more "rights and
privileges than the Constitution now
grants them. We would place them on
committees with active members, and
assign them such work as they could and
would willingly perform; but we would not
make them eligible to offices for which they
are entirely unsuited, the duties of which
must of necessity be distasteful to them.
We entirely agree with " Church Mem
ber," that "the more earnest, true, chris
tian piety instilled into work of this kind
the BETTER" without which those "good
influences will be lacking, and the organ
ization itself prove dead failure.
WE'LL WIsHER.
Another communication, in reply to
the article above referred to, was handed
in at late hour ON Friday, and failed to
get into type. 1t advances about the same
line of argument, however, as the above.