The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-14
SOME NATIONAL PERKS.
DR.. Wilbur F. Crafts Spoke at the
House of Hope.


Christhn citizenship was the key
note of the address on National Per
lis and Hopes" last evening at the
House of Hope church, by Rev Wilbur
F. Crafts, superintendent Of the reform
bureau at Washington. The speaker
was late in arriving and was COM
pelled, owing to the lnteness of the
hour, TO abrfdge his subject but sue
ceeded nevertheless in drawing a vivid
picture or the dangers Which threaten
the commonwealth and which, he de-
cared, could only be averted by united
acton on the part Of church people.
There are bills now pending at
Washington which will make the COM
ing session OF congress the most in
teresing since the Civil war" said
Or. Crafts. The Spanish war is not
over and viii not be when the final
disposition has been made of the Phil
lPpines. With our new territorial ac-
QUESTIONS Will have come the greatest
fundamental problems of our history.
The ship OF state needs divine guild
ance
We are threatened, as a nation, by
many evils, and not the least among
these are the increased consumption
OF liquor, which is increasing at twice
the rate Of increase in population,
murders. lynchings and municipal cor
ruptaon- 1t Is IA condition Of things
which has led Andrew D. White to say
that the worst governed city of Eu-
rope is better than the best governed
in America
sabbath breaking, impurity and cor
Iupt Journalism are threatening evils.
lmpurity is increasing rapidly, as It al
"hyS does in times of luxury and pros
perlty. There is increased interest in
orua9l sports. and the negro problem
mas been characterized as the darkest
Oh all Then there is a growing ten
deEcy among respectable people to
break the laws. All these are danger
Gus tendencies OF our times and should
De made the principal concern of con-
SresS. Ihey threaten the life of the
nation No nation ever died OF free
trade. but hundreds have from free
love. We have been attacking the
consequences instead Of the causes.
forgetting that only in proportion as
we remove the causes can we clear
away the clouds.
The great influx OF immigration has
been another peril TO the country. Att
er the Civil war We needed men to
replace those that war had taken from
their homes. and in our eagerness to
MI up the country We took anything
that looked like a man. With them
came q laNty in the enforcement Of
the laws that is highly dangerous"
DR.. Crafts referred to the prevailing
passion for conmercialism, and espe-
cially to the development of impersonal
interests as dangers, and declared that
the conditions had become such that
people feel less restraint Of conscience
either in dealing with or in behalf of
corporation than would be the case
in personal affairs. He also regarded
the growing tendency TO luxury as dan
gerous.
The United States is the richest ma
| ton on EARTH" said the speaker While
there may be no direct spiritual harm
in luxury, at the same time, any one
who reads history knows that when
luxury comes the guards must be dou-
bled. 1t is upon the second generation
that the effects Of luxury are 10 be
feared
Above all, there is a growing dlsbe-
| lief in a future endless punishment
hereafter. Men say: oh, he'll has been
| abolished l believe that there is a
punishment hereafter. and l believe
that the fact should be emphasized. 1t
SET ms to me to be an essential part
| Of a hereafter. There are thousands of
cases that must go to a higher court OF
appeals. But i believe all these clouds
that / have mentioned can be and will
be removed. l am Christian optimist
| We have the power. The united
! churches are stronger than united evil
as the United States Is stronger than
| Spain. The time is coming when Chris
| tan citizenship will be made a part
OF the organic church work. In unity
| is victory"
At the conclusion OF DR.. Crafts ad-
| dress pamphlets outlining the work of
| the Reform league were distributed
among the congregation.