Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-11
Tine FOIIies of Ciergymen.

| nc Oh Inens
The New York Times, in an editorial on
| this subject, says: "In PfesIdent Elliott
| opinion, the dearth Of great men in the
| clerical profession is due to the beneficiary
vice, il We may go name il. Pious men en-.
dow theological seminsries and found
| scholarships. The semiuaries are filled with
| i.ligent young men, whose meat, drink
{ 80 hsF, lodging, books and fre-wood are
! 4 for ont OF scholarship funds. Begin
D.. in mendicancy, their profession al
ca. continue in mediocrity and close
with II fruit. There is no msnliness in
theli They are poor, nerveless, dependent
crea res, and their minstratiops are profit
less 10 their focks. This is how President
Eliot accounts for the low average of ability
among ministers, and he earnestly recon-
mends the pious slmsgivers to limit their
mistaken bounty. In truth, there does seem
TO be something the matter with the minis
ters. There have teen of late on the part
OF some of those who wear the cloth exhi-
biIons of worldliness, of straying in dan
gerous psth-, ard Of mental perverseness
which are shocking 10 the virtuous lay mind.
Ii these weaknesses spriug from the abuse OF
benz ficiary endowments, or from errers in
traioing, or from the habit of cloistered
seciusion from the world, tae remedy shou d
be found and applied at once, for it will
never do TO have our religious guides going
oa in this way.
The conductors OF the Religious Advocate
have published confession and apology for
their share in pufing the Methodist mine
sWindle which will pain the spiritual nd
provoke the dsrision of the worldly. They
lay the blame on the shoulders of the Rev.
DIR. Spence, president OF the Wesleyan
"University," in East Tennessee, who per-
suaded them that the stock OF the mine was
valuable, got them to go 10 ION the ground
hoor," and to advise their patrons 10 go in
not con the ground floor" The contempt
ibls thing about this speculation is the sniv-
cling pCetense that the motive of the putting
and persuading was the holy desire to get
$1,000 shares Of the mine which was I'M.
blushirgly "Sild-cat"-as an endowment for
President Spsnce's university" the owners
being promised that number Of shares in re-
turn for the services of DR.. Spence. This
disgraceful business is not whit worse for
a religious paper than for secular journal.
Oaly those who are as innocent as the lambs
and as green as the grass they feed on in
these DAYS accept the statements of reli-
gious sheet in such matters as more trust
worthy than those OF 3 paper making no
pretensiens TO piety.
Another sordid clergyman turns up in
some letters seized IN the mails addressed to
the Wall street sharpers. The parson says
he ia the pastor Of the Presbyterian church
in his own town, and he informs the stock
swIndler that fortunate "turn" or two in
his favor would serve as bait BY which
some OF his flock "who are rich farmers .
but close and avaricious," might be induced
to invest several thousand dollars This is
very cunning letter. 1t may be a trick of
fellow Who is playing Presbyterian clergy
men in order TO dups the swindler himself
aud lur him into making one or two favor
able .'tuTns." But ii has a sermon-like air
and is probably genuine
a reverend ranter hss been disporting him.
self in Phi sdelphia. At the Lutheran
Conference in Philadelphia on Tuesday, the
Rev. DR.. William NJ. Raven, president of the
Publication Society of the church, delivered
fierce philippe against the stage as cor
rupting influence which could be reformed
only by destroying it. He was silly enoug b
10 admit that he knew nothing about theaters
himself, but based his accusation on the
universal testimony ST heather and Christian
writer's" When Socialists talk ia this loose
and reckless way it is commonly said that
their liquor has got into their language
Ministers ought TO leave 10 the Schwabs and
Hartmanns OF society the monopoly of this
kind OF eioquence. Like the putting Of
, wlid-cat" mines and appeals to the cupid
y OF Wall-sireet sharpers, these jrrationsl
sleeches are unworthy Of the cloth. People
oElike TO see elergymen stoop to such follies