Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-25
SPURGEON GOES HOME
England's Great Baptist Preacher
Pleased With His Visit
WHAT He SAYS OF OUR CHURCHES.
Our Attractive Sunday Schools With Their
Lively Sessions.
HIS PHILANTHROPfC ENTERPRISES
WRITTEN FOR THE prsPAroH.J


On the eve of my departure for England,
at the request of the editor of this paper,
will give my views on various topics of re-
ligious and general interest, in regard to
which inquiry has been made of me since
my arrival in the United States.
At the outset, would like to observe
that have always been pleased with Amer
lea. My reception here has been most gen.
erous and hearty. On my side of the water
we are familiar with the phrase, "An
English welcome;" henceforth 1 shall be-
lieve that the people of the States are en-
titled to lay stress on the heartiness of an
American welcome. I have travelled, con-
siderably during my brief stay, in the East
ern States, In the near West and in the far
West (for to foreigner there seem to be
two localities at this point of the compass),
and in the various families where I have
stopped have been treated with such kind
ness, and have been received with so warm
welcome, that, for the time being, lost
the faculty of being homesick.
I have been particularly charmed with
the beautiful scenery that I have seen.
OF course / have been to Niagara Falls. and
of course cannot add anything to what
has been said in the way of enthusiastic
praise of that great natural wonder. Nj
agara is sui generis; It is proper that the
Americans should be proud of this great
feature of their country's natural beauty.
But have received equal pleasure from
my visit to the Yosemite Valley and the
Yellowstone National Park. I think they
deserve a prominent place in the long cata-
logue of fine scenery of which your country
can boast.
AMERICAN BAPTIsTs.
have found the Baptist Church here in
a very successful condition; the people are
full of enthusiasm and, among the various
Protestant denominations, the Baptists are
without doubt the most aggressive and en-
terprising in church work. The churches
in the United States are certainly much
better appointed than they are in England.
Our edifces cannot be compared in archi-
tectural beauty to yours. The interior of
the American Church is in striking contrast
to the London Baptist churches. You make
your buildings more comfortable, more
homelike, and in MANY cases more
luxurious. 1t is sometimes thought that
churches can be made too luxurious, but
I have seen no ground for criticism on
that ground in what 1 have seen since have
been here. Your decorations are more lavish
than aurs; the cushioned pews and the car
peted aisles give furnished and home-like
appearance which is distinctly different
from our churches. The best floor covering
we would have would probably be linoleum
or cocoanut mating, never any bright
colored carpets. Our churchgoers, if they
want carpet, are allowed, at their own ex-'
pense, to put little strip in their pew. The
electric bells which communicate from the
pulpit to the sexton, telling him how to
regulate the heat, the ventilation, etc., strike
al ia Al
tenn must be a great convenience to the
preacher, it is Enthusiastically American.
Your Sunday schools are much finer than
ours. do not think they are any larger,
but your Sunday school rooms are bright,
cheerful places, with carpets on the floors.
pictures on the walls and well furnished
and convenient seats. Some of your Sun
day school services would probably be con-
sidered little too lively for the English
Baptists. I attended one Sunday school
anniversary here where the children came
upon the platform, sang hymns and gave
scriptural recitatlons. We do not have any
thing of that kind in England on Sunday.
We have an ordinary Sunday school service
with preaching, the main feature of the
service being the singing of the children.
On the occasion referred to the platform was
smothered in flowers. Such Sunday
services may be considered profitable by my
Baptist brethren in America, but, without
making any criticism in regard to the mat
ter, would say that such a service would
be more appropriate for week day than
Sunday.
RED TAPE IN CHARITY.
Some time since the methods of the Char
ity Organization Society of New York were
the subject of discussion in the newspaper
press. 1 have been asked to express my
opinion in regard to those methods. can
only say that we have in London q similar
society, and 1t does great deal OF good, but
think its work is crippled by too much or
ganization, too much "red tape" A man
applies for charity and it takes 80 long to
investigate the case that by the time the
agent reports favorably on the matter, the
man is often past the need OF help. And
yet, I think the organization prevents a
great deal of indiscriminate giving. 1t
looks into some cases and proves that the
applicant is an impostor. How to strike
the average amount of merit, as exhibited
by the applicants to this society, is a diff
cult thing to do. This society helps some
cases, but it makes Jolly fuss" about
what it does give, and there is too much ma
chinery in its methods of affording relief.
There is one great abuse we have in En-
gland which you do not have in your coun-
try; allude to what we term ''canvassing
for votes" Nearly every charitable insti-
tuition in England supported by private en-
terprises receives its money from annual
subscribers who give what they see fit.
Each pound they give entities them to one
vote on the admission of a candidate to the
institution. When person wants to have
some one admitted to the institution where
he knows a subscriber, he will go among the
other subscribers and canvass for votes" in
order to secure enough votes to warrant the
admission of the candidate. This is often a
difficult, sometimes an impossible, thing to
do for persons without means or influence.
A poor person may unsuccessfully apply for
admission year after year. I nave in mind
now the case of party who made six or
seven applications year after year, only
being able to secure 500 votes when 800
were necessary. Under this system it is not
the most necessitous that gets the benefit of
the institution; it is the one who has the
most influence and money. This method
prevails in nearly all the philanthropic in
stitutions IN England, except, am happy
to say, in the Spurgeon Orphanage, where
the applicants are received solely on account
of their deserts.
VOTES MEAN MONEY.
Great as this abuse is, there has been no
organized effort to reform it, for the reason
that most institutions find it would not be
to their interest to do so. So many votes
mean so many pounds to the institutions,
and the institution is not supposed to know
anything about this tramping around town
and begging for votes to secure candidates
admission. A vote means to the institution