The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-19
The Civic Church and It's Work,

In the October Review of Reviews Mr..
W. Il. Stead gives the outline of a paper
read by him before the parliament of re-
ligions in Chicago, on what he calls 1.-The
Civic Church" The civic church as de-
scribed by Mr.. Stead is an intelligent and
fraternal cooperation of all those who are
in earnest about making men and things
somewhat better than they are to-day.
The work of this cult is to reconstitute
human society, to degenerate the state
and inspire it with an aspiration after a
divine ideal, and its field of operation is
to be the municipality in distinction to
the state or nation; hence the name civic.
The proposition is based upon the princi-
pie of brotherly cooperation on the part
of all who are willing to take trouble to
make things better, so that the collective
moral force Of the whole community may
be brought to bear to promote the welfare
of the whole community. In his outline
of the social functions of this movement
Mr.. Stead considers it in it's relation to
the infant, the child, the youth, the adult
The infant is to be guarded from its birth.
There is to be an urgent insistance upon
the infinite responsibilities of parentage,
and especially of paternity. Founding hos
pitfalls shall supplant the baby farm Star
walton and cruelty to infants are to be
prevented. Every child is to be protected
against the exploitation of his life until
he is at least thirteen years of age. Child
drudges are to be abolished until after
that age. Fairgrounds for the children are
to be established. The orphan and the
fatherless are to be taken care OF by sys-
tematic orphanages, and nurseries for
working women's children provided For
the youth there shall be football and ten
mis- grounds. social evening clubs under
the best conditions. cheap lodgings, well
ventilated, lighted, warmed and cared for,
where young men without homes may
lodge under good influences. When he
reaches the adult Mr.. Stead presents
catalogue of ninety three reforms. the
third of which is, keeping moral issues
to the front, as caucuses keep party is
Sues" Others are the establishment OF
labor registries;" temporary work for the
unemployed; Organization of charitable
relief" 1.-THE development of cottage in
dustries;'' instead of slums, improved
dwellings," free baths and wash houses"
cheap transit by tram and rail- ''mu-
nicipal lodging houses cooperative
homes" enforcing the law against gam
bling 1.-THE poor mans lawyer" and SO
on at length.
Many of the subjects mentioned above
have been made familiar to the people of
this city. The election just closed has DEM
onstrated that the civic church is on it's
feet in this community, and the Christian
and heather, Jews, Greeks and Meso-
potamians are already enrolled under it's
banner to keep moral issues to the 'front.'
and to enforce the laws against gam
bling" This city was formerly SO fortu-
nate as to be the abiding place of Oscar
c. McCulloch, who, like Mr.. Stead, was a
broad thinker along these lines and he
propositions for a nobler, fuller and hap
pier life for the children and for the com
mon people," using the phrase in the same
sense as the apostle when he says the
common people heard Him gladly" The
cooperative organization OF charities was
the nucleus of the moral and social re-
forms which he proposed. 1t was not only
the clearing house of administering relief,
but it was the axis from which radiated
social and charitable movements for the
upbuilding of the municipality. Among the
things it has proposed and accomplished
are the Marion county workhouse (Which
originally was workhouse and not a
mere prison. and ought TO be again made
a place OF work and not a winter resort
for idlers); free kindergartens, Vincennes
lottery closed, State Board OF Charities.
Training School for Nurses. Dime Saving