St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-18
PLATFORM CONFERENCE.
How Shall the Churches Draw the
Laboring CIassesl


How Shall the Churches Draw the
Laboring CIassesf
The relation of the church to the labor
ing masses is a question that is now meet
ing with liberal discussion from all classes
IF people. Last evening the regular Sun
hay night services were dispensed with at
Plymouth Congregational church, and a
meeting was held that was devoted entirely
TO this topic. The large edifice was filled
with a congregation that occupied nearly
every seat Among those present
were many working men, including some
of the leading members of prominent labor
and trades unions. Among the speakers
were Rev. DIR. Dana, Rev. e. Jay Cook,
Messrs. James Morrow, ID. COnnel, Henry
Hinkens, Clark, Capt. Berkey and Mr..
NeWall. DR.. Dana, in a few opening re-
marks, announced the object of the meet
ing and stated that the church
was anxious to receive within its
doors the large class of the work
ing masses who hold themselves alOof,
and that the question that they were now
trying to solve was, how to accomplish that
object? The speaker desired it to be UNI
derstOod that he was making no apology for
church work in the past, and if the laboring
classes of the metropolitan cities will re-
member this, they would not need to go
back to the past to find arguments. They
would take the church as it is to-day. The
speaker thought he stated the case cor
Tectly when he said the church wanted 10
get the people back. If there is hostility TO
churches in localities it does not
follow that there is hostility TO
Christianity. The two are not the
same. Men may oppose the church, but
not religion. Keep this separate and it
would be found the same doctrine that Is
offered now that the Savior first offered.
At the close of his remarks DR.. Dana
called upon
MIR. JAMES MORROW
for an expression of his views. Mr.. Nor
row said that, in his opinion. the question
was not understood.
1t does not refer to any individual class of
working people. The mechanics and the
more successful class of working people are
nearly all churcb-going people 1t is not this
class of working people that need your efforts.
but those of the laboring class that 1t is iln-
possible to reach, those who depend on their
day labor, and who are compelled TO labor
out doors in this rigorous winter climate
of our northern section, and who cam
not obtain the work i'm the win
Ter season that is really necessary TO
give them and their families food and shell
ter. These are the men the churches want
10 reach out for, and not mechanics and other
members of trade and labor unions, who as
a general thing, are church-gOing people.
30 down to Swede hollow. There you will
find miserable novels occupied by laborers
and their families, often five or six little ones
who are without clothes. The father cannot
procure work enough 10 keep his family from
suffering the pangs of starvation. You will
ind them without sufficient clothes to cover
their nakedness; no fuel for fire to keep them
NUQI sTn m will nov fv i'm all &c
often the little children sent to bed without
their supper. These are the people you want
10 reach. These people need looking after.
When they come into the church and see
the grand surroundings and richly-dressed
people they feel themselves out
Df place. If they send their children to the
Sunday school in their poorly-clad condition,
Dr. go themselves to church, they will be
shown rear seats and otherwise treated coldly-
Such has been the case, and the churches
should take hold of this matter and remedy
1t. If the wealthy people of our churches
would only take hold of this matter, great
good could be accomplished. They could
bring people to church who never go into it.
ANOTHER LABORING MAN.
Mr.. ID. Connel, another mechanic, spoke
briefly. He said:
From the first time he arrived in America
he had become opposed TO churches. When
he first arrived he dropped into a Wabash
avenue church IN Chicago one Sunday morn
ing, and found it about one-half filled
with elegantly-dressed people. 1t was a
grand editice, with the most magnificent
surroundings, and he felt out of place. He
was working man, and found in that place
nothing congenial; no cordially, no interest
manifested in his lonliness. In GLASGOW,
Scotland, the pastor of the finest church in
the city had become interested in this same
subject. He saw the impossbility of getting
the laboring man into his church and he es-
tablished one especially for their benefit, and
where no one else came. 1t was grand sue
cess, AMI that man had done great good.
he established way for the great trade
union in Scotland. You never heard of any
great strikes there, because there was sym
pathy between the laboring classes and their
employers, brought about by Christian feel
ing. In this country the condition is the
same as it was there, you cannot secure the
atten1 lance of the laboring classes at these
fine churches where they find themselves
totally out of their latitude
MIR. HENRY HINKINS
also spoke britly on the question. He said
that he left the church nearly twenty years
ago, not because he was opposed to religion.
for he was not He had always sent his
children to Sunday school.
But they tell me-" said he, ''that 1 can't
belong to a secret society and be q good
church man. i have worked hard for forty
wears of my life to provide myself and fam
lily living, and when i die / do not want
them to suffer from hunger. When married
i insured my life by joining an organization
or society that would provide for my family
IN case died. / did not want to leave my
wife without any means of sustenance, TO
bring up her children in poverty, and i be-
came a member of this society. In doing
so / forfeited my rights in the church
i was reared in, because it does
not allow n member to belong
TO secret society. do not mention any one
denomination, because / know of several or
thodoX churches that will not permit MEM
DerS TO belong 20 any secret society. Why is
this2 Nearly every society recognizes God
and the Christian religion, and a man is bet
ter for belonging to one. He must be a good
man. We call each other brother, because
We treat one another like brethren. If one
becomes sick we send him nurse or visit
him, provide for his and his family's wants
and, should he die, give his widow from 81 900
to $1,000 Where is the church that does
that? Is there anything wrong about that?
The churches are good, L know, but many
poor man can't afford to come to church.
They are conducted on too expensive scale.
He needs the money TO buy food for his fam
lily. There is hell and a heaven. Are only
the Christians to go to the latter? Three
fourths of the world are not Christ
ians in the acceptance of the term.
Are they all going To hell? If we
do right we will get to heaven. The churches
are constantly sending money TO convert the
heather in foreign countries. Keep your
money at home and convert the people here.
There are thousands at home who have never
heard Gods word and who have no chance to
hear Of it. Applause.
Remarks Were also made by Mr.. Clark ON
behalf of the labOring classes. Capt. Berkey
OF the church who stated that Plymouth
church reserved One-tenth of the pews for
those not able to pay. and Mr.. Newall on
behalf OF the laborer. The latter gentle
man said that he was mechanic and be-
lOnged to church. Where Were thousands