The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-22
BUSINESS VERSUS CHRISTIANITY
Majority of the Letter Writers
Think the Churches Should
Compete with Secular
Amusemeats.

Two weeks ago last SATURDAY Ine
News told of the campaign of inquiry in
stituted by the Rev. Robert K. Wick, of
the Wayne Street Reformed Church. with
view to discovering why the churches
were not effecting greater results. For
the purpose of making more clear what
is to follow in this article the text of Mr..
Wiek's circular letter, together with the
questions which he propounded, is here re-
printed as follows:-
Jersey City, N. J., Oct. 25, 1897.
My dear Sfr-Knowing that you are in
terested in our city and in the welfare
of its people, 1 have taken the liberty of
sending to you and to ninetynine other
representative citizens the following
questions:-I would respectfully request
that you kindly favor me with your opin-
ions on the same. l wish to make use
of these opinions in my Sunday evening
sermons in the Wayne Street Church, the
names, however, being Kept in strict con-
ddence.
Very respectfully,
ROB'T K. WICK,
Pastor Wayne Street Reformed Church,
Ill Wayne street.
/. Why do SO many men of good moral
and business standing maintain an at
tltude of Indifference toward the church?
2. What influence in our community has
the most debilitating effect morally upon
our young men?
8. What do you regard as the greatest
enemy of our home life?
4. Do you think, in view of our present
methods of business, that a man can be
a conscientious Christian and at the same
time be successful in business?
5. What can the churches do to lessen
the amount of vice and crime?
6. What can the churches do to more
effectually hold and help the young men
between eighteen and twenty-five years of
age?
Mr.. Wick's letter was sent to two hum
dred persons in all. Some were minis
ters, the majority laymen, and among the
laymen were lawyers, doctors, journalists
and representatives of half a dozen forms
of business. Down to yesterday Mr..
Wick had received a large number of re-
plies, and he still expects many more.
Through the courtesy of Mr.. Wick, 1.-THE
News" has had an opportunity of inspect
ing certain number of the replies and
making selections from them for the in
formation and entertainment of the pub
lie. Accordingly, in this article will be
found the points which appear to be most
interesting in sixty-five of the COM
munications. Among these are some
from persons to whom Mr.. Wick's
circular was not addressed but who read
the questions in 1.-THE News or in some
of the multitude of papers which copied
them from 1.-THE News These unsolicit-
ed letters came from several places in
New Jersey, from New York, and even
from a town in Ohio. Among the vagar-
les of the occasion was a sixteen-page
pamphlet sent by a New York drug clerk,
discussing the question whether it is right
for drug store employees to work. sixteen
hours q f7say caxrpp davc a xuaeIx This was
accompanied with the suggestion that the
contents might serve to throw some light
on Question No. l.
In giving 1.-THE News access to the cor
respondence Mr. Wick desired that
through these columns his cordial thanks
be expressed to those who had written to
him. He is now busy digesting the var
ious suggestions into sermon material,
and the first of the discourses which he
is preparing will be delivered from his
own pulpit on the evening of November 2S,
at 7:45 o'clock The occasion will be one
of great interest, and without doubt
large congregation will assemble to hear
MIR Wick
Before taking up the replies themselves
1t is proper to give assurance in this places
that before allowing the communications
to be seen, Mr. Wick removed the sigma
lures and all other distinguishing marks
from each and every one of them, thus
carrying out the pledge of secrecy made
IN his letter given above. In a majority of
cases, however, be endorsed himself upon
the papers the profession or business of
the writer's very justly thinking that
knowledge of the writer's calling would in
every case add to the intrinsic interest of
the expressions.
1t is also proper to say that Mr.. Wick
is not directly or indirectly responsible
for any characterization or comment that
map be applied to the various answers in
Ibis article, or at any time in THE
News" This paper alone is responsible
for the selections made, for the manner of
making them, for the opinions expressed
and Tor the deductions drawn.
With so much by way Of preface, the
presentation of the replies may best,
perhaps, be begun with a full copy Of one
set, written by a minister and selected as
being upon the whole the best and most
typical Of those written from a strict
Church point Of view The answers are