St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-16
COhLEY TOUCHES Them UP
sAPHST DIVINE TELLS WHY CITIES
HAVE SLUMS.
his EFFORT NOT PERSONAL.

~ - &c .,Fs - 80.
Rev. j. w. ConIey Says That All
the Low Elements OF Europe
Locate in the American Cities,
and That Is the Cause OF the
Cerruption-An Eloquent ad-
dress.
< Rev. j. w. Conley lectured last even
ing at the First Baptist church ON the
subject "Slums and Boulevards, or the
Heights and Depths of Modern Cities"
,Fiie attendance was fair. the subject in
teresting and the treatment entertain
ing and at times powerful While the
facts and application were general, they
were given a local turn at many points,
as similar conditions were alleged
to exist here to those used in
his illustrations. He said: ''This is
an age of great cities. The people are
crowding into the great centers to
which all currents are converging. The
movement from the country into the
cities is widespread. In the early days
of the republic the pioneers opened up
the forests, or sought the broad prairies
with to making for themselves
homes. The rural homes and the rural
life. so dear to our fathers and to our
mothers, have lost their interest for the
masses. Patriotism used to mean not
only love of country, but OF its institu-
tons. Burns sang his way into the
hearts of his countrymen. Quoting
from. america
II love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and tempted hills"
he regretted that the time had come
when the words had partially lost their
meaning. The young blood-the vigor
of the land-is prone to seek the cities.
Sixty per cent of the people of England
and Wales are in the cities. London is
increasing in population at the rate of
$4,000 per anuum. Seventy-five per
cent of the people of Scotland are in the
cities. Five hundred thousand people
from the country districts in Ireland
have come 10 this country, and have
been added to the population of our
cities. The proportion of people in the
cities Of Germany, Sweden and Nor
way also holds good. Since 1890 the
rural population in the United States
has increased twelvefold; that of thu
cities eighty-six-fold. One third of
our people live in the cities. Chicago
has increased 100000 in population
since the great fire; the Twin Cities sos
per cent in thirteen years.
He considered the causes Of city
growth, and among them spoke of
nd lot 80
great wealth, but the daily press was
the leading factor. He paid high
tribute to the press and to it's power,
and spoke of the avenues of employ
ment ever opening wider for women IN
the cities, and on these they had come
TO- rely for self.support.
c he spoke Of the natural tendency of
the cities in social and business life.
ln3the cities the highest point possible
for humanity to attain was reached on
one hand and on the other the bottom
less pit. The extreme of vice and ig-
norance. of all that is low, vile, and dis
gushing. He contrasted the elegance, the
splendOr, the beauty of the boulevard,
and of the homes on the bouieyards,
with the miserable back alleys, and
back streets, the vile and wretched sec
tons, often not two blocks away.
Human society, he said, always tends to
these extremes, and modern society
must in some way correct them or be
wrecked. ,tsil -a-5 SIS. @
He contrasted the heights of political
power and the depths of political in
fanny, and found both in the great
cities. Chicago turned the scale polit-
ically in Illinois. New York In New
York, and the two in the nation. Again
he spoke of the metropolitan press as
the greatest political factor. furnishing
food for thought and shaping political
destinies. The next in power was party
organization and its great supporters,
leadership and money, and allied to
these. patronage.
There must be good laws and they
must be enforced. 1t is an outrage TO
say we will have no saloons and broth
els Oh the boulevard and then license
, them in the districts of the poor. 1t is
disgrace to say we will not enforce
the dramShop law on Sunday when the
Worklngman is unemployed, in order
that he may spend his earnings in the
5dramshop rather than for the benefit
2of his family. The moral element
must rise in their might and
rule. Penthouse politicians must not be
allowed to furnish the candidates for
whom decent men shall vote. We must
be, not Republicans. not Prohibition
lists, not PopullStS or Democrats, but
clean men, laboring together for clean
methods; but opposed TO such force
will be the anarchists and the workers
OF iniquity.
The churches must step to the front.
and come in closer touch with the
people on these great questions or alb
dictate. They must permeate the slums
and bouleyards alike with the spirit of
the gospel of Jesus.