The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-15
Two BROOKLYN Ministers.

Two Brooklyn Ministers.
The appearance of Mr.. BEECHER Of the
New England Agricultural Fair, where he
had been hired 20 deliver the annual adj
dress, Ind all The essential elements of nm
| exhibition. lie was attractive To the null
titudc. The people wanted to see the cler-
gyman who had been guilty of adultery,
confessed his guilt, aud committed perjury,
yet was still retained rs pastor of Ply
mouth Church. They crowded around
the platform where he was to speak,
although rain was wetting them; and
those who could not get Il good sight
! clamorcd for their moneys worth. They
cared nothing FOR what he Ind 20 say, and
were only strenuous to see him. After he
had begun his address, those whose view
was imperfect shouted their displcasure
50 loudly that he was compelled to stop.
Then the managers of the show put
two scttccs together aud he was
elevated upon them INTO satisfactory
couspicuousncss. This was enough for
the gaping assembly, and he AT once
did Just what shrcwd showmen al
ways do-tricd to make his audience
laugh nj the outset. 81 am sure you can
not doubt ann right now" he said, las
the way is straight and narrow upon
which ! am now standing" There they
had BrEcHER, mounted on pile of
benches, cracking n joke like circus
clown, and the point of the jest turning
| on the solemn words of JESUS CHRIST.
Could they expect more for twenty Ave
ccntsl since you have had pro-
pitious weather." he continued. for
your horses, for your cows, for your
oxen, for all the machinery and their
inventors, and buyers and sellers and
! since you have come down at last to no.
| thing but IA minister, II is not of much
consequence that II rains now" Hearing
that and also the applause and laughter
which this bufIoonery evoked, we wonder
If DIR. LoRING was not ashamed-for when
introducing Mr.. BEEcHER to the sight
seers, DR.. LoRING had used this language;
1T has been customary on the last day Of the
= New England fair for the society TO engage TIC
services Of somebody who Is auie 20 improve
/ ihe minds 81 the people anu instruct them in
the ways ~ agrlrni. ire and All Other 0onf irOfs
Inc li-' trcHt agricultural lecturer Of this scot
I ely, al the opening Of the Institutions was the IL
| lu-trious Coy. ANDREw Of Massachusetts,.
tiemtn tmWsniiU rOrfhU ~ stand IN he ptdcc-
the Rev. Henry WARD BEEChLR.'
ON the same day with this display in
Manchester. another Brooklyn minister
delivered an address at the opening of
another fair. The Rev. DR.. SCHENCK
fulfilled an engagement to speak at
the great indus, rial exposition in Gin
cinnati DR.. SCHESCK has never been ac-
cused of adultery, or hypocrisy, or per-
jury; and is known only rs an eminent
clergyman. lie was. therefore, not rs at
tractive a spectacle ms BEEcnER was, and
lac seems TO have appreciated the occasion
very differently. for in the report OF his
address we nud the following passage:
1--WE have at last reached u stage In the expe-
riment Of the modern republic When II Is neces-
sary to provide things honest in the sight of all
men,, or this great nation about TO- celebrate IT,
majority In the civic soemnities Of the Centen-
NAL bear-a nation which has Haunted It's naa
for hundred years upon every shore and sea
where discovery and enterprise have held out
their lures a nation which thus far has had an
almost unprecedeuted history IN the triumphs
which emhellish the annals Of life and progress -
thi, American people Is now at juncture which
demands the demonstration Of virtue in per
sonal character aud honesty IN business dealing
or It Will SIM by the dead weight OF It's own cor
ruptton. And there Is corruption almost every
where People seem to forget tnat there are such
u ngs A. principle and honor and ,unhdence
The veil Is month after month being lifted from
neiore Wnat We supposed were the shtlnes OF
integrity To reveal to as the hideous 'pectacles
Of hypocrisy and fraud. Say what YOU will, the
stringent times under which we now suHcr do
not So much present questions Of crops. com-
merce, or currency, nut are simply declarativt
Of degraded business sentiment. Confidence
Is eNtirp ted. Truth Is sneered at as an old
wives fable The shrewdest overreachinG
which makes money and escapes the peniten
tiary, Is hpplduded 10 the echo. In the name o
our buasted civilization demand that checl
and pause be given to this moral madness"
The coincidence of two Brooklyn clergy
men speaking on similar occasions on tn,
, same day, in far separated places, give
great force To the contrast in their view
, ana methods ofacqutting themselves. Hat
. DR.. SCHENCK been tnlkingin Ohio explicit
ly to Mr.. BEECHER in Vermont, he could no
have used more appropriate language. Thu
period does, indeed, demand the demon
= stration Of virtue in personal character,
! and i'm bringing about the present mos
/, deploIable state of things, Mr.. BEECHEl
has been an equal worker III wickednes
1 with the greatest of our political and com
\ mcrcial frauds This condition, as DT
SCuENCK truly says, may cause our countr.
10 "sink by the dead weight OF its owl
corruption" unless it is changed. And /
A., it to be changed 10y such exhibitions an'
, inculcatons as those of IlENRY WAR;
: BEECuER, or by the utterances and inilu
n ence of grave, thoughtful, wise and piou
men like DR.. SCHENCKy
, Columbus DelanO on the War Path
$ The man of philosophy avoids nothin
e more than any disturbance to the tran