New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-09
THE CHRISTIAN ENDEATOH COM ENHON.

TIE CHRISTIAN ENDEATOR CONTENTION
The Christian Endeavor crowd has taken
Nevv-York by storm Political conventions
have sometimes swellcd the groups about nall
doors and hote-portcos but no badge was
ever so universally pcryaSive a. the white
one 1t has packed incoming trains and Terry
boats, swarmed into elevated trains and horse
cars. descended in clouds on aStonlshed hotel
clerks and boardingh ana
thronged every public haunt except the bar
rooms The delegates are not only the INST
to make an impression on our normal p"puIa-
ton. but we have actually no building b:g
enough TO hold them. In the immense Madi-
son Square Garden the largest audlchce-rooi
in this hemisphere, 1900 men ana women
are hacked on the floor in a>leS and galleries.
81 that merely To look nj the sea of faces l.
confusing Yet aS many mere are locked ont
for want Of room, and those unable To crowd
into the overflow meetings at nclShhonne
churches have contcntcdly sung hymns in lnion
square.
somebody calls DR.. Clark, the Christian
Endcavor founder, " the pastor of ia" largest
parish in the world" Considering that eleven
years ago the society membership. no"
1870. 200. numbered exactly g., he is also. IN
one sense. the greatest organizer In this
country of phenomenal statistics. the growth
Of this association of young people i mar
vel. As the initiated know. il is not 10 be
ascrbed merely u the fortunate populant! oi
4 lucky idea. When DR. Clark banded Few
Young men and women N his church IN ic-
mote Maine city, in 1881. for plaCuc1l re-
licious work whole Niagara OF zeal and
energy was undoubtedly going 10 waste among
the Young people Of all churches for want OF
proper direction The Christian Endcayor
nledpc. imposing "Scryicc" which was " per
feet freedom" wa, accurately gagged 10 utilize
it, Young Americans possess natural affinity
for applied Christianity. But the pledge. liz"
the immortal work Of Thomas kcmpiS. ha'
been translated into many tongues, and has
made disciples in many lands, - that the
New York Convention embraces delegates from
points as distant aS Syria and the sandwich
Islands. The strongest external features OF
the movement are clearly lis absolute non
sectarianism and the systematic conduct of IT,
propaganda.
DR.. Deems was right in his flattcrng APP
probation of the management. The common
criticism that il StoOps to catchword devices
and takes advantage of a worldly social I'M
pulse to promote pious objects is, after ALL not
destructive. Sunrise prayer meetings, look
OUT committees, " front-sca brigadeS,' and
hand shaking circles hardly look dlgnlcd
on paper Yet they imply an innocent means
of accomplishing signal good and what pop
ular religious agitation can succeed bcrcit OF
its attractive features? When 10000 young
people crowd into one city 10 participate III a
four-day religious celebration their motive is
not TO be carpcd at The society is scarcely
kelly to leave a permanent impress on re
ligous history but with its imtatOrS, il must
profoundly affect, and for the better, the scli-
Gus thought Of the younger half Of our pop
ulation Its impulses are wholly good, lis
achievements highly commendable; and the
f, present convention must therefore be taken
as all inspiring sign of the times.