New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-05
"ONE-MTNCTE PRAYERS"

It is reported from Washington that one OF
the candidates for chaplain of the House of
Representatives is urging his claims for that
mediatoral though not specially responsible
Office upon the ground that if elected he will
conlne his devotions to the one minute limit.
In other words, he is running for chaplain on
the platform of " one minute prayers. AS
Republicans we have, of course, not only no
voice but really no right to advise i'll the
selection of chaplain for Democratic House
of Representatives. STILL we may perhaps be
permitted to say. that no body of men that
ever assembled on this continent ever needed
PRAYING for so much as the extremely variegat-
ed concourse of persons which next Monday at
Washington will agree with some sort OF har-
mOny upon division of such things as are in
81 ght and then will 90 irrecOverably asundcr
on every question likely to arise, the selection
of proper person to do the praying for them
is matter of some importance. If there was
ever need on the part Of an American Con-
gress Of some one who would take hold OF both
horns of the altar and Wrestle like Jacob, it is
now And we feel compelled to say that, in
our Judgment the minute limit is made
ouate to the necessities Of the case. This must
be we'll understood by large part, if not ALL Of
the members comprising the majority. SO
many of them as have realizing sense of the
situation must understand that a eminute
PRAYER at the opening of such deliberations as
they are likely to have will be the feeblest sort
of fOrmality.
We confess we do not understand the mental
processes Of the clergyman who has put him
self on the oneminute platform. 1t can hard
~ be upon the ground that this Congress is
past PRAYING for, and consequently that more
than minute occupied in the exercise would
be a waste of time. The ultimate logic of that
line of reasoning would be that there was no
need of any chaplain, and the consequence, of
course, would be the abolition of the office.
Immcmoral custom as well as decent regard
for the prophecies Of civilized life compels the
Observance of certain fOrmaltics of Il dcvo-
tiOnaI and religious character at the opening
of deibcrativc assemblies. Time has not gen
orally been considered an element OF mpOr-
lance The devotional frame has usually been
regarded as Of more consequence than the
duration of the exercise. The undcvout dis
trict school teacher in NewEngland town
who. when asked how his school was opened,
answered with something like flippancy that
times with singing, but always on time if he
had to open it with an oyster-kniic, was cen
sured by the committee and at the first OPP
portunity eXpungcd from the list of educators
of that district Nowhere up to date so far as
we know has the question of duration of dcvo-
tions entered openly and publicly into the
lection of n chaplain or even of "A clergy
man to ofiiciate at public dinner, when it
is important if ever, on account of the danger
of the soup getting cold.
Then. too. we have an impression that if
this Congress knows itself at all, the tcmpta-
ton will be to choose a chaplain Of conSd-
cradle huency and great duration. We recall
the story of the college students who. having
stolen a sign, were surprised by tutors knock
ut the door before they had secretod it. There
being "A rule of the college that no student
should upon any pretext be interrupted at his
dcvotions. one of them set himself TO PRAYING
with great cainestncss and quite audlbly while
the other proceeded to burn up the sign. The
devotions were kept up until the Incarceration
was completed. concluding with an appropriate
reference To the generation that scckcth after
sign and findeth none, after which the door
was opened by the devout young men 20 the
waiting tutor. II strikes us that the circllm-
stances under which this Congress meets call
for the appointment, not OF n one minute pray or
chaplain but such an one as the student re-
| ferrod to-a devOut person, 50 blessed with
gifts of speech and the power of continuance
| that by the time he concludes his deyotions