The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-13
An Interesting Discourse by Dr..
Martyr, a Chicago
Churchman.
COMBINE AGA1NsT CORRUPTION
The Parkhurst of the Windy City
Suggests Things to the Local
Pastors.

The Central Methodist Episcopal Church
on Mission street was packed to the side
walk last night when Rev Carlos Martyr,
the "Parkhurst of Chicago" spoke upon
municipal reform and the methods of &C
comprising it. DR.. Martyr is here on
short visit. He is interested in the adjust
ment of municipal affairs throughout the
country, and he very strongly indicated
last evening that he will stir the loca
churchmen to a concerted and vigorous
movement before he leaves town.
DR.. Martyr is an admira BILE speak er.
He has an educational air about him that
at once commands respect and attention.
He talks quickly and is always emphatic
and at times eloquent. His terseness of
statement and his clever paraphrasing and
handling of old anecdotes rendered the
sermon particularly interesting. A 5 an Off
Ger OF the National Christian Citizenship
League he accomplished wonders for re-
form in Chicago, and he has become one
of the mOst-talked- of men in the country
in that line of work.
His discourse last night was upon NIL
nlclpal reform III a general way. He in
troduced the subject with some interest
ing references to the proud privilege OF
living in what he called ''tke best country
the world ever knew" He then went on
established it upon the broad basis of man
hood, and armed every man in self-defense
with the ballot. The people, he declared,
are in supreme control, and they are not
permitted to shirk the responsibility OF
righteous citizenship. If there are bad
laws in our codes we are responsible for
them. Ii there be an organization for evil
we must rise 10 com bat 1T and organize
among ourselves for that purpose. 1t is
fact, he said, that things are going wrong.
There is hardly d municipality in the
country that is not governed by gamblers,
grogshops and other evil influences. Ali
com blned to the detriment of proper mu-
nlcipal management.
AS to the matter of ministers concerning
themselves with these things, he ex-
planned that ministers were obliged to
NEEDLE in politics to some extent because
politics NEEDLES with them. His idea is
that the term politician properly includes
every man In the country interested in its
we'll being, and he held it necessary that
every member OF every congregation
should be awake to the national and
municipal issues. Everyone, he said,
should be familiar with questions that
touch the public veal and unless they are
so there can be no proper administ ration
of affairs.
DIR. Martyr spoke IN an amusing way of
the condition OF things in Chicago a couple
OF years ago. OF the variousIy corrupt city
departments and of the unspeakable cor
ruption OF the Council, which mot ali the
waters of the lake could cleanse" He en-
tered to some extent into the methods by
which the Chicago reformers accomplished
| their work last spring. Among other
things there was concerted and vigorous
action by the churchmen, and he advised
that the ministers of San Francisco do as
the Chicagoans did. He earnestly recon-
mended to the clergymen of the City that
they get together and begin an active cru
SADIE against gambling and the liquor
traffic.