The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-01-07
DEVOUr srATRsMEN.
what Three Ministers no Ought to Know
Say of Religion In Official Life.


Say of Religion In Official Life.
Washington Post.I
do you find as many church members
and church-goers IN official life in washing
ton as you ex eected?' asked Post reporter
of Rev DR.. William A. Bartlett, the pastor
of the New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church.
'Quite as many, in fact, more than 1 ex-
pected,N was the reply. II have been sur
prised and grstifed since l came here to
find as many Christian people in prominent |
places in official and social life. Why, do |
you know we have prominent society people |
here in our church, and members OF Con |
gIess who never miss prsyer-meetiDg? IT'S |
fact. Often ! have known members of |
Congress to come right in from the House or |
Senate to the prsyer-meeting, aud |
ladies ard gentlemen who are promi- |
nent in society come first to the |
prsyer-meeting before going out to evening
entertainments when they occur on
prayer meeting nights. going from the
church home to dress for the reception or
party, or whatever takes their attention in
later evening As to the Sunday services
the church is filed with people prominent
in public life, as are many others of the
churches OF the city. speak more especial
ly OF my own because know of it. We have
had in the past year four Cabinet officers
and their families, several Justices of the
Supreme Court, and, as Tor army and naval
| officers, Admirals and Generals and Others
| of prominence, the galleries are all full OF
them, as of Congressman and their families.
| Yes, am more than gratiied with the evil
| dences of regard for Christianity among the
people who make and enforce the laws of
| the nation"
| "What about the stories floating about
the country TO the effect that you are per
| sonal friend of President-elect Cleveland
and so bitter Democrat that you refused to
| mention Lincoln's name in your pulpitP
There is not q word Of truth in either"
be smiled, land am glad to have the oD-
portunity to deny the last mentioned, st
| least. i have no recollection of Grover
Cleveland though / knew his family WEI
and was boy with his elder brother. vi
course 1 did see him often, but I can not
remember him at all, SIS there was consider.
able difference in our ages. As to the other
story, it is absurdly untrue and grows out
Of q communication written by some an
onymous correspondent to one OF the city
paders, complaining because in a sermon up
on Washington did not chance to mention
the name Of Lincoln. Instead of being a
bitter Democrat, as the story alleges, l am,
and always have been, asFtepublican in sem
timent, and should have voted for Blaine at
the last election if I had had the opportunity,
! though don't suppose that fact viii at all
\ disturb the relations which are TO exist be-
| tween Mr. Cleveland and myself"
| Mr.. BaTtletts observation regarding the
church goers and church members in public
life is c0rrob0rated By talks with the chap
| lains of the Senate and House: Il am graft
fed to find so large q number Of people in
public life who are church members and
| church-gOersn said Rev. Z. D. Huntley, the
| chaplain of the Senate and pastor OF the Met
rop0lfan Methodist Church. 81 find strong
ly marked feeling OF respect for religion as q
motive power for good among public men
generally. There are a number OF church
members, too, in the Senate. Mr.. Edmunds,
the presiding officer OF the Senate, is an &C.
tive member OF the Episcopal Church, a
member Of its general assembly and devout
man. He always says Amen at the end of
the prayer--OUt loud, too. Senator CoQuitt
Brown, is q Bsptist- Senators Hampton aud
Butler, of South Carolina. are, / an told,
members OF the EPISCOPAL Church, as is
Senator Pendleton. Senator Logan Is a Meth
odist."
Rev. John S. LINDSAY, rector OF ST. Johns
P. E. Church, West Washington. finds his
observation tS correspond with those of Drs.
J Bartlett and Huntley. Quite a large per
! centage OF the House membership be men
tions as members OF churches, the TACT hsv:
ing come incidentally TO his notice in most
cases by the voluntary statement of the
, members themselves. ''They often come to
me after the services at the opening of the
J House." he said, "aad, talking Of this OF
that subject, tell me of their church connec
, tons. Yes, find my connection with til
4 1OuSt u very DiSdSduk Ouct dIu LILO IcR6kN
| shown for Christianity very gratifying. Only
day or two ago l took friend into the
gallery before the opening services took
place. and be told me afterward that he was
| surprised TO see the indication of respect and
} ! reverence from the large number Of mem
| bers present"
There are q good many active Christian
men among the members of the House. Mr.
! | Hunt, CT Louisiana, for instance, is mem
Der OF the Episcopal Church, and also g
! | member of the General Convention. Mr..
Breckenridge is Presbyterian, having been,
, | I understand, educated for the ministry.
, Mr. Bagley is member of the Episcopal
Church. Mr.. Buckner, Of Missouri, is a
Presbyterian. Mr.. Broadhead ia a member
r | of the Episcopal Church. is Governor
D Dorsheimer, too. Mr. LeFevre is Cathc
I lie; Governor Long, Unitarian; General
4 Money, of Mississippi, member OF the
t Disciples Church, as is Mr., Willis, of Ken
t lucky. Mr.. Murray is a Methodist Mr.
D Mabury, an Episcopal and member of the
3 Bishops Council. 0Hara, the colored
o member, is a Catholic; Poland, Congregs
) Randolph Tucker, q PrsbT 'erian elder; Mr.
4 Scales, Presbyterian; MIR. Sumner an
Episcopal; Mr.. Vance. Methodist and s
J. member of the Conference, aud Mr.. Wilson
S of West Virginia, an active Baptist.
= Mr. Lindsay, who is rector OF the Episco
e pal Church, which the second President OF
y the United States, Jefferson, attended, car
1 ries with him TO bis House services q con
e siderable of the Episcopal forms. the prayer
\ being each day selected from the collect and
!! memorized for the opening service. he O
y course omits the surplice. but aside from
: this the service is in the church form, th'
{ two brief collects" being followed by To,
g Lords Prayer and the brief benediction
Chaplain Huntley, of the Senate, who is
Methodist, follows no particular form, max
n ing his prayer brief The number listenin,
Q to his opening services in the Senate is un
: usually small compared with those in TIL
House, where the attendance at the opening
t hour usually reaches pretty nearly hun
z dred, while in the Senate it is often no NOR
: than q dozen.