The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-14
Two Tremendous Reform Schemes

Two gigantic movements for reform are
about to be started. The one is to be for
the particular reformation of political pri.
maries. The other will set out to reform
our municipal condition generally by "a
campaign in behalf of good citizenship"
The first Is the conception of the "Clvio
Federation" of Chicago, and, of course, 1t
proposes to accomplish It's reformation of
the primaries by the power of obligatory
law. Its originators have issued a call for
a conference in this city next month to advo-
cate "the enactment of laws to prevent cor
rupt caucus practices, and throw the safe
guards Of a regular election around the
caucus or primary" on the theory that such
legislation twill encourage many more
good citizens to take part therein" It Is
based on the assumption that "the misrule
of our larger cities is due in a large meas
ure to the defects In such practices and
customs"
TIL second reformatory scheme is more
comprehensive. In the language of the
clergyman who seems to be at it's head, ait
includes every desirable reform, moral,
social, political, inc Industrial" The en-
terprise Is the conception of the "Evangeli.
cal Alliance of the United States" and it is
to be carried on by "a million or more
orker from "the various young peoples
organizations, such as the Christian En-.
deavof societies, Epworth Leagues, &c.,
which now include between four and five
million members" The instruments of re-
form are to be "leaflets by men of acknowl-
edged ability" under the general title of
"Truths for the Times" addressed respec-
lively to native and naturalized citizens,
besides a special series "in the interest of
Sabbath reform. temperance reform, social
purity" &c. The plan for distributing
these leaflets is thus explained by the cleri-
cal engineer:
ut 10 now proposed to the pastors of every com.
munity to district the same. to enlist their young peo.
pie as messengers. and to assign one to each district
for the monthly distribution Of leaflets. The bicycle
makes It entirely feasible to reach the scattered
houses OF country districtS. II one in ten of these
young people should distribute q dozen lsaneta n
month. they would scatter 5000. 900 In year. al
least one-half of which would reach families who
never attAnd church. who take no religious paper.
and who presumably see no reform literature
These movements may be described as In
teresting rather than important. Confer.
ences and the circulation of tracts have not
been notably effective hitherto In produc.
Ing valuable public reforms, and the proba.
bility is that they will be no more success.
full now. They all encounter the obstacle
OF a difference of opinion as to what Is
reform. There is no legislation which can
make the result of a primary agreeable to
the minority who fought against 1t. You
may circulate millions of tracts called
Truths for the Times" yet you cannot pre-
vent millions Of people from denying that
they are truths. If people agreed as
to Truths for the Times there would be
only one Church and one political party;
conversation would be always harmonious;
there would be no controversy; everything
that has been in dispute since the crystal.
lization of society would be settled every.
body would join the Evangelical ALI.
ance of the United States"
Meantime, however, an election is an.
preaching at which 1t will be demonstrated
that such unanimous agreement has not
yet come, and as in the short interval there
is no possibility Of bringing about the pro-
posed transformation of human nature.
sensible people are making ready to range
themselves on one or the other side of that
issue without giving heed to fantastic re-
formers who seek to divert them from IL
with moonshine propositions.