The New York herald., 1879-02-24

pray and bestow charity for the ameioration of the
poor Those who spoke it will be seen regarded the
present tenement system Of the greatest curses
of society.
THE CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.
At the Church Of the Disciples this was the topic
of Mr.. Hepworth's discourse yesterday morning
The text selected was from l. Corinthians. XIV, 3
"Evil communications corrupt good manners" Tho
Introductory part of the sermon was devoted to en-
elaboration of the statement that modern thought
fulness had recognized in very emphatic way man
general dependence his surroundings. and that
upon those whose surroundings incentives
and encouragements to aspiration a twofold
duty rested-rst, to them for the higher educa-
ton and discipline OF the soul; second to use all
possible measures to lessen the discouragements Of
those who were suffering from i'll fortune. Those
whose surroundings were discouraging had right to
look with lifted eye to the more favored people Of
the community for succor and help. Every man in
the community had right to be able to live a
righteous life to demand of his fellows that tho
temptations which overcrowd, overwhelm and op-
press him shall be removed by them. if it lies
within their power to do so. Mr.. Hep
worth then showed the operation of law
in the development Of physical and intellec-
tual nature, and said that the same
law was operative in the development of
spiritual nature. If evil began in the cradle, ho
said might take the infant out of the cradle into
our loving arms and it. But the stupendous
fact. and the most awful fact connected with human
ife was the law of hereditary transmission. 1t was
dark problem that children were born tainted. and
that children not only irrepressibly but ire
sstibly tainted Add to the fact that the child was
born of a father and mother whose moral natures
were dull the other fact that he is cradled in i'm
morality, that he is surrounded not by incentives
but by discouragements drunkenness knocks at his
door every night, and that wickeiness sits by his
side to teach him vile lessons every day-what are
you to expect looking at these natural laws. to
that boys future? 1t is almost q matter of cause
and effect that instead of climbing up he will fall
down.
There is an unexplored region in this city where
the voice of God is not heard except when it iutters
around in profanity, where the inhabitants know
nothing of morality or theinfuences of the Christian
religion. If there is malaria of moral character
in this city we know that It exists and know that
there is remedy for 1T at hand Am not right in
saying that the responsibility of any consequences
that may result does not rest with those who
breathing the malaria but rather on those who are
living on the mountain tops and congratulating
themselves they are free from HARM
STARTLING AND SUGGESTIVE FACTS.
This subject has come up Of late and has appeared
in q very emphatic way. few days ago an invita-
tion sent to some Of us to meet gentleman well
known for his philanthropy, that We might take
called the tenement house system. We met in
cordancc with the invitation. and some of the facts
and exceedingly suggestive. Let me give you some
of them. III the city OF New York to-day there
is something over % one million inhabitants. OF
houses. do not mean hotels apartment
houses. but what are commonly known as
tenement houses. People live there who
have good right to vote as you. who have more
political influence because of their greater activity
who in any political excitement constitute the bal
arce of power and who settle the destinies of the
nation for the time. In the Seventeenth ward there
Is an average of a05 individuals TO the acre In the
tpyaff IN tberp Arc perS n, tha nvIi
blocks in that ward there 750 persons to the
Last year there in this city 900 Deaths
Philadelphia where there better homes and
houses for the poor. Twenty-Five per cent moro
in which people are housed is stsrtng
and an awful fact Physicians tell us that there are
twenty eight cases of sickness to every death and if
these figures correct then in this year 1879
three-fourths of the inhabitants OF New York, at
some time or otper. were sick. Twenty-seven thou
sand of these persons died. and twenty III per cent
OF those who died might have been saved if they had
not lived in tenement houses These awful facts.
get my figures from the best authorities. or those
who died last year seventy per cent died under the
roofs OF tenement houses, and large proportion of
them died from causes that were attributable simply
20 the fact that the Christian community Of this city
does not take care of its poor. Now friends.
the moral side of this question is intensely awful
1t is well known and conceded fact that from this
class OF people nearly all our criminals Such
surroundings rs those have described hotbeds
of crime. Mr. Arnold tells me that has been into
what 10 called dwelling places where it was impos-
sible fer the father mother children to get
into the street except ut low tide. At high tide tile
floor covered with water filth and vileness from
the ncighborng dwellings, forced there by the pres
sure the Atlantic. The inmates were obliged 10
get ON chairs aud tables until the tide went down.
This Is wonderful story to tell, but it is true
thelcss.
CHALK LINE LIMITS
He tells me further that he has visited room, per-
haps fifteen sixteen feet square, in which four
families living and that the boundaries of each
family made by chalk line. The room
chalked of into four spaces. No warmth, little food,
no seclusion. any thing hat was good everything
that vile and wretchcd -Four families in
room by night and by day! DO you wonder that
boy brought UP In that way by q father that kicks
him into the streets in the morning and kicks him
into bed when ho home robs a lady IN Fifth
avenue in broad daylight? DO you wonder that girl
brought up in this social unisn her eyes looking
upon indecency all the time her listening to OBJ
scemty all the tliie goes e. the bad? Do you wonder
that have denominated such surroundings as these
as hotbeds OF crime? The remedy for this ev is not
10 be found in any charitable organization on the
Continent. Mor6 than that brethren, there. is very
little use In preaching religion to such peoples there
is very little use in giving tract to u suffering man.
You must nrst give him surroundings that shall be
an incentive to goodness. Give him honorable work
to do and honorable wages for doing IT, Then IL he
falls 1t is his own fault. Something should bc
done by the Wise OF New York
to change the whole character of this
style OF houses. Practical Christianity knows
however humble 1t may be. You know what Peabody
has done In London. You know what Miss H,llyard
has done In London. She has spent some years
among this class OF people, She says that she has
OF tcnemont houses and put them into healthy
homes, where they have been surrounded with in
centvcs to encouragement in well-doing to cIeanli
and refinement, and she has found the com
plcxon of their habits change entirely. Mr..
of h.uses n such a fashion that tbav ara