, 1875-12-19

the VICE E3E&&m III NIQEu uH AS At4A LII k416
community. There is probably no other
clergyman in the West who could have broken
away from old dogmatic fetters md set up
an independent church that would attract
the same number Of followers, and
unite SO much intelligence, character,
and worth, in permanent association
The expenses of the Central Church will
probably come within $4,000 year, while
the expenses of other churches with one
quarter as numerous congregation and CON-
Portable accommodations, greatly exceed that
sum. A church-edifce, used but one day in
the week, represents an investment, we will
say, of $20o, 1000, or 100000 year, and the
expenses of the minister, the financial agent,
the choir, the sexton, etc, amount to $4,000
mora A church comfortably accommodating
1000 people, with O popular minister and
attractive choir, represents an annual cost Of
f1om 1856, 600 to $4,000 year, including the
investment, as against $l2, 600 in the present
enterprise, which will accommodate 1000
worshiperg This makes vast difference in
the cost per Christian.
The sole of the seats in Prof. SwNo's
Church developed, nevertheless, the tendency
of American society to make absurd discrim-
nations On mere money basis. The scaie
of prices included seats at $40 year, $12,
So, and S.. In point Of comfort, the seats at
800, Sl2, and IS, are precisely alike, and, in
point of location aud desirab1ity, there is
little difference between them In view OF
| the fact that the complaint OF hard times Is
| universal, and that everybody dwells upon
| the necessity Of retrenching in personal
expenses, it would be natural to sup
pose that the lower-priced places with
equa1 advantages would be taken at
first As matter Of fact, the sale
was just the other way. All the $40 seats
| were taken before the $12 seats, and the $12
| seats before the IS seats, while there Was
| scarcely any demand for So seats. We do
| not know Of more striking instance Of the
| absurd American sristocracy based upon
money distinctions. There were unquestion-
ably those who retained $50 seats merely On
account Of the foolish pride which suggests
| to every American citizen that be must pay
| as much money for what he uses as every
other American citizen, and that he Is dis
graced in some mysterious manner if he is
/ deprived OF this glorious privilege. There
were undoubtedly those who paid $50 in the
full consciousness that the $8 seats vera
equally desirable, and that their finances
scarcely warranted the unnecessary expend-
itura OF the difference.
It is this general aristocratic sentiment
based upon money that, more than anything
else, impairs the usefulness of our church Or
ganizations. The eane spirit that manifested
itself in the selection OF seats in the Central
Church leads the members Of other churches
to indulge their fashionable foibles- Every
woman feels that she must have new fall or
new spring bonnet, made BY the most FASH
ionable mil1ner, aud the latest cut in dress,
in order to appear in her customary place in
the house Of worship. Every patev;1 1amt1sas
is impelled to pay as much for his pew, to
put as much money in the contrlbution-box,
to give as freely at the church fairs, and in
every other way assert his moneyed equality
as conspiouously as i4is neighbor. It is this
common weakness that has converted SO many
of our churches into great repositories Of
fashion, which are BOXED upon in much the
same way as the "opening" at the nobbiest
retail dry-goods establishment It is this
false pride which excludes many from church.
going among the Protestant churches, and
betrays many others into expenditures which
they cannot afford,
The same prejudice extends to other walks
Of life, and particularly to the amusements
Of the people. It has grown upon them to
such an extent as actually to deprive them Of
some Of the best class of public entertain
ments. Opera-going has become SO costly,
with the universal greed for the highest
priced seats and the sine qua non Of car
riages, bouquets, and opera-costumes, that
people, unwilling to part company with their
prejudices, stay away, and the opera is vir-
tually discontinued as one Of our regular
amusements. So, in our theatres, the best
locations, or at least locations just as good as
any other, remain empty on account OF the
distinction in price, while the people CON-
plain Of high prices and remain at home.
Tie orchestra-chairs Of today which sell for
dollar were formerly called the "pit," and
looked down upon by the people in the ga1-
lery above with contempt Now, the balcony,
which was formerly the preferred location,
because it was the highest-prioed, and which
is still as desirable as any other part Of
well-constructed theatre, is deserted because
there is an insane notion that there is some
disgrace in paying rs cents or so cents less
for the same entertainment than somebody
else has paid A similar prejudice extends
to railroad travel, and has resulted in there
being but one class of cars, while there should
be three OF four. In hotel-Me, in dressing, in
| carriages, and every othar social appendage,
this foolish nnoney-distinction is observed by
people who would be offended it they were
| told that they lack common-seusa.
Ths characteristic American greed for gain,
whtdh bs&ays our iaR1sassnrs md pahlia 1t.