The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-11
CHURCH POLITICS.
Rev. DR.. Ward Tells the Y.
P. C. U. What Kind of
Party They Should
Stick To.
aWHAT DO THE BADGES MEAN 2"
Delegates Go Touring Yesterday
Addresses Made Last
Evening.
WHAT DO THE BADGES MEAN ~

Touring proved so attractive TO the
delegates of the Young Peoples Christian
Union tina many of them extended the
time for touring into the evening, ana
there were a large number of seats empty
at last nights proceedings The dele
gates present are more extensively decor
ated by badges than when they first ar
rived. At first they wore but the badge
of their society and possibly the state
Union. Now they nave a blu badge
with delegate" on it, and what they
call the convention badge. This is also
of blue, and has on the end a white
metal medal, and on the top a bunch OF
straw. It is hard to find out what this
straw signifies. A number of hypothesis
have been advanced, but that which gains
most credence is that it has. in some
mysterious way, something to do with
Moses in the bnlrushes: but it may have
something to do with hayseeds. Other
members are distinguished by little tin
fishes tied on strings.
The Rev. Henry R. Rose, of Auburn,
Maine. presided, and the Rev. e.. j.
Mason led in prayer The general topic
was applied Christianity and the Rev.
Merrill C. Ward, of bingham. Mass,
spoke Of "The Christian as a Citizen"
He said
+Politics has become a National game,
football ore might call it. Some want
gold, others silver, Others for both. IN
these days of troubled political life the
spirit of Jesus Christ is abroad, and the
time has arrived to drop all dnly-dallying
and ask the Lord what we shall do. what
Ssris Wans N e Ths Kinedo la Of 5fe Go;d leaves caves
out no one. If woman could vote do
you think she would consent to 250,o00
legalized grog shops existing in our land?
Woman will make mistakes Let her.
Is it a privilege sacred to men? The
legalized saloon ought TO go .(Cnies OF
saloons? Are there not more good men
than bad? The saloon thrives. while the
church suffers from terrible INDIGESTION;
parties are not to blame as long as they
get the saloons and churches to help them.
Your political party is not the savious of
teal party. Members of the Y. P. c. u,
elet US see that our hands are clean, not
ever viii not cast his vote to save boys
poison and vinegar to his Christ, and cru
realizes he is a citizen there will not be
parties that do not ave moral support"
The Rev c. A Knickerbocker of Boston
1.-THE Church and Municipal Life and
he said-.@Fhis means the life of the city,
and city means besides a corporation a
life that has its origin partly In individ-
$500 E@- - 80 a 49, Jul Wy 10
10 you far more than fives and buildings
and things. You would not die to save its
buildings, or, perhaps, its people, but you
would die to save your city. The sources
Of a big city's power is not in its good
people, but a few people who rule it.
What is-the church, An organization; an
organization nominally endowed with the
spirit OF Jesus Christ. The church is
bound to be dominated by a few. The
motto of the city church is not simple
and divine, as Jesus was, but complex.
Every church Is actuated more or less
by pious s~elfishness, and the people glory
in the piety and don't see the Selishness.
] lave sometimes thought that our SPLEEN
did motto, for Christ and the church,"
see Him in what We think the church to
be" The army of the Lord is without
proper generalship. We find corporals
commanding brigades and general officers
following the camp. There should be some
way of regulating this. The multiplied
ton of weak churches in small commune
ties and consequently weakening forces
in the great cities is responsible for much
of the municipal trouble. If people will
not worship in a church because it is not
of their denomination 1t is time for the
church heads to decide that they don't
want to worship anywhere. Stop this cry
for Christian unity, which by emphasiz-
ing our likeness deepens our differences,
and echo the watchword of the business
world-co-operation. In that section of
Boston where my church is situated we
have a union of all the Protestant minis
tiers, some thirty in number. There are no
denominations in that union; we are just
an assemblage of Christian men who
want to make Boston a cleaner place in
which to live. Its influence is recognized
in the Legislature and by the Board of
Police Commissioners, and if there is any
one thing the sa~loonkeepers are afraid of.
it's our Ministers Union Religion must
go into business, attend society and en-
ter politics."
The Rev. Ira A. Priest, in speaking of
ttG11r T,7fu IN the T a Wlprc C1a zSac - an
sured the practice of giving criminals hut
one suit of clothes and a quarter when
released He said they should be assisted
to employment.
The Rev. f. M. Belts spoke on Law
Enforcement" lie said the first law to
be enforced was hat of common sense,
and the way to do that was to leave out
his speech and go home, as it was then
ten O'Clock, but the audience did not agree
with him and he was obliged to give his
speech. He said the law should be en-
forced for rich and poor alike, even If the
criminal were of the 400.