St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-14

the printed bills for the mass meeting
at Bridge square last night were the
names of Rev. G. L. Powers, Rev.
Kristofer Jansen and Rev. James Nc
Golrick. There is many time when
all men will find support in the leaders
in religion if they will approach them
Alright. Perhaps there is some fault
with the clergy. but there is also, as all
men know, trouble with the people.
The coming week VIII be busy one
in the churches ali over the land, and
probably more busy in Minneapolis
the city of churches-than in the ma
jority of them. Preparation for Easter
is the work in hand, and floral decora-
tions and Easter music of course will
be the leading features of the day.
Choirs and choral classes have been re-
hearsing during the days of Lent for the
advent of the day. Greenhouses and
flower dealers have been long. in
receipt of orders for the floral
decorations, and the ladies of
was must fall the responsibility of hav-
fiutter of excitement before the week is
half done. And more than church peo-
pie will be secretly rejoiced when
Easter is come. There are yet in the
world many people who believe strictly
in the sack cloth and ashes penalty, and
with whom a long face and puritanic
bearing are part of their religion, and
they cast the shadow of their gloom
over others as well as over themselves.
There are few churches in this mod
ern day and this modern city where the
worshipers from lack of room within
kneel on the stone steps without, and
Vpt fhprp one narhanc moro and
people know without telling that it is
Catholic church-the church of the In
maculate Conception. And yet good
honest Christian ministers condemn
Catholics in every particular, and see
no good in them. 1t is noticeable fact
that it is in the Catholic churches of
cities that the great majority of the
labOring classes gather for worship.
While 1T may be impossible to harmo-
niZe the religions, for examples sake at
least, ministers and priests for the eff
fects of their work, which at the bottom
is the same. should work in harmony.
One scarcely knows whether to praise
the ProtestantS for their generous sup
port OF their ministers or to admire the
frugality of the Catholic priests and
their self-denial the more, but the
statement in the GLOBE that single
Protestant church pays its two minis
tiers salaries that aggregate as much as
the twenty Catholic churches of Mime
apolis pay their priests is not an ex-
aggeration and there is food for reiec-
ton in the fact.
The prayer meeting at the Plymouth
Congregational church last week was
devoted to the study of the problem of
to each person as they entered, and on
these questions were written, to be an
swered, and thoughts relative to the
observance of Sunday. Among some
of the conclusions which seemed to be
reached were that it was not wrong to
ride to church on the motor or horse
car, as it was imperative that some one
must work in order that people get to
the uptown church. Another conclu-
sion was that it was possible for
persons in certain situations to go
the neglect of home duties. 1t was
thought that as it was day of rest that
walking or driving for rest might be adj
misSible, but for pleasure was out of
the question; going on Sunday eXcur-
Sions was not admissible. A general
sentiment was that a mans own con-
science should largely direct him, that
there was no common rule that must be
followed by all. Church people often
little know how much good it would be
to some men to get off by themselves
where they had nothing to do but think
and reflect. While to the good people
of Plymouth church it might be an un-
bearable sin to stroll for pleasure alone
through the woods on the rivers banks
to hundreds of men in Minneapolis, and
every other city, it would be the most
holy day that had ever broken on their
lives, and this refers not to criminals
and roughs but to the masses.