The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-27

wealth.
The "iacts and figures" concerning
church life in Cincinnati, to which Mr..
Wendte has called the attention OF the re-
ligious community, are sufficiently grave
to awaken interest anywhere, especially
as there is no question but that they are
veritable facts.
The population OF the city may safely be
stated at $4,000. OF these Mr.. Wendte
assumes that the Catholics are entitled to
claim 5000 they claim full hundred
thousand, and may not be far ont OF the
way), foreign Protestants 10000, Jews
7,OO0-or $4,000 in all; which would leave
l5S, 900 who must either be connected with
English-speaEing Protestant Churches or
be living outside OF any church relation:
4 further examination OF the statistics OF
these churches reveals the surprising fact
that their entire membership in this city
and its suburbs is less than 1900, or less
than one-twentieth OF our population.
Multiplying this Il, 900 actual membership
by five, q liberal estimate, we may posi-
bly, conclude that about 60,00O old and
Young are more or less under the direct
Influence OF the English-speaking Prot
estant churches of the city. / have put
the number something like 10000 higher
than Mr.. Wendte, but even this leaves
almost full 100000 who have no church
relation, and who are beyond the direct
influence OF the Gospel. In some OF our
very largest and finest churches the aver
age evening audience is from IS to 100
persons, while ut the same time from 1000
to 5000 persons may frequently be found
ut any OF our hilltop resorts, revealing in
the enjoyment of music, beer and tobacco
smoke. OF these hilltop resorts we have
four, and IS, 900 people is moderate esti-
mate OF the number who are sometimes
gathered at these places on Sunday even
ings, not to mention the hundreds of COR
cert halls, theatrical performances and
beer saloons in all parts Of the city, and
the thousands who frequent and support
them.
Stimulated, perhaps, by the interest
which Mr.. Wendte's sermon had excited,
the proprietUrs -ot the Cincinnati Ga:ette
sent out reporters last Sunday night to
make an examination and present fair
and truthful statement OF facts relative to
the character and attendance upon the W.
rious places OF Sunday amusements. The
number OF places to be reported upon is so
great that small army OF reporters would
be needed to give attention to all OF them
at once; but the Gd:ettG's report was quite
full enough to present a startling array OF
facts which are sufficient to account for
much OF the non-attendance upon the
churches. Il is difficult to summarize the
tremendous exhibit OF corrupting int1u-
ences which are shown TO be at work in
our midst; the crowds upon the street; the
open firtations, coarse tests and tamiliari-
ties which are too shocking for repetition /;
the boys and girls exposed TO the utmost
temptation which the device OF Satan can
set before them. Theaters, rom the SEMI
respectable to the lowest den Of intamy,
where the actions, songs, dialogues and
appurtenances are all OF the most degrad-
ing character, wero found patronlzed by
more than ten thousand persons last Sum
day evening. In all, with one or twoA ex-
captions, drinking and smoking and all
manner of vulgarity proceed among the
audience during the performance, and
these audiences ere composed ol all classes
OF people. Among the Germans many
parents bring their families young men
their young lady friends, while thousands
OF the sons OF Christian parents frequent
these places, and throw away at once their
common sense and manhood.
1t may be ediiying to your readers to
take q peep into Sunday evening enter
tainment conducted by foreign Protest
ant Church German Lutheran). Jeffer-
son Hall was open last Sunday night for
a promenade CONCERT and fair for the bon,
fit OF one OF these churches. At II o'clock
p. ". the hall contained 800 or 400 people,
including many OF the older men and wo-
men ofSthe congregation. The greater
number, however, were young men and
women and boys from fourteen 10 twenty.
The usual articles to be found at church
fairs were on sale. while q bar in one cor
nor dispensed beer, the principal patrons
OF which were tho aforementioned young
boys. They were amusing themselves by
pushing each other about until one was
thrown down, when rush would be made,
for the bar, where the victim was required
to treat. Bottles OF wine vera dtsposed OF
BY the wheel OF fortune at five cents n
CHANCE. Music, in this pandcmonium,
completes tho picture Of decentralization,
which was conducted in the sacred name
Of the Christian religion.
To many persons, and those tho most
respectable portion of our citizens, this
exhibit has come rs n shocking revelation.
We know that, point by point, we have
given up much that has hitherto been held
TO be vital to the good of society; but VIC
did not know to what fearful excess the
v!oIatnS of the Sabbath had carried their
dissertations. 1t is, indeed, not the Sab.
bath only, but common decency and good
morals which are outraged and destroyed
by these means. 1t may strike the aver
a:se perception with tnoFe 4Ah0TTeneo, be-
cause OF the fact that these debaucheriesa are
more largely practiced on the Sabbath; but
iLis none the less to our eternal shame that
they should ever DO permitted at all, on
any day in the year.
But all this does not account for the in
ldIRereHtsm ofchurch members, which is
ono OF tho most s0rtonS grounds OF conf
nIalnt. For this We have to seek other
causes, and just here it is my humble opin-
ion that We owe more to Moncure D. Con-
way than TO any other one influence for the
spiritual stagnatlon which seems to Affect
lso large proportion OF the church mems
bers-if not also the ministers-of this city.
By his preaching while in this city, but
more by his correspondence from London
to tho Cincinnati Commercial, he has exert
cd q very potent influence against all &c
cepted religious opinion and true spiritual
life. BY his acknowledged ability he has
commanded the attention OF the most in
telligent class Of readers; and by hissubtle,
persevering and. repeated attacks upon
| Christianity, he has exerted poEoriql
influence, destroying tho faitb and reli-
giops activity OF thousands. It is little
peculiar that his successor in tho pglpit
Of the First Unitarian Church should DO
among the first and most jealous now to
sound the note OF actual alarm over the
resulting condition Of morals and religion
in this community; andstill more eiifying
when hs r6eQmwsnds TO our religious