Milford chronicle., 1888-11-23
Rev. ]. Q. 5. Huntington's Leoture

Rev. j. o. s. Huntington's Lecture,
The Sunday evening lecture in Dor
sey Hall by Rev. J. o. S. Huntington,
ofthe Episcopal Mission in New York,
was attended by eight hundred and
twenty-five persons. The very best
society of Milford formed a large part
Of the audience, and there is division
in opinion as to the usefulness of the
lecture in Milford; but none deny It
to be one Of much ability. The audi
ence was displeased with the socialis-
tic remarks and the espousals of Henry
Georges principles in regard to land.
In a bitter vein ofsarcasm the speaker
denounced landlords, and claimed,
that as a class, they are more Oppres-
sive to the poor than the landlords of
Ireland; "and yet" said he, this is
your free America; the land of the
brave, and the home Of the free"
Landlords were termed "little gods
yea, little gods almighty" He claimed
that the land should be held in COM
mon, and every tiller or Oceupier of
the soil be compelled to pay its rental
value as tax into one common fund,
and that all other taxes he abolished.
His picture of sin and moral deprav-
ity of life in the slums of New York,
was but recapitulation OF the known
condition of certain classes of society
in all great citiesi but his perversion
of facts relative to the coal mines of
Pennsylvania, must have had its
authority in campaign literature, or
an observation of a special and excep-
tiOnal case, as every one familiar with
the subject recognized
Had the speaker been more familiar
with the condition Of the negro race
in this and other southern states. he
would not have given utterance to the
sentiments he did on this subject. In
plain language, he accused the white
race of keeping colored women in
species of suhjugation for immoral
purposes, and claimed as proof, the
faces of negroes we see daily. This is
an insult to both the white and col
Ored races. There may be occasionally
case Of this kind ,as there is OCCASION
ally murder; but it iS no more infer
eutial that one is common condition
than that the whole race of mankind
are murderers The speaker then
made an appeal for the elevation of
the colOred race,and claimed that they
can never be elevated to an equality
with the white race until the churches
and schools were thrown open to them
for use in common with the whites.
At this point marked dissatisfaction
was shown by both republicans and
democrats in his audience, and Jos. M.
Davis, Capt ID. >. Thompson, Col. NJ.
H. Davis, VIM F. Causey, Reynear
Williams, Robert II. Williams, and
about fifty others left the hall.
If his lecture was delivered with the
intention of present good, it was fail
ure; hut ii it was wOrded for future
results, probably it may fulfill its mis-
sion. No person with the first object
in view with any understanding of the
popular feeling, or knowledge Of the
progressive history Of the colored race
in America since iis emancipation,
would publicly or privately give utter
auce to such words. Mr.. Huntington
by inference, claimed that all advanced
thinkers are more or less regarded as
revolutionary spirits, or visionarY,a and
said that "If Jesus Christ had lived
in these days. he would have been
called an Anarchist, or some other
kind of AN list"
His meetings ia Milford have been
well spoken of up to Sunday night;
but this one lecture in Dorsey Hall has
neutralized their effect to large ex-
tent in Milford The gentleman is
young and enthusiastic IN the calling
he has adopted; but in future years he
will see the visionary character of his
own remarks Yet such men are use
ful in this world They are the ones
who plunge far ahead-perhaps de-
cades or centuries of time-and break
the ice for progress, even If it comes in
totally different guise from the man
ner in which these restless spirits ad-
vOcate.
The collection In the hall amounted
to $3.50, and $500 went toward paying
for light and fuel-which was the only
charge for use of the hall.