The Portland daily press., 1872-05-21
Our New York Letter.

Our New York Letter.
The Sunday Questionable Gospel preached
to the poor in Gotham Extravaganza of
metropolitan churches - Gou. Hofaaan's
tdithfulness to. Tdmmany - Mr.. Greeley's
threat to the Democracy-Sinful games of
the Tribune-A Cadmean Victory-Who
defeated amnesty. sll
8 l . NEW YORK, May Is, 1872.
n. =, sa- SUNDAY IN NEW YORK.
The Reading Room of the Mercantile Libra
ry is now open on Sundays from 1 till 8
o'clock P. M This innovation has been eff
fected after long and'earnest discussion of
the subject, the advocates and the opponents
of the measure being equally conscientious
and decided in their opinions. In its favor it
was urged that the association comprised ov-
er 10000 members, most of them single young
men, living in boarding houses, to whom it
would be great privilege to have a place of
resort, during the unoccupied hours of the
Sabbath, where they could peruse the period
ical literature of the old and new world.
Against it was urged the improperly of en-
gaging in any secular employments on the
Lords day. The Puritan idea, that the
church, the Bible class and the Sunday
School, should be the only places to congre-
gate on that sacred day, prevails too largely
among the Orthodox denomination to be
readily subjected to modification, much less
to surrender. What finally carried the day
in favor of q relaxation of the rigidity of the
Puritan rule was the practical fact that
church-going in New York is a luxury quite
beyond the means of the average body of
clerks. An eligible seat in first class house
of worship, if it can be obtained at all, costs
about $50 per annum whereas membership
in the Mercantile Library association with all
the privileges of the use of its 100000 vol
umes and its well stocked reading room every
day in the year costs but 81. Is it any won
der that the young men protested in large
numbers against having these literary trea-
sures locked up upon the only day of the sew
en- when they could have leisure to enjoy
them? The old fashioned simplicity of SUM-
day worship, of which New Englanders have
had ample early experiences is comparatively
obsolete in the metropolis. The city churches
are gorgeous in architecture and regal in ap-
pointments; a wealth of carving. gliding and
stained glass enhances their attractions. The
cost of the ground alone, on which Dr. Halls
Society are about to erect magnificent edi-
fee is some $3.50, 900. The building will in
volye at least as great an expenditure as was
incurred for the land. Add to the interest on
this outlay salary of $15, 900 to $40, 900 to the
nacfnr and fharo xxyilI bo srni fal ohar
enough to make the yearly expenses 800, 900.
Allowing twelve weeks vacation there re-
main. forty Sabbaths for the enjoyment of
these luxurious gospel privileges, involving an
average expense to each parishioner, wheth-
er in the front or rear pews-the ground floor
or the gallery-of $125 or $3.50 per annum,
not to mention the plate, which circulates
freely and gathers in its course vast pyramids
ofbank notes from the faithful. All the leading
religious societies, irrespective of creed, are
conducted in a correspondingly profuse scale
of extravaganza, consequently men of moder-s
ate means must choose between obscure seats
and abstinence from regular church-going,
and the popular choice tends largely in the
latter direction ID bIaF u '.faa tt-
, I'D, sves THE GOVERNORS VETO I5iis .sui
of the charter concocted during the last days
of the session of the Legislature leaves our
city without hope of any substantial reform
for year to come. Mayor Hall retains his
place till the LIST of January, and the subordi-
nate officials who held Office under the Ring
are left undisturbed. Fortunately, the purse
strings are held in the honest hands of Comp
troller Green, and that is guarantee that
there can be no repetition of the gross frauds
upon the Treasury which were practiced with
such audacity, while Tweed, Sweeney and
Connolly were in power. Hall rests under
such cloud of suspicion and dstrust that he
will be comparatively impotent for mischief
Meantime the question of reformation in
municipal administration reverts to the peo-
pie, and can only be satisfactorily settled by
another grand expression of public sentiment
through the ballot box. 1aFl @r&A ed
MIR. GREELEY CONTINUES
to be advertised with adroit pertinacity,
through the columns of the Tribune, but he
draws very little support from the Republican
ranks. Thus far he seems only to be divid-
ing the Democracy. His followers in that
party take care to leave their boats and
bridges behind them, with view to retreat in
Baltimore on the 9th of July. Till then, they
will endeavor to give him such an appear
ance of strength, as to encourage him to keep
the field. But he evidently understands their
strategy, for he emphatically declares without
that he will not be candidate
unless the Democracy endorse him. What
ever may be his ultimate purpose, he holds
out the threat to them that unless they adopt
him he will leave them to fight their battle
against Grant without his cooperation. |
Mr.. Greeley's organ is playing all sorts of
Of tunes to catch the popular ear. One of
its latest inventions is pretended converse
ton between Col. Forney and the President,
in which the former is represented to be in
great terror at the growth of the ''liberal
movement" Intelligent readers will wonder |
now Tribune Reporter could possibly get |
audience of the private conversations of the |
PRESIDENT with any of his visitors; but that |
sort OF fabrication is intended for the class of |
readers who accept everything they read in a |
newspaper, without stopping to consider how
absurdly improbable it may be-
The result of the Connecticut Senatorial
election is hailed as "another Greeley victory,
despite the fact that Senator Ferry is on
record as Grant man, and that not one of |
the members of the Legislature who bolted |
the caucus is an adherent of Greeley. The |
truth is that Gen. Hawley was the victim of
local jealousies and personal dislikes, and his
defeat does not indicate the slightest detection
in the administration ranks. The Democrats
failed to extort from Gen. Ferry a single word
of sympathy during the canvass, either by
letter or telegram. He maintained an imper-
turbable silence throughout, and stands pre-
cisely where he stood before, Republican
senator, and as such he will abide by and
support the Philadelphia nominations. No
0 T It would crafty the enemy, if the
Connectcut Republicans would try to drive
nun OUT OF the party, but they will do no
such thing. On the contrary. thew will
accept the situation, close up their ranks and
march in solid column to victory in November
The Tribune very mutually is exercised over
the Resolutions of the New York State Con