The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-15
An Extraordinary Campaign.

About two years ago, says the New
York Sun, the whole Protestant commu
nifty was startled by religious ceremony
which took place in an Episcopal church.
Bishop Potter of this diocese, a prelate
far removed from extreme views in any
direction, received from a young priest
of mis- church vows of obedience, pow
erty and chastity?
This Protestant monk, so solemnly de-
voted to life of celibacy and ascetism,
was the Rev. James Huntington, a son
of the Bishop of the Diocese of Central
New York. Bishop Huntington, it will
be remembered, was originally prom
inent minister of the Unitarian denop1-
ination, from which, in 1860, he passed
into the Episcopal church, wherein his
son received his religious training, while
the course of his secular education was
completed at Harvard College, fl ON
which he graduated only eleven years
ago.
Since he became a monk of the Epis-
copal Order of the Holy Cross, young
Huntington has devoted himself to work
among the crowded population of the
east side of the town in the vicinity of
Tompkins square, taking up his residence
in Avenue d. He has voluntarily cast
his lot with the poor in order that he
may the better promote their spiritual
and material welfare, but the general
public have known little of his unselfish
labors, and even his personality had
ceased TO engage their attention, until
interest in him was revived by his re.
cent appearance as one of the most active
and earnest champions of Mr.. George.
Father Huntington has gone into the
Georgs movement with all the enthusi-
asm of his youth, and among the stump
speakers for the Labor candidate, there
is none more eloquent and indefatigable
than he. While Mr.. George himself was
addressing the multitude in Cooper
Union he was on truck exhorting the
crowd on the street to lend their aid to
movement which he hailed as promising
social and political reform; and since
that ratification meeting this Protestant
monk, who has accepted poverty that he
might the better know and help the poor,
he pursued his labors in behalf of Mr..
Georges election with uutiring zeal. In
politics, as in religion, he throws his
whole soul into the work. It is his
prayer by day and his dream by night.
Whether the part be small or great, hum
bic or conspicuous, he is eager to per
form it, so long as he can assist in push
ing forward the movement.
This appearance of the Protestant
monk among the most active and pro-
nounced advocates of the election of Mr..
George, is an incident of the canvass of
remarkable and peculiar significance. 1t
is another proof, added to many which
have been furnished since the nomina-
ton of the Labor candidate, that fanlil
iarity with the poor as religious teacher
begets respect for the George movement,
and frequently, if not usually, convic-
ton of lite necessity. The infidel and
the atheist may rejoice in it rs a slept
ward the overthrow of spiritual domina-
ton, but Father Huntington. ~" Prot
estant monk, and Father NJ, H., me
Catholic priest, work and pray Tor its
success, because to them it seems to get
its impulse from Christian principles.
In many respects the present cam
paign is the most extraordinary In the
history of American politics.