Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-12-13
MAraopoLrrAs ouusoH rs.
What Hs True of Them rs True of
Many OF Those fn Smaller Cities.


y Many Of Those fn Smaller Cities.
There has been conference sitting M
'Dniokering Hall since Monday evening.
says the New York Epening Post Of Deeeri1-
Der 4lh, which is to continue this evening
and tomorrow, In obedience to a call
signed by many OF the prominent clergy
men and churchgoers in the city, The fact
which has called them together Is this:
The population Of New York City has for yeara
same time the number ~ churches has bean reia e
lively decreasing In ISL there was one Protestant
tS7 one 10 a.U0o. ' -
Every one will interpret this fact In a dir
ferent way. That 1t means something BY
no means pleasant or hopeful, however,
every one will agree. The churches con,
tain very large proportion of the wealth,
intelligence, public spirit and right-mind.
eoness OF the community. They are, II not
the only, the chief organizations we have.
whose direct aim Is to exert, In the highest
sense, civilfzing influence. If they are
not multiplying In proportion to population
therefore, 1t meaus that the forces of bar
barism are In some degree gaining on us,
IL would appear from the call to the con-
Terence that the churches are at last begin
ming TO understand that they have ceased
or rapidly are ceasing to be purifying and
aggressive power, and that something
needs to be done about 1t; in other words,
ttthh "a tAiol tntEh W uOlu IQtlr own A9
moral and religious agencies, they must,
once for all, cease TO be what too many OF
the Protestant churches are, pleasant and
fashionable Sunday clubs, where weariad
business men have their Intellectual palates
hckled once week with music, good so-
ciety. and soothing reflections on life, and
death, and Judgment. Some Of them have
tried, with much outlay and labor, to do
their duty towards the city poor and iRnor.
ant by establishing missions and outlying
chapels, and so forth, and come OF the srbs
jects set down for addresses at the confer
ence seem to indicate that what is needed
Is further extension of this system Of mis-
sionary enort. We infer, subjsct to correc-
ton, that this Is what the gentlemen have
In their minds who are TO speak respec-
lively on "Ths Bohemian Element" "The
italian Element, ""The Oolored Element
t"Our Duty to the Foreign Population"
one OF the things We hope from the con.
ference is great clearing Of both the cler-
zeal and lay mind on the subject. The poor,
ano ignorant, and barbarous, and anar-
ehical, and Indifferent OF this eity,or of anv
other, are not what they were so or IO0
years ago. They cannot be any longer
won, or persuaded, or raised by simple
preaching, or even by almsgivlng, They
have become too knowing or too cunning
for that. They are envious and suspicious
OF the rich and well-to-do. and they are
$500 - bio pAO BObpbl vi when
delivered by people who have all the com.
forts this world can give. Nothing touches
them nowadays but the spectacle OF self
sacrifice. Therefore no Impression, or yery
little impression, can be made on them by
churches which worship In fashionable
quarters, on $l00, 900 lots, In ESQ.,, 900 build
with heavy brokerage to the sexton. at
enormous prices, and reserved for occupa.
non by the owner, as jealousy us his
private parlor; In which the music Ia
hired az the cost of an opera troupe In a
small German city, and discussed In the
same temper and with the same standards
as people apply to Patti or Nilsson. 1t is i'm
possible to persuade poor man that these
are really religious organizations, and that
they are really meant to show mankind the
way TO heaven. Nor can they "oorner' n
poor man by asking him, as some church,
goers DO occasionally, how 1t would be DOS
sible TO run the church, human nature
pelng what It Ia, without selling the pews at |
nigh rates. IL not, as In some cases, to the |
highest bidders. He will not argue this
point. He says 1t is for Christians to And |
out now to make room for him AT God's |
altar, and he makes merry over spirituai |
ineight which Is unequal to the solution of |
this extremely earthly problem. In short. |
the attack on the Bohemian Element" and |
the Italian Element" and the "Colored |
Element, must begin in the churches them.
selves by the display OF greater simplicity |
and OF greater indifference to money. and |
~ some approach, for at least one day in
tha rraab - tbe 1aao+irler@ --r[g=k. ~ - -.
auered the world.
Two ~ three Protestant chr 'hes hava
Es.te step - .a.s IL. ou..o.., I'D Nc saoz;
oi nothing In the religious worship of the
City which is half so moving as the spec
tacle they present when crowded on sun
Gay with plainly and even shabbiIy
dressed multitude, who truly know what
that weight OF care is
Which brushes into dumb despair
one'nau the human race
Bur the two or three which have turned
over new leaf work under great disad-
vantaSes as long as the majority. few
piocks away, continue to carry out the club
loea, and pastor and people give Satan fan
swing during the hot summer months.
when the poor swelter and their chIldren
perish In the tenement-houses. There can
not De two standards Of fitness In Christian
HE. II the free church be the real thinv.
tnere must, the poor man will say, be some.
tning wrong with the club church. and
what kind OF creed is 1t which covers both
with Its blessings and promises? In short,
u religious organizations are to make anv
impression on the masses OF ignorance aud
narparlsm which are accommodating In New
fork, they must work under common dis
eipline, and with the same outward SIGNS
ef sincerity and good faith,