New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-27
WHERE THE SPIRIT MOVED.
THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS DISCUSS THEIR
DECLINE In NUMBERS.
FEARS EXPRESSED THAT THEIR FAITH is HELD
TOO MUCH AS TRADITIoN-LACK OF AC-
r1v1rY EsrRANGEs THE YOUNG PEOPLE.

TIVITY ESTRANGES THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
Members Of the Society OF Friends met at westbury,
l.. l., yesterday, for their quarterly meeting. The
government of the body is most Democratic. The
smallest business meetings are called preparatory
meetings. These small enough To let the over
seers inquire into the standing Of each member and
gain the information answer the Imries," the
questions concerning religious and moral behavior
termed. The preparatory meetings send their reports
10 the monthly meetings where they are combined and
forwarded to the quarterly meeting The quarterly
meetings report 10 the yearly meeting which formu
atcs the queries and has control Of the discipline The
monthly meetings OF New York, Brooklyn, Westbury,
Jericho, Flushing and Cornwall, with a membership
Of about 1000. reported TO the quarterly meeting
yesterday.
The meeting house is about one mile from West
bury station, on the main line of the Long Island
Railroad. 1t is pleasantly situated In fine old
grove OF oak trees The present building is about
eighty years old. and erected the site OF
another meeting house. In the graveyard attached
are buried many people whose names have been well
known IN New York. The Willets, Cocks and Hicks
families all largely represented. Elias Hicks,
the reformer, lived about four miles away at Jericho,
and great number OF his relatives live near.
II was In a pouring rain that the Friends gathered
at the meeting house yesterday morning The Long
Island Friends Welknown for their good horses.
The time OF the meeting hall Patio. and almost
the minute the found comfortably filed
with several hundred persons The broad brimmed
hat and plain bonnet were in all but few cases
wanting After about twenty minutes silence John
W. Ondcrdonk, of New-Yorll arose and made brief
address In answer TO the question: "Why do We
come togctheri7 told he says, that the
society is diminishing In numbers and In interest.
The way 10 overcome this tendency Is 10 listen Dr
the prompting Of the It'll small voice In our souls and
let our light be shown by opening the eyes Of the
blind and breaking the bonds OF those that are en-
shaved by customs and forms
Aaron NJ Powell. who il we'll known in all philan-
thropic works. arose and introduced his topic by de
Scribing recent visit Ia the meeting house which
H. had attended when n boy. and where he found on
III, return that one person now middle aged woman.
but a companion of his boyhQcd. constituted the main
part Of the meeting. Continuing, he said: " AT that
meeting house. plain simple beautiful In it, sur
rmlndngs. this one person often sat alone and In
silence. II brought thc question home 10 my mind
OF our religion. Is il n faith which our experience
lustines II it i justified, then We can but con
template such meetings with soucitudc, socltude not
only FOR our body, but for the plain and simple
religion Of tn world outside Where Is the youthful
succession that should be depended upon 10 keep mp
the meetings numerically Ii they depart the meet
INK, must invariably be- discontinued, and the dis
continuance Of the meetings will be loss 10 society
a, large Let la see whether td> simple introverson
of spirit that practise IS adequate TO our religious
needs. Has this simple faith place IN the hurry
and rush OF the world ~ today To me such con
dirions make it AL the more precious.
In this world have mass Of people without
any religious education who beyond tn" reach or
the Church What j., our duty toward them 1t has
boon said that our numbers are lcssenng. Why j.
III Has NOT our simple faits been held more a'
beloved tradition than a. u working Religion oil u
day We have been drawn along with the rush oil
the time, SO much that yc have lost much oi the
benefit Of our beautiful faith We should not De- sur
prised then, because young people. whom We nave
10 depend upon for the future Of the society nave
left H.. They have gone where certain KIND 81
acti,itv VA, offered We must give them something
10 do. ! hold with gsat English rheIJu' "rl'eI
that being i greater than dong 9ut II we aT -
me it will be braatnins our work ana yns , our
members plenty 20 do ana tier !, PiemN 10 Oe o'N'
Mr. Powell followed h' J"hh heScs, al OH
gffs God had bestowed upon Then Frances Nc"IHl
Williams arose aud invOnui all present !" I9lo" Va.
the saying Of the text. Tor ms cnd wa o', r .o
be The foundation >touo Of our society, 'hc salu, !
that God !, .pint Let us IrmemSSer ,na , WV III
word by doing good Do not put II on. E'S1 I'I "
act Of duty = -tep IA NE rtHt hl'N ,, is r -
iu,hcl because he thought ucr" Mas So"u III w
society. and not from any dc.o'"o . nrirr who
did not leave otber> to learn by intuition b"t VEN
forth and taught .,, ~. .,,,,,,,
IL a., lime 10 get io the consideration 81 business, 50
The parffon Wns raised between the mems auu
womcns sides of the house Tn" clerks oil tv
went forward and took their se@te AT n "csh anu
open.d the meeting BY reading the opening
minnie. The -t of Representatives from tn" different
monthly meetings then r'ad. the persons an
svcr.us "A, their names called.
~ the lat quarterly mcetlng, which was i,rIl III
Eroollyu I'm APRIL proposition 10 make -onr change
I'm tho discipline brought forward from one ~
the monthly m .ctlnk,. II hid bcn lad over nuII
This meeting for action A. a. whether II should b" for
varied H. the yearly meeting, WHERE such Change can
ONLY be made. Aft~r u good deal OF dl-c-"'on II
w. decided Ia appoin n committee hut this WA not
dom. uutll n found whether In" woman agI'cH
10 the proposition. Their consent heinz obtained IL
was done The - the queries from w SID
ordinate meetings were read and discussed II was
Announced that there would bo meeting OF me gen
er,l phauthroplc committee this afternoon ana also
one Of the Temperance committee. Visiting filehdo
were entertained by the hosptablc members OF the
meeting who live near.
THE STRIKE My BEGIN AGAIN.