The herald., 1895-05-04
PROF. GEORGE D. HERON.
Talks Affably and Freely OF His
Life Work,
BUT AVOIDS PERSONALITIES
s~ft ~ 4tT.5
A Pastor at Twenty-Five, at Thirty
Professor Of Sociology
UT AVOIDS PERSONALITIES
Some Of His Views on Life, Religion, Nations
and Nationaiities Informally
Expressed

| Professor George d. Heron, the man
whose fearless utterance of his convic-
tions on sociological questions has Gre
ated such widespread interest over two
continents. and aroused spirited conten-
tion from many quarters for some time
past. was seen yesterday morning by a
Herald scribe at the hotel where he is
stopping during his stay in Los An
geles.
AS he is upon the public platform be
fore an audience of hundreds of peo pie,
so is he in the quiet of parlor tete-a-
t.te. an earnest. thoughtful, scholarly
man, full of TIE suppressed fire of his
somewhat revolutionary beliefs, yet quiet
dignifed and convincing. At age of
% h was ordain d a. astor of the Con-
gregatonal denomination, and for eight
years reached the gospel; the latter part
of the time in Burlington. Iowa, from
whlc place he was called to occupy the
chair of sociology in Grinnell college,
| Iowa.
Much of the time during the past two
| years Professor Heron has been giving
the same course of lectures that he is now
reading before Los Angeles audiences in
| Illinois hall. and it was in reference to
| ONE OF the attacks that have teen made
| upon him through the newspapers by well
known men like John Wanamaker and
| Charles .. Brown, i'll regard to utter
ances in these lectures that he was seen
| yesterday.
But, 'l'homme propose, ETC. Mr..
| Heron is courteous, affable, even genial
while he is talking of his work, his con-
| victions, his belief for The future. and he
| talks freely. He was equally courteous,
affable and genial when questioned about
| the above mentioned attacks-but he did
| not talk free.y. In fact he replied to the
questions with cuiet dignity and unmis-
taxable decision, that he would say moth
| ing, that he had absolutely nothing to
say regarding Mr.. Wanamaker, Mr.. Brown
or anyone else.
My life work" said Mr.. Heron, "ab-
serbs all my time and all my strength,
and have none of either to give to side
issues OF personal nature. 1 don't
| know half the time what is being said of
! me, and / do not care to discuss it.
| in personalities because l need all there
| is in me for what lies before me.
| Il believe that Jesus Christ came to
right the world, but. men, ever since his
time. have gone off on tangents, and
what He gave us to do has been neg
| lected.
when l was little child felt by in
| stinct what has since grown through ex-
| haustive and conscientious study to be an
unalterable conviction, and I am trying
to make people live the Christianity they
| preach.
THAT is my work, but 1 have not laid
hold OF it; on the contrary, it has laid
| hold of me-
Have you ever had reason to think
that any riOtous acts have been the result
of what you have said in your lectures as
having been charged?"
| Never to my knowledge. While. on
the other hand, I am constantly encour-
aged to believe that my work is creating
| vast new faith in Christ, and. to come
to concrete cases. l know positively that
! a sure-enOugh ararchst-One of the vio-
lent ones-has turned Presbyterian under
gospel. as are several agnostics who have
come under my personal notice.
Have you ever lectured out of this
country"
''No. but my books are read there, and
| am constantly in communication with
many, as we'll as England; and. do you
know, in England find less conflict than
in America.
"In fact" and Mr.. Heron smiled a
sunny smile, America is most conser-
vative nation. and there is really less lib
! erty of thought here than in any natio =,
but Russia. England is fifty years ahead
of us in governn entail and religious
thought and Ii e."
will you tell me from what classes you
meet antagonism?"
"Why. yes" said the professor with
another glimmer of mirth, ''from the
theologians and the corporations. The
latter Of course are afraid of having their
business interests affected; the former
have. too many of them, got into the
narrow rut of their thf illogical currlcu-
lum, and they either cannot or will not
depart from, or go outside of, it's rigid
boundaries
Again. returning to the charge. the
scribe said, "And you positively will not
say word about M . Wanamaker?'
Suavely, but firmly came the reply-"I
positively can not; in San Francisco
twenty reporters came to me within
tw nty-four hours and I wouldn't even
see them; SO you will understand that
my refusal is simply matter of prin-
ciple."
n>aa