New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-17
SCORING THE UNION LEAGUE
PLAIN WORDS FROM THE REV. MR.. WRIGHT

NE DENOUNCES THE ACTION OF THE CLUE
TOWARD THEODORE sELIGMAy
tn. Rev. Merle ST. Croix Wright pastor Of the
,snox Avenue Unitarian Church. at One-hundred and
.w.nty.frst-s and LenOXave.. In the course OF his
.rmon yesterday took occasion 10 read the Union
League Club. OF this city. lesson OH Its recent
e,ion in rejecting the nomination OF Theodore seIig
man son OF Jesse seugman. The well-known banker,
an the avowed ground OF race prejudice. lie took
this incident as an opportunity TO condemn In
measured terms. but with unmeasured Indignation.
aha spirt OF caste and eXclusiveness which makes
soeety sectarian. and has proper place among
t,e Institutions" In his discourse he said
am today suffering under an indignty cannot
remain silent The crime OF lese humanity com.
lifted man, the uncrowned king. attacked by an As.
sassihat ancient enemy preiudice-and Will put
NV heel upon it. This pulpit has ever stood for God
Man and Life. always and everywhere be elevated
the of truth, righteousness and The incident
If which shall speak is the rejection OF Mr. Segman by
a club OF this city the sole and avowed ground as
scter intelligence gentemanliness being of,r,d /
know club is private institution. with right TO
Itself according 10 its ideas and will
nights of common humanity which be respected by
sny institution and there sacrifices OF undou5ed
pryeges and legitimate pleasures which should
morally be obligatory IL they may be the OF
ferrng upon others those privileges which the birth
right and title OF every normal
that the Union League ; OF q public club
than most clubs, and in far the burden Of this charge
falls heavier on 1T. know the result in part fore
tod but the did only his duty pressing his rights
and In his case our civilization tried aud found
wanting and our hosptabe demo rIcy proved inho pabe
Any degradation of humanity in any membar Of II. and
sny degradation Of humanity integral idea degrade
ton Of every and should be resented personal
sfront Christianity has been said claims not only
the Yh9e OF humanity (as universal religon but also the
whols>of man (as complete morality. Under this
this act Christian? Solidarity Is the final wod Of
humanity. Are then. dividers wncre God has no;
separated; we. then, human?
These empty questions but full Of fate. am
70. Jcw-though Pharisee Of the rhariseesbut of the
opposite party. Nor am L Jew in religion 1 don't
expect Seligman's millions for this church. don't
po'e even OF the fathers far as know 1t,
although hope that am i'll informed.
But 1 speak for humanity and Justiee-not
ehsrJ. Int justice by which humanity lives
Any one who rejects q jew q jew, alien as an
alien. of when he has been proven
he human q. e. with character intelligence and social
matching own thereby himself or her
s outside humanity below nationality; IL not inhunn
unhums il not irratoOol then unntegent and Ignorant
and irielgious immoral without doubt. The Union
League Club has perfect right to exclude Jews II ii
fears that there will be Jews than Americans
precincts but right 10 exclude Jews as Jews
when they gentlemen otherwise cNceptonabic Better
should be left club in this city than
that there action taken which mchtwere the
thing possibC-wound any true man in his seespcct or
settle prejudice any people The compromise
Of social exclusion like every compromise. is Golloss
cevish. doomed.
Mr. Wright then went on 10 explain that race
clsnDishness when taken ont OF It's narrowness was
power and glory to any people the fibre OF national
Me- and that ambition and aggressveness were neccs
sary for any oppressed, deprived OF his rights
and fighting for them.
Abiding TO the batting of snch Official Chris
tans Pastor Stoecker and Pastor Ahwardt, OF
Germany Ike said IL OF all things marvellous that
protesting the ChriStln position should so abuse
he ancient mother and nurse of their faith. For
Christianity to-day, he said Is essentially Judaic. From
he Jews he said, we derive the Unity OF God the
.ghousncss Of God the personality OF God and con
,epton of philosophy Of history. The Arynns saw
;od primarily in Nature the semitic jew in history
md in the human heart The Arlan is the natural
representative of SCIENCE and speculatioD the jew OF
religion and the moral life Through the Jew the
latural law that might is right transferred into
he moral law that right is might, and Identified with
he living force Of God.
In conclusion Mr. Wright said Our very
Bible I'm both testaments. was all the work OF Jews.
and in itself naught but the autohograph ply Of this
most gifted OF reei peoples In daily walk with
God. Ii Is not religion, IL Is not morality. 1t l.
And who are we-nay. they-that practise 1t Let
rs have humanity. II is bad Ia have man divided.
fractional partial. 70 have individual men crippleo
stunted, manned, mutilated What unwhipped hypo-
critics are II protesting Christianity end humanity
cOnsire even by silence 20 abe and ala this eVh