The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-22
CHURCHES AND HOMES

CHURCHES AND HOMES.
Orthodoxy may we'll stand aghast and
heterodoxy, which is defined as only the
other fellows doxy, may we'll give a
startled gasp at the action of eleven
residents Of La Crosse, who are report
ed to be reputable, wealthy and promi-
nent citizens of that sandlot town They
recently signed what is styled a vigor-
Gus protest against the erection Of a
building in the neighborhood Of their
refined and elegant homes. It was
neither saloon nor a livery barn,
butcher shop nor a tallow candler's
shop that was to be erected there. It
wassa church. What is the denomina-
ton of the sect that purposed building
a place of worship is not stated: and. as
the DIRECTORS put no UNCONVENTIONAL
reasons into their protest it may be
assumed that different views of saliva
ton and its essentials did not inf1u-
ence them.
The grounds of protest assigned are
worth considering, indicating as they
do decided change from the days
when it was thought that the nearer
the home was to the church the greater
was the distinction here and the
more certain was bliss hereafter; not
to mention the right of sanctuary when
the officers of the law became too
pressing in their attentions These pro-
testants object to this edif1ce being
built in the intended location because it
will be. among good and substantial
homes" and because the site 'is one
of the most desirable in the city" Thus
BADLY stated, we are left to surmise
whether the objection lay to the church
being built on that precise lot of
ground, or arose because the DIRECTORS
thought that churches were not needed
there but should be built where homes
were neither good nor substantial.
1t is regrettable, in view Of
the symptomatic nature of this protest.
that the eleven gentlemen were not
more specific in this regard
1ONCCoiilS III llit SldlGIloII OF Jnalr
reasons they aver that they have spent
large sums of money in adjoining and
identifying their homes, a statement
that becomes either material or rele
vent only in connection with their
fourth grounds in which they express
their belief-churchmen will find conso-
lation in the avowal of any belief by
these eleven-that mo church has
right to invade the precinct and de-
crease the value of the property one
| third at least" Certainly, if, after in
vesting large sums in adjoining their
homes and grounds any building would
diminish the investment SO 1-3 per cent
they have good occasion for protest.
1t still remains to be discovered, how
ever, why the erection Of a church
among good and substantial homes"
| occupied by gentlemen of eminence and
wealth, should take one-thfrd off the
value of their residential properties.
This they proceed to demonstrate in
| the remaining two grounds of their
protest. First. property becomes sec
| ond-class as soon as a church Is located
near it," and second, Church bells, or
! gans, funerals and the surroundings of
church are such as to inevitably de-
| preciate property in the neighborhood"
| There you have the kernel of the nut
| Naturally men who esteem themselves
| "frst-class,' living in a first-class
neighborhood in first-class homes. can
not be expected to look on calmly and
unprotestingly when something is pro-
posed to be injected into the neighbor-
hood that will make all surrounding
! first-class property rate as second
class. Of course people will differ as to
whether a church is a second-class af
fair, injecting adjoining property with
second-classism, and we apprehend the
majority would reject the idea; but if
these eleven think so, really believe so.
there is no law to prevent then so be-
lieving and saying, however risky an
expression of such an opinion would
have been to, possibly, their forbears in
the good old Puritan days"
From the last reason stated we may
assume that the two leading lawyers,
| the three prominent merchants, the two
| wealthy lumbermen and the other
| prominent business men who made up
the protesting eleven, give over the
| mornings of Sunday to the sweet re-
| storer Of tired nature; and, If this is
| the case, one can realize how disturb
| ing must be the sonorous tones of the
| bell ringing from the belfry It's solemn
summons to worship. But one would
| think that this brief annoyance would
find ample compensation in the deep
notes of the organ that swell and roll