Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-08
What Christian EndeavOr Means.

By this time even the most unconcerned
among WaShingtonians must have rational
ideas as to what the Young Peoples So
ciety of Christian Endeavor is; so much
has been printed about the organization
that a plea of ignorance would hardly be
received But only a. minority of those who
are ready to welcome the Endeavorers
have given any thought to the secular sig
nificance of the Society. Formed in a Con-
gregational Church and nurtured wholly
by religious bodies of various denomina-
lions. it is not remarkable that the public
is inclined to measure Endeavor usefulness
by its purely religious achievements. This
measurement Is not displeasing to the En-
deavorers; IN fact they INSIST most strenu-
ously that the Society of Christian En-
deavor is first and last and always a re-
ligious society. 1t has, says President
Clark, social and literary and other fea-
lures. bat il is neither social nor literary
society The platform of principles accept
ed generally by the societies declares that
''the purely religious features of the or
ganization shall always be paramount. The
Society of Christian Endeavor centers about
the prayer meeting" Yet the worldly man
will err egregiously il he imagires that the
organizations influence is circumscribed.
The spirit which aetuates nearly three
million Endeavorers cannot be 30 hedged
about that it will not make appearance in
other than religious fields. Fidelity to
Christian Erdeavor principles means the
best of good citizenship. All the teachings
of the organization encourage men and
women to daily life on the highest plane
of earthly, everyday existence. and to these
teachings the vaSt majority of Endeavorers
respond with enthusiasm How much this
means to the republic no one can now cal
culate, but that 1t is one of the most i'm
portant factors in our progress toward the
best available civilization will not be de-
MED. When the more active young people
of all evangelical denominations combine
to improve the conditions of human exist
ence their energies must bring about ma
terial betternent IN a great many matters
with which the Society, as a society, is
not supposed to be directly concerned
Careful management of the organize ton
may easily and speedily result in yet more
marvellous increase of membership, but
supposing that the number does not over
step the three million line it must be evil
dent that the nation will be inestima bly,
better off because of the work which is
being done by those whose representa- tives
are to be in session here for several days.
Practical Christianity is the power that
must sooner or later relieve the nation
of the stranglins incubus of :'practicar
politics; will work that publication of
electoral methods which has been sneered
at as millenn-al; wall wipe out the blot Of
municipal corruption that now stains the
reputation of many cities: will give us bet
ter laws and make certain the enforcement
of every statute Practical Christianity is
not stranger IN Washington. The En-
deavorers who come here will be met by
Washington Erdeavorers the impress of
whose lives is on the city. Behind the
reception committees stand the residents of
the National Capital who, unInindful of
religious beliefs and UNCONVENTIONAL di-
visions. are one in their desire to make
the Fifteenth International Convention the
most delightful and most memorable of all
the gatherings ever held by the Young
Peoples Society Of Christian Endeavor.