The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-13
CHURCH HEADQUARTERS
WASHINGTON THE OBJECTIVE POINT
OF LEADING DENOMINATIONS.
All Anxious to he Represented at a
byterian Home Mission Board.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.


NEW YORK, Feb. 11.-Three church or
CARNATIONS, all under the Episcopal form of
control, are engaged in systematic efforts
to get footholds at Washington. Why they
are doing is not that they may be able,
perchance, to influence legislation in their
favor, bat rather with the thought that they
will be able to influence from that point of
advantage the public opinion of the coun-
try. Washington is national in a news as
in other senses. So is New York. and it
has been considered by those in authority
in the churches in just this connection. 1t
is rejected in favor of Washington, however,
because the latter possesses advantages in
room to grow and in cheapness of building
sites.
The three churches that are advancing on
Washington are the Roman Catholic, the
Protestant Episcopal and the Methodist
Episcopal, and in every one of them there
are unusual efforts making just now to
make this UNCONVENTIONAL advance effective.
The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland was cut
in two a short time ago, not wholly because
1t was too large for one bishop, for there
are several still remaining intact that are
larger than 1t, but in order to make Wash
lngton see city, and send a representa-
tive man there as bishop. And that bishop,
recognized as one of the leaders of the
church, is fully supported by his church in
the addresses he has been making of late,
wherein he calls attention to the progress
Washington. and the necessity for Episco-
paIlans TO undertake equally aggressive
educational and church effort there.
AT present the highest Roman Catholic
dignitary in Washington is the Papal dele
gate, but the question of making Wash
ington the seat Of a Roman Catholic arch
bishop has been discussed within the year.
and viii undoubtedly be favorabIy acted on
when the Catholic University and the
little more What will assist this growth
and itself a part of the Roman Catholic adj
vance on Washington, is the new Trinity
College for Women, to erect which money
is now being solicited all over the country.
Methodists are no less active. Recently
the Methodist Church and the Methodist
Church South took action looking toward
the joint support and moral Endorsement of
the American University. The action was
and it will undoubtedly be ratified by the
General Conferences of both The two
great branches of American Methodism will
not federate. even if they do have com
mittees OH federation, but their members
are thoroughly in sympathy with this com
mon advance On Washington.
The chief aim of this advance, apart from
doing good-there is, of course, no question
about the excellent purposes of alI-is to
maintain activities at a news cenker of the
Nation, from whence the newspapers are
accustomed TO receive and print details of
all or nearly all local movements. This
advance by these churches is an indirect
acknowledgment of the function of the
press and of its important service to the
public opinion OF the country. For the more
a church is in the popular mind if there in
a creditable attitude, the larger its infiu-
ence and its financial receipts, the greater
its moral and temporal power. 1t may be
that some dignitaries In these churches
would prefer that these inside reasons be
not given. but 1t can do the public no harm
to know just why this advance on Wash
ington IL so generally. making
Rev. DR.. Charles L. Thompson. pastor Of
Madison-avenue Church, New York. yes