The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-28
THE TRUE WAY TO REFORM.
THE REF. mr. RYLAhCE PREhCHES
III" ,poy THE EVILS OF TIE DAY.
yo,,ac,sns, lie Says. Arc What the
p.on,c MAKE Them and No WORSE and
.sS,.,.u Education Must SO Before
,.,,,,ou In Changing Things.

.,.,,., cducation Must SO Before
,..i.i.t,on In Changing Things.
r,., pov DR.. Joseph II. Rylance OF ST. Marks
,,.,,, ot stuyyesant street and Second ave-
.'.oncboJ a sermon yesterday morning
h". a., srh,ert OF 1.-THE Prevailing Degeneracy
va ond recurring Nirtuous Spasms In tho Com
.nn,i,v" Whilo Or. Parkhursts name was
80, mentioned in tho sermon. much OF twas
nororolly understood in the nature OF COM
ut on pr. Parkhursts recent actions ana
.ho questions Involved by thom. The text was
tron, Isaiah lin. !. >. .. \. Ia. 10: Inc Lords
,snJ is NOT shortened that He cannot save.
n""h III. enr heavy that Hc cannot hear:
~, vour iniauitics have separated between
~ anI vo,ir God: and your sins have hid HIS
49,, from Won that Ho will not hear. for your
hsrds arc ,letllcd with blood and your fingers
-;,h iniouity; your lips have spoken lies. and
.arr tonrus hath muttered perverseness.
xoro cnll,th FOR Justice nor my pleadeth for
18th and judgment Is turned away back
narJ md Justice standeth afar of: for truth
Ia fallen in the streets. and equity cannot
nrter. Yea. truth fnlcth. md he that de-
s.r.otb from evil maketh himself a prey"
Dr. Rylancc said in part:
"surh moral courage as Isaiah preached to
.,o lows was never more urgently demanded
In mon who Sneak for God and Righteousness
than is to-day. We are passing through u
neriod Of wide. spread decentralization as a
sommrn.y. Your lands are dcilled with
Mood snys tho prophet: OF the truth OF which.
,snprlying to ourselves as people. We are
reminded by the frequency with which deeds
ofbruta! violence are committed among us.
chastity narratives of which I'LL the columns OF
o,r daily papers. to the disuuiet and horror OF
our households Life! the most precious Sift
That God has given. is cheap. fearfully cheap.
IN tho community. On most frivolous occa-
,ions men seize tho instruments OF murder
from personal spite. or from so-cnlled wound
od honor or from conflict OF interests. or in vul-
,,rbrawls Wild implements of death arc
even fashionable articles of personal equip
ment.
Fraud in one form or anotheris VIGOROUSLY
nreyalent among us: confidence between m8n
AMI man has been so shaken. indeed. by enor-
nous dishonestios that most demoraliZlng
su.pieioa has gone abroad in the land. A
subtlc and skilful craft selilshness without
scrurles. a cupidty which shrinks from no
means. however shameful. to reach its ends.
these things have almost ceased to excite ABB
horrence or amazemcut among us. We can
even smile at the ability by which some more
made heavy fortunes for themselves at tho
public expense. notably by men intrusted with
DR.. Ryiance then spoke Of the virtuous fever
which seized the community so regularly that
II could he calculated almost by the calendar.
nlarly relaxation. when the men who have
been denounced are, again at the cranks OF
'"One singular fact is noticeable while tho
volume Of our malcdiction is directed almost
not too daring thing to say. Is hardly fair.
In Justice. We ought to take share OF guilt to
ourselves What they sh9Tid h turn no ar9 bnnd
helped to make us. gentlemen'.would, not the
imputation be Illuminating and truef For are
they not take the moral shape they wear from
environment and from the social conditions
and forces to which We are all subject? Nay;
are they not picked men out OF the bulk. and
when they we're chosen as to their fitness
our S' Se6a I.se Them s'f they arc bud and
Incompetent We Numbered terribly in choos-
ing them. And such laundering is unpardon-
especially when We consider that We were
warned and urged by our editors and preach;
to @ It s
from fonlness and reproach:,
Where rests the blame. then. il we are to-
Ses s POI as %as
SCUM that elected them.' you say. Shame.
then burning shame on the cream Of our
that the vulgar and the vile Of our fellow citi;;
zens outnnmber tho good! No. but our good
nerves and OF superfne tastes and sensibili.
sies who are atraid Of dsaing their garments
%n Sso a thu se Mork q se
men who are largely, responsible for the dis
NAL plight We are said to be in Just now. We
Dr.: Rylanco then went ON to explain how
parsons from their pulpits and weekday pre-
sssfs hG p ns
cunning and corruption OF people who made
politics their tradc-the corruption being al
that to which til the newspaper belonged. how.
ever he added. They taught that q ward
meeting was, reeking with vile odors. while
there. Naturally, the "goody-Coody" people
Kept away from them.
said; :" in this way We have degraded great
word. have been parties to the casting OF yul-
enas 81 mon nnd sS Inc
State. tho nation. Yes. the greatest and most
s saiI,;d, science on earth Is these despsea
a han all StSor 70 tho
.. "but what glorious CONFUSION we ore all In
League. with men OF large. lucid minds init.
went about telling our citizens that the COY
Sh IL city shsId nothing IN to 40
gar odium attached to the word. 1t is too
y, ate to correct the c9nipsion to give the people
plGtiines; Wire. pal ilnss. brIberies. are not
politics. but conspirncles OF knots OF selfish.
remorseless men who nre very glad to be let
alone BY all honest folk in tho prosecution OF
thelr netnrious business. Let us, at all events.
cease ling our young. men that politics are
essentially so vile and communicating that
lhey had better not touch them, or when you
want them ON election day to help You purify
kolitics 70 use u cant phrase. you may find
uaI uthey have tai en You at your word.
VOL. we are all OF us touched by tho newly
awakened enthusiasm. l presume. resolving
mat this time We will efrectually down the
oevll and his minions. But II only to save
ourselves from a eart-brenking disnppoint-
nhtent we should prepare ourselves to lind out
anat II Is slow. hard work. Know ye that 1t Is
aVery dinicult matter. under favoring condi-
IONS To maintain a national organism in
Sood gear and in tolerably equal action. Wit
s sSss IN mo light Of history how many have
70 'I nmt ana AZ fallen to pieces But we arc going
70 t. sw our own fair, famous city; We are going
"'Tr, wsgr. That oirendeth and maketh ne
"!.shed, nor should past failure discourage MS.
strange. that we arc always occupied with tho
SShshVnry business Of clcuning ont Augean sta
Pc! oar brooms don't sweep clcan. We Sc
~ ana pay mon to attend to our municipal
smm.dS' mo men being competent. 1t Is as
sspS antteeu promises and guarantees being given
u uiii ihe work in this department or In that
@ ne honestly and thoroughly done. But
Svs IRE no sooner In Office than we have to
ItSnlHe amateur committees to watch tho
kainworkers. lest they should shirk the work
smy engaged to do-aIl which We're very