The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-29
SPOKE TO THE MINISTERS.
Prof. Heron, of Grinnell, To-, Talks
of Municipal Ownership in Cities


- A union meeting of ministers was held in
the Central Presbyterian church yesterday
morning.
The feature of the meeting was an address
by Prof. Heron. Of Iowa college.
Previous to the address the legislative COM
n.ittee of the municipal league made a re-
pert and handed out additional membership
papers for signatures.
Field Secretary c. s. Ward. of the inter
national committee Of the Y. M G. A, was
also present. and occupied few minutes
with an outline of the reorganization plans
of the Y, NJ. c. A. He strongly urged the
ministers to interest the young men OF .helr
churches in the movement.
Prof. Herron's subject was municipal
Ownership in Cities of America" He said
Everything possible is being done to OBJ
struct the efforts Of the people to own
and manage their municipal economy. But
you might as well appoint committee
to go and sit down upon the sun in the
morning to keep it from rising as to fight
political or municipal corruption itself. The
foundation upon which this thing rests is
business corruption. 1t is the good citi-
zens in your churches who are RESPONSE
BILE for it, whose business rests upon 1t and
who could not do without 1t. Tammany
hall is the mere agent Of the good citizens
whose wealth is built up by this corrup-
ton. Political corruption is not to blame;
it Is simply the overflow OF tho business
corruption created by the men who sit Sun
day after Sunday in the pews before YOU
DR.. Herrons address was enthusiastically
received by the majority Of the ministers
but there were; few who looked as II they
did not relish mis- remarks.
Rev. w. w. Evarts asked the speaker if
there had ever BEEN nation that amounted
to anything in the history of the world that
had no private property.
were originally founded. We're communal
systems where all worked alike and that
the great cathedrals of Europe were built by
them. Further, he said that he did not wish
IN oh nriUa TO nr0neTtV
wished to establish q system whereby all
might have property.
Prof. Heron spoke before a gathering Of
women in the lecture rooms of the st. Paul
Commons yesterday afternoon.
1 always find 1t necessary to say, he be-
gan, in beginning to speak on what we
broadly call the social problem, that, put
ting it briefly, it is a problem of how to
organize the world so that all may share
the benefits of the world This problem Is
coming to us largely in the shape OF con-
science.
Jesus preciptated new kind of con-
science in programme for making heaven
out of the world. This programme came
in contact with the Greek scientific world,
with the Roman world of law and politics,
with the great barbarian world. Now for
the first time in human history Jesus Is
really getting a chance.
The majority of rational beings are no
longer able to be at peace about having
privileges of art, of education, OF dress, OF
money that their fellow beings cannot share
rational enough to have conscience, are
more or less uneasy at having something
that other people cannot have. and are get
ting themselves seriously to inquire if there
is any reason for the lower classes, the
classification of cultured and uncultured
This classification is degrading to the peo-
pie in the lower classes. Anything that
disfellows, that places one in an -atti-
tule of superiority to another is irrational
and blasphemous. These distinctions that
separate being from being, that put some
thing between fellowson or fellow-daughter
of Christ and yourself. that give you the
slightest sense of superiority are irrational
and unchristian.
We have our missionary, our aid society,
our lady bountiful and the general array by
which we are placed in an attitude of what
we call superiority. In the first place any
superiority l have is at the expense of those
who have not. Every possible superiority
of society you have had has been paid for.
Every superior advantage you have had is
at the expense of those who have not had
this advantage. They have bought it with
their lives. In no way you be in an
ethical state till you understand that by
doing good you merely paying back
VIII