St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-30
A Plan to Make Joseph Me-
Kibben President Of the
Y. N. C. A.
He Will Accept II the Board
Will Square UP and =
Quit.
Necessity ofDoing Something
to Infuse Life Into the Il
Semi-Corpse. r.
Prospect That in a Few
~
Months Great Changes Il
Will Occur.

Some time past it has been rumored
that the Y. NJ. c. A. Of st. Paul is about
to undergo complete reorganization,
with the hope of infusing new life into
it. A number of years the old inStitu-
ton has been lii a state of Semi-cOn-
seriousness. living from hand 10 mouth,
and getting Skim-mllk existence at
that. There was too much shaking
hands and not enough keen intelligence
among its deyotees and hangers-on. Or,
to use the language of prominent
member of leading church, There is
surfeiting expression OF goodness
about nearly every one met
there If they hadn't so much
goodness and keener Judgment
of human nature they would attract
more people and awaken all interest
that would amount to something" This
same gentleman continued: 80 the
average American OF the world a gOody-
good expression is repulslve, and his
first impulse is to guy the person who
meets him with it. 1t seems to me that
the purpose of the Y. M. e. A. should
be to attract people of the world into its
quarters without any display of lnten-
ton to make Christians OF them; simply
to make it all attractive place to them,
so that they may prefer to go there in
stead of to worse places. Make
Christians of them by the charm
of pure, home-like atmosphere
rather than by preaching to
them. Some can be reached by
preaching the gospel to them from the
start; but thousands more would turn
away in disgust if approached so sum-
marily. The management of the Y. M.
c. A. should be full of tact. Just shade
OF worldly air about the rooms OF the in
stitntiOn is worth vastly more than
countenances scffused with goodness.
A faculty of telling good stories which
do not SAVIOR OF vicious things, and Civ
ing the impression that one is a good tel
low, is practical and useful"
But. however, certain it is that the Y.
NJ. G. A. of st. Paul has been far from
successful during the past six or eight
years. Some six or more years ago the
society purchased good-sized piece of
real estate at the northeast corner Of
Minnesota and Tenth streets for SOL 800,
and went to the further expense OF
$4,000 in excayating a basement and
putting in foundations and basement
hall. The society is now in debt S63. 900
on that property and $4,000 for cur
rent expenses. That. in brief. is the
financial situation of the institution,
and from a worldly point of view
it is bankrupt. When they began at
the corner OF Tenth and Minnesota it
was the pround intentions to erect q
mammoth building in which should be
magnificent library, gymnasium,
baths, etc. The intention was beautiT
full to contemplate, and the outcomeis
Iamentable. Where the fault lay it is
not worth while to consider: what can
be done to remedy the situation is all
the promoters of the institution are
talking over.
aEcMibben Proposed
The proposition now made is to elect
Joseph McKibben president. 1t comes
from different reliable sources that MIR.
McKibben has expressed willingness
to assume the duties of the position il
the old board of directors will clean ur
the current expense account OF Sl5,O0t
and step out bodily SO that he may have
board of directors of his own choosing
1t is further stated that the board OF Oil
rectors have manifested perfect will
ingness to accepttheSe terms and are now
industriOusly trying to raise the Sl5,00O.
1t was intimated Sunday that they have
raised all but about $1,000, and believe
they Will have this also soon. They are
holding nightly meetings with a view OF
being able to step out within few days
1t was intimated yesterday that the
matter would be consummated las'
evening, but the secretary stated after
the meeting of last evening was ovel
that there was nothing to give out, int /
mating that new officers were notye,
elected.