The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-19
THE CHURCHMEN
Club of Diocese Enter
tanned Delegates.
Barbarianism Rather Than
AmericaniSm of Senate.
Dangerous Tendency TO. Use Pulpit
for Unwise Agitation.

journment Of the conference and their de-
parture. The latch string of the Churchmen' o
Club OF this diocese out and tho visitors
were the guests OF the club at the cath dinner
ut the Trocadero.
II was a splendid meeting. The speaking
was by the delegates from the different or
ganizations and the exchange of ideas was par
| ,icularly valuable.
Tho principal characteristics OF the meeting
was the honesty and franlSpess, not without
| the greatest OF respect, however. with which
| the laymen criticised the clergy.
President ID. l.. ID. Granger extended to the
| guests the most cordial welcome of the
| Churchmens Club of Rhode Island and ex-
pressed the regret shat Bishop Clarke to whom
| the diocese owes 50 much could not be pres
| ent.
| He then called upon Rev. DIR. G. A. l.. Rich.
ards of st. Johns to speak for the bishop.
| DIR. Richards responded in manner that
| was delightful, because OF the wit Of his re-
| M arks and because OF the earnestness Of his
| eulogy OF the venerable man whom he repre-
| sented.
| He spoke Of church clubs in general and OF
| the good that may be accomplished by such
| organizations and made humorous reference
| 10 the fact that the clubs are for the laymen
| only. Ministers, he said. are apt to over-esti-
/ mate trifes and mistake notes for beans. For
| this and other reasons they are excluded from
| the clubs. You exclude us, he said, from your
| councils, but we come to your board.
| Your constitution rules us out, but we come
| here and ruin our constitution.
| General W. W. Skiddy of Connecticut. the
| retiring president of the conference, thanked
the members of the Rhode Island Club for
their hospitable treatment Of the delegates.
The Church Clubs in the United States, he
| said, are young organizations, resulting from
| desire on the part of the laymen TO do some
thing. The organizations have had good re-
suits They have brought the laymen to-
gether, not only within parish, but from the
different parishes
Now they want TO know what they can take
up in the way of active work. Meeting to-
/ vutfrr sociuffy rs good and shorft certainly
be continued, but that is not everything.
There are about 5000 men in the church
| clubs of the country, and let them unite and
work earnestly for some common end and
there would be too many of them for the rest
of the world to ignore.
| The Gay is coming when the church clubs
| of the country through their central organiza-
ton will prove to have great power for good
and will constitute an agency for the most
Il
organizations, gran in its ideas and grand in
| its accomplishment
Mr.. John IL. Cole of New York, secretary of
the conference, said in part: The question of
how intimate the union of the clubs ishould
| be is a delicate one and depends on the several
| opinions held as to churchmanship. Church.
| men are sensitive about their rights to hold
| their own opinion and act in accordance
| with them. Rhode Island does not want 10 be
dictated to by New York, and Delaware feels
| the same way about Pennsylvania, and so on
| throughout the country.
/ We hear much about the problems OF social
discomfort. What they may lead to we can
| not say. We have just passed through cam
paign OF awful significance.
= The clergy have used the pulpit for the pur
pose OF denouncing the people who SIT in
front of them. They have assisted in the agi
tation against the ownership of property.
These statements were general, Mr.. Cole
stated, and without any personal sllusion.
The ministers have no doubt been doing
| what they thought o be for the best interests
of humanity, but they have been wrong IL
creating dissatisfaction with the right Of own
ership and individualism upon which oui
very civilization depends.
This denunciation of civilization which
| has been the result Of slow growth, especially
In country where every man has vote is
dangerous and is particularly so when it ha
| the sanction OF the pulpit.
, | Robert Treat Paine, president of the Massa
, | chusetts Club of Churchmen, the parent or
II ganization of the=eeAAtfHr Hrsaid-t tl'at-ffiehe
4 | ship, counsel and inspiration are the thre
Z motives which bring these clubs together.
| nut friendship first, he said, because of tn
/ ..f tbat 10 "A
The counsel 60 be secured is of the best AM
!. after each meeting the members go away wit
new suggestions for good work. lie cited tn
3 splendid paper read in the morning Ivy MI
}. Rathbone Gardner on the Religious E1ucnro
of the Children as an illustration of what tn
A members may hear and profit by at the meet
d ings.
g Mr. Paine deplored the denomnational differ
o enccs by which Christians are divided int
Il | factions and said that no could not help thinR
ing that such division must be displeasing
}, the Saviour
d He went 10 Astronomy for vivid illustrf
!. ton to show that the time which has olapsc
IT since the birth OF Chrstis IN reality bui bri'
10 | ueriod and that the barriers which have sprun
's | up in that time between the different groups
d | Christians who should all work together mus
IF be temporary.
l. Mr.. =. A. Lewis Of Philadelphia paid gloV
d ing tribute to Bishop Clarke and said that
had been particularly enjoyable 10 attend
N conference of the church clubs held With
], his diocese.
N FIFTY years ago Bishop Clarke was rector
st. Andrews Church in Philadelphia an
there Is no member of the clergy I'm the ul
try more beloved there than he.
N The principal characteristic OF Eishc
m Clarke. 20 my mind, Mr.. Lewis said, Is IA
vlrile Americanism.
:, virile-Amoricnnism Is much misundo
stood term. The scene which I'VE are witUc
" sing now nt Washington, whom the Unit
10 States senate refuses TO ratifya treaty intcn
" ed 20 make war between two Christian u
Q. tions more difficult, Is not Amoricanism.
10 ts barbarism. No remark ever uttered at
ar | dinner oF fHe Churohfnons Club caI1ci Tor
!. much applause as this arraignment Of g
Senate.
Amcricanism, he said, consists ~ prid