The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-27

ana I0kssnsas great enterprise vas
knocked In the head The 10 miles
Of line that he actually built il now
being operated by the Canadian gov
eminent
BUSINESS II BUSINESS.
Even Whsn II IL Applied 10 sacred
1hangs-A Rla1n-spslksn Sextsn.
Brooklyn STANDARD Union.
In the Sssa this morning there Ii pub
lished very interesting interview with
Mr.. Benjamin w. Williams. the lar
manager or sexton Of St Thomzsis
Protestant Episcopal Church. in View
York. Sc Thoznas's Ii very wealthy
church. and withal very exclusive. II
does not differ in doctrine from other
Protestant Episcopal churches, but Il
does not--at least its sexton does
not, and he has had the approval
OF the church management for 80 years
believe that q similarity OF belief en-
titles all Episcopalians TO worship
within the sacred precincts of st.
Thomas. II In church for wealthy
people Of high social standing, and
others are not wanted. They are not
only not wanted, but they are prompt
~ expelled If they attempt 70 occupy
its pews. After Mr.. Williams had des-
cribed how he removed several ladies
and gentlemen who had taken seats In
uuoccupied pess. the interview pre-
ccesis as follows:
What is the theory on which you
1T isn't any theory. It's plain bust
ness Do you suppose you could 20
into the theater and take any sea. you
please? No, OF course not: ana the
same rule Is followed at So. Thomas's
Church. You can go 70 the Casino
and pay 80 cents Tor an admission fee
and stand up In the lobby. but you
can't have seat. Well, we don't
charge any admission fee, and after
you are in We treat you the same as If
you were at the theater. II you have
seat coupon at the Casino you get d
seat. II you have right TO seat at
81. Thomas's Church you get your
seat. II you haven't. why then you
don't.
But a church isn't taeater.n
That's something / don't have to
take into consideration. All | know
Is that these seats are paid for by our
people, and they are entitled to them.
Some OF the pews are owned by fami-
lies or the heads of families. snd
others are rented. Whether the occu-
pants are there or not, wshave TO keep
the places for them. / have four
ushers and it is all we
can do TO reserve the places
for the members of the church
corporation. For Ii is q corporation
for worshiping, ii you want to look al
IL that way, and when these people
wsnt TO come TO church they ought to
have the places they pay for, no mat
ter what other people think. These
rich families don't come more than
twenty-seven or twenty-eight Sundays
In the year, for they are generally out
OF town, In the country, or in Europe
half the year, and then there are wet
sundays, and il isn't comfortable to
come 70 church. But when they do
we must have their places reserved.
They pay from $s4 TO 500 year. and
] am engaged To see that they get
what Is theirs. The other people don't
| pay anything. and it's my business 10
see that they are kept out We have
signs upon the doors to the gallery
saying that all the seats up there are
rented. and that strangers msst not
take them, but they beat their way up
there when the ushers are not watch
ing. and then we have TO put them out
| from up there.
Then the plan OF free salvation is
not favored.
NO. sir. not at all. That's all SEN
timent. II won't work in this age and
| IL won't do In such a congregation as
that Of ST. Thomas. We don't ask
| people 10 come, for we don't want
them. We don't advertise in the pa
pers Strangers welcome. as some
churches do. Free salvationl Umph |.
Ii we were Methodists we might have
our ushers standing at the door and
go out and grab people, and say
How are you. brother Glad TO see
you, sister. Bless the Lord, come In
not that kind. Ii wouldn't work even
on small scale in this church. 1t
would be queer 10 see the pewholders
OF the church. when they observe
some stranger standing in the aisle,
rise and throw their arms around the
strangers neck and greet him with
that same exclamation of Bless the
Lord. am glad 10 see you in church.
Come in and sit with me- 1t Is a
mistake Ia suppose that that is what
ST. Thomas's is for. No, | arm not
looking for souls for the pews. It's
the dollars that are wanted"
But 90 you consider that consist
ent with the idea of Christianity
II don't consider the question of
Christianity. It's none of my hush
ness whether tue people that have
seats are Christians or pagans. As
for the theology OF the question, /
don't have time To think OF that. The
minister is hired 10 look after such
matters"
We'll, isn't it believed that the rich
and the poor may be saved together,
and isn't there any encouragement Of
ferea at all 20 the poor SO that both
the poor and the rich may worship to-
gether 1''
"No, there isn't any of that senti-
ment, and there won's be until the
spirit OF the Holy Father reaches the
earth and spreads itself among man.
kind in different way from The pres
ent way. When such things can come
to pass there won't be any need of
churches or ministers, for then all
people viii be good and there won't be
any question OF rich and poor. -
The only difference between Mr.
Williams and the persons entrusted
with the management of many other
wealthy churches is that the former
honestly tells the truth. while the lat
ter, II they speak ON the subject al all,
make believe that there is no money
qualification required in their menu
bers. and that rich and poor alike are
equally welcome 10 worship God in the
churches the financial affairs Of which
they manage. OF course il is better
20 speak the truth, as does Mr.. VIII
liams, than 10 prevarieate. a. do man
ayers of other wealthy churches: and
equally OF course IL is necessary that
funds should be forthcoming 10 sup
port churches in this free country
where churches receive no support
from the state: but all the same Mr..
Willlams's -hloosied exposition of
church relations under certain condi-
tons makes ii difficult 10 understand
what possible connection there can be
between such churches and the Divine
Founder Of Christianity.
One of Growers Comferters.
Chicago TFfhuue's Washington Letter.
Il see you are going 10 come into
Jersey IN live = said a gushing Jersey