The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-05
PAsTORSANDMRs.s sTRYKER
Doctors BIaxes1ey and Anderson Say They
Have Heard the Plant Before.


The ministers have been free to ex-
press opinions today about what Mrs.
Althea Briggs Stryker had to say about
them last night
Rev. DR.. l. BlakesIey of the First
Congregational church said when asked
by a reporter: 'sWhen Mrs. Stryker says
that the church is always upon the
wrong side of every moral question,
her sentiments sound familiar. 1t is the
same old screed. and l think we have
heard it before from Robert q. Ingersoll.
What is that old adage about an i'll bird
that fouls its own nest. | understand
that Mrs. Stryker has three brothers
that are preachers, and l suppose they
are included in her general remarks.
IF our refusal to endorse such men
as Hank Lindsey, Jim Legate, Artz
and Lewelling is. moral leprosy, then l
admit that we have it bad The resolu-
tions which were adopted were an en-
dorsement of Hank Lindsey rather than
a denunciation of the Topeka club
Every one knows that what was done by
Lindsey was only a political move. I
have known him for 20 years. He had
only been made chief of police and l
was not going to endorse him, at least
not until he had been on probation
awhile.
''If we only had Mrs Stryker all the
time to admonish us what to do and how
to act we ministers would probably get
along all right.
81 had always supposed that the minis
ters had had something TO do with making
| Topeka the banner prohibition town in
the state. but l find out from Mrs.
! Stryker that we had nothing to do with it.
! Well, at any rate we hope to continue to
| do business at the old stand
rev. DR.. 5. B. Anderson of the First
Presbyterian church, said: 81 can only
| speak from the meager report of the
meeting saw this morning. Mrs. Stryker
said some good things but they are the
same things the ministers have been
saying for years. though they did
not use such sensational language.
"There is no doubt tendency to exalt
the church above christianity, which is
all wrong, and many ministers have
| pointed out this fact.
Mrs. Stryker has evidently been read
ing the works of Prof. Geo. ID. Heron,
of Grinnell, Iowa. He makes some OF
the statements made by Mrs. StrykeI
last night, and her mind has undoubted-
ly been influenced by what she has beer
reading.
"As to her assertions that ministers
have always stood in the way of reforms,
it is not true. Christ and his disciples
were active reformers, Luther was re-
former and the church stood in the front
of the reform and the battle against slav-
cry; here in Kansas the church
has been the most active advo
cate of the prohibition reform. The
ministers did their duty in the woman
suffrage movement, but they were moi
ready to follow oil the radical reformerE
who advocated woman suffrage.
AIRS. Stryker said that member OF
the Ministerial union drank beer at tbs
Topeka club. She does not know thal
all the preachers in Topeka
do not belong to the Ministerial
union, and do not believe
a member of the union ever drank beel
as she charges
''If Mrs. Stryker can steer the churct
of from the dangers which threaten it
we will welcome her as d co-worker."
Rev. A. S. Embree of the First NJ. E
church said: II have nothing to say.
do not care to advertise Mrs. Stryker."