The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-24

Thirty-five Scranton ministers were
roundly scored yesterday afternoon in
the Young Mems Christian association
hall by Rev. DR.. Wilbur f. Crafts, OF
Washington, d. c., superintendent OF
the National Reform bureau. The crlti-
cism was offered in DR.. Crafts address
ON reform, to q gathering of represen-
tatives of the city's young people soci-
eties II was prompted by the alleged
failure of the ministers to keep their.
pledge to study and discuss line or
reform topics as a preparation Tor the
local reform movement.
DR., Crafts stated that the thirty-tlve
ministers several weeks ago had made
a solemn vow to meet regularly, dis
cuss reform topics which had been sug-
gcsted by the speaker and pursue the
work in Scranton according to his sug-
gestiuns He regretted to say they had
ignored their trust and whatever had
been done in suppressing improper
posters and getting rid of the slot ma
chimes was due to the efforts OF per-
. sons other than those whose cloth-to
say nothing of their promises-indi-
Gated they should be foremost in the
work.
At the reeting following that on
WHICH, lnt ultuS' NdS lllt'bC' Nv S"'N'
only eight of the thirty-five attended
and at the next meeting only two were
present. Considering their promise. no
excuses other than those which might
explain their absence from prayer
meeting. for instance, could absolve
them from breaking their compact. He
doubted that many of them could give
such reasons for their absences.
THEY ARE UNWORTHY.
Too many ministers. he said. are un-
worthy of their calling. because they
attend too closely to the art of preach
ing while neglecting the delving in the
turf required of them. A minister who
would grasp the plOw and release his
hold lacked the characteristics essen
tial to the cloth: they showed too much
of the priest and too little of the
prophet.
DR.. Crafts hoped, however, that the
thirty y-five ministers would attend the
conference to be held in the Young
Mems Christian association building at
8 o'clock this evening, when the reform
work in Scranton would be discussed
The meeting is to be attended also by
the lay committee, who We're to act in
conjunction with the pastors, and by
officers of the young peoples societies
the Woman's Christian Temperance
union and the Young Men and Young
Woman's Christian associations.
Yesterdays meeting at the Young
Mems Christian association was at
tended by about two hundred persons
There were few women in the audi
ence. Street Commissioner A. b. Dun.
ming presided. Prayer was offered and
the scriptures read by Rev. G. w
Welsh, pastor of Calvary Reformed
church. The singing was accompanied
with music by the association orches.
ira. One of the orchestra pieces in.
cluded a trombone solo by John Turn
DR.. Crafts address was almost wholly
confined to plea for individual effort
in aid of Sabbath and legislative re.
forms. He urged his hearers to make
it their personal business to do what
they could TO correct any of the great
public evils. Great results We're otter
attained by touching the mail box,
as he expressed it--writing letters tC
the mayor, the chief of police, the leg
isatures, the governor congressman
senators or the president, according t
le nature of the case. He cited how
single letter to the late William Van
derbilt had stopped the Sunday cheal
great Vanderbilt system.
REFORMS ACCOMPLISHED
He was glad to observe that sine
his last visit indecent bill posting ha,
been stopped and that slot chine
had been nearly abolished in the cen
trail city wards. He thanked tn
younger friends of the movement 70
at least their interest, which. he be
lieved accounted for the first successes
and hoped for the future approval an,
support of the pastors in the move
ment against Sunday saloons.
Once, he said, he had been able L
say that Scranton was Il moral city
He was sorry now ii did not cOmpar
i'm that respect with the two other lead
ing cities Of the state Philadelphi
and Pittsburg, where the SUNDAY Salool
law was at least generally enforced
Here, he said he understood nearly al
the saloons were open at the back doc
and some of them at the front.
At the conclusion of the meeting re
form literature was distributed at tn
door. The following ten bills befor
congress were enumerated and the re
quest made that petitions for thei
passage befsent To the readers repre-
sentatives: ..a
ND To forbid the sale of intoxicatln
beverages in all government buildings
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