The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-12-25
THE RECREANT CLERGY.
THE WHITED SEPULCHERS OF
THIS TON.
Men Who Cry Lord! Lord!" But
are Dumb at the Command
of PlutOcracy.

We do not desire to say an unkind
word against the professors Of relig-
ion, or to utter syllable that, in this
evil world, would unsettle the founda-
ton Of honest belief. There are
clergymen in all the denominations
Christian and Jewish-that are an
honor to humanity;-good, patient,
God-fearing, man-loving souls. Heaven
bless them and strengthen them! But
there are also Adventures, ksters,
scamps, who ''steal the livery of
heaven to serve the devil in" and for
these we would,
Put a whip in every honest hand.
To lash the scoundrels naked through the
world"
And therefore we quote some choice
extracts from recent "open letter"
by Rev. F. F. Passmore, of the
Methodist Church of Colorado, to
some of the Bishops Of that faith ia
that state. They point to dreadful
condition of things The letter is ad
dressed to the "dear Bishops" and
we copy from the Indianapolis Non
conformist, of December II, 1885,
ED. REP.]
Dear bishops, Denver never was SO i'm
moral and wicked as she is today, and
she is ruled over by the Methodist Epis-
copal church. The scripture says that
when the wicked reign the people
mourn but when the Methodists reign
we have perfect carnival of crime.
oh Methodist whisky
that blew up the Gumry hotel, and in
turning our Sabbaths into baccanalian
revels and licencious feasts.
Dear bishops, Brother Church and
Brother Wilson can take up collection
on Sunday to send missionary and
ship load of rum to India, and on any 9TH
er day in the week they can sign licenses
for saloons and houses of prostitution,
by order of Bishop Warren, the Chan
cellor, and DR.. Mcintyre.
Dear bishops, are not things getting
,~i ~ I. strange co iditioL; should not some
one speak out against these things? And
If anyone does speak out against them
they threaten to locate him or turn him
out of the conference. Spiritual Chris
tianity has been declining and, of course,
the church becoming more worldly, ever
since Bishop Warren was married and
took IN his residence in Colorado. When
he was married they spent several thou
sand dollars, have been told, built
canopy from the church door to the side
walk and also spread nice carpet from
the street or walk to the church altar.
Such extravaganza as this we would have
expected from the uncOnverted rich, but
from Methodist bishop and successor
of the plain self-sacrificing Wesley and
$50 a year, ease-renouncing Asbury,
,i,,ly
have not gotten over the evil effects of
that wedding to this day. Dear bishops,
right then there was many poor Meth
odist circuit rider who had not even the
necessities of life for his wife and babies.
I still think it was all very wrong. | knew
a preacher in this conference who had
not the means to go to his new appoint
ment. A Catholic hearing Of his straight
ened circumstances bought his wife a
ticket and put her on the cars, while
the minister chartered a box car loaded
his goods and COW, and got on himself,
and thus he rode for long distance to
his destination. Bishop Warren lives
in a SIS, 900 mansion at University Park.
You are living in luxury while strong
men. delicate women and little helpless
children are suffering for bread and
4 clothing and are not able to get them.
Dear bishops, did you ever know bish
ons and ministers living in ease and lux
ury as YOU are doing. to do grand thing
for the world or leave grand impress
sion behind them? How many OF our
bishops ever did anything great for God
and grand for man? Bishop Simpson
had one of the grandest opportunities
man ever had in all the ages of human
history. God sent him to plead the cause
of the slave, but he would not do it. He
loo1 Of r,1nn hue
rosterity will weigh him and he will be
found wanting.
Dear bishops, money. luxury and the
Ian of ease and the influence of money
have been the rock upon which the great
preachers of the world have been
wrecked, and their influence turned
against the cause of truth The trouble
with our bishops and great ministers to-
day is, you love money too WELL and
no minister that loves money ever proved
faithful to his trust. Wealth and the
seeking of wealth makes men timid and
takes all the courage out of the soul,
and when a minister has lost courage
he is about the most pitiful thing that
over angels wept for and devils laughed
at We have not bishop in our church
today that would dare stand upon the pull
nits of this nation and plead fully the
aause of the poor and outraged, denounce
fhe saloons and corruptions of the repub-
i;can party Why? Because you are
under the influence of the money power
and YOU do not want to offend those who
might bring you to humble circum-
stances. What commentary on the
church to see the ministers of Jesus
christ clothed in purple and fine linen
and faring sumptuously every day, and
tn think this money comes from men
who are depressing the poor, corrupt
ing the people, and destroying this ma
tion-the hope of the world.
No. dear bishops, you are too much
under the money power of the nation to
raise your voices to save the nation.
Ex-Governor John Evans has made
more money, l suppose, on Sunday than
any other day of the week for many
wears. He is charged, and has been for
many years, with corrupting the poll
tics of Denver and Colorado, beside OPP
pressing the poor; and yet neither Bishop
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