The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-25
Fifth Avenue Doctrine.

The marble house Of worship at the cor.
ner OF tho Fifth avenue and Twenty ninth
street is ono of the three churches OF the
old and very rich corporation Of the Collie.
giate Church Of the Reformed. or formerly
Dutch Reformed communion. 1t was
originally organized in 1923 as the church
OF tho first settlers on Manhattan Island.
Up to 1764 the services and the preaching in
1t were In the Dutch language only. Even
after the Revolution, Dutch continued to he
used in them frequently. Dutch signs also
predominated in the town and Dutch GUS
toms prevailed. though already New York
boosted Of the cosmopolitan character Of
its population.
This was not an exemplary community
by any means in those good old days. The
papers Of a hundred years ago tell OF gangs
OF ruffians in the streets who waylaid and
robbed the passers by at night. 1t was
timo OF hard drinking. President DWIGHT,
visiting New York at the beginning Of
this century. thought the town very
badly governed. Its municipal admins
tration did not suit his Puritan no.
tions. He was not opposed to drink
ing. for he took his tipple himself
licenses were given to dram shops. He
thought that there were more liquor saloons
than were requisite; and on the whole he
was very unfavorably impressed by the
condition OF New York. In New England
they did things much better. In his opinion.
This church at the corner OF the Fifth ave-
nue. and Twenty-ninth street has new pas
tor tho Rev. DR.. BURRELL, and he says OF
New York exactly what was said OF 1t nearly
a hundred years ago by President DWIGHT,
MS will be seen by this extract OF his sermon
last Sunday morning:
There 10 the dram shop There 10 no difference OF
opinion about that You may the right to take
q social even convival EasI but you will concede
that tho saloon 10 an unquanedy evil thing. 1t 10
totally bad. There are eight thousand SALOONS III this
city. Eight thousand saloons"
Like President DWIGHT. DR.. BURRELL
does not object to a social OF even con-
vivial glass;" but he denounces the dram
shops in which other people drink. Very
likely he takes glass himself occasionally,
and probably the majority OF the members
OF the Collegiate Church do tho same. Prob
ably when he and they went home aftor the
sermon last Sunday morning they took q
glass OF wine at dinner. and some OF them
may have braced up with a nip Of whiskey
or sip Of cognac. just for tho stomacli's
sake. as did the old Dutch burghers.
Why. then. with such habits. justified
by the preacher, do they call the saloon ian
evil thing? Why is 1t evil
to drink In saloon and not evil to drink ut
homeI Why Is it wicked to 60 to dram
shop to buy your tlpple and not wicked to
buy 1t by the bottle or demijohn at a liauor
shop or grocery!
The great temperance movement In this
had its origin in the scandal caused
~ the frequency with which ministers took
: n social or even convival glass." Drunk
,nness sometimes attended their Father
ngs. They were condemned for setting a |
'ad example to the laity. But when tho
consequent agitation took place, the
emperance rcformels did not conflne
heir assault to tho saloon as an unauall-
ledly evil thing. They attacked all drink
ne, social and convivial. whether In one
lace or another; and the ultimate result
vas the prohibition movement. They saw
ow absurd 1t was for them to donounce
ther men as sinners simply because they
rank In public drinking places while
hey themselves drank at home. They
ontended that 1t is wrong for any
ody to drink alcoholic beverages,
nd hence they demanded that the manu-
acture and sale OF all such beverages