The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-14
soMR NATIONAL PERus.
Or. Wilbur 3. Crafts Spoke at the
House OF Hope.

A0AA6 VI hORCs
Christian 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
q. Crafts. superintendent of the reform
bureau at Washington. The speaker
was late In arriving and was COM
pe4leo, owing to the kteness Of the
hour. to abridge his subject but sue
picture OF the dangers which threaten
tne commonwealth and which, he de-
ciared, could only be averted by united
action on the part of church people.
There are bills now pending at
w ashington (which will make the COM
ing session of congress the most In
terest1ng since the Civil war said
Dr. Crafts. The Spanish war is not
over and will not be when the final
disposition has been made of the Phil
ipplnes. With our new territorial ac-
qulsitions will have come the greatest
fundamental ~ problems of our history.
Inc snip OF state needs divine guild
I'VE are threatened, as a nation. by
many evils. and not the least among
these are the increased consumption
Oh Aquor, which is increasing at twice
tue rate or increase in population,
murders, lynchings and municipal cor
ruptlon. 1t Is "a condition of things
Whlcn has led Andrew D. White to say
mat the worst governed city OF Eu-
rope Is better than the best governed
in America
oaDoath breaking, impurity and cor
Iupt Journalism are threatening evils.
IIlpufity Is increasing rapidly. as 1t al
ways does in times of luxury and pros
perlty There is Increased interest in
orunal sports. and the negro problem
mas Deen cha TaFtarizaA ho do
OF all Then there is a growing ten
ueEcy 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-
sFess- They threaten the life Of the
nation. No nation ever died of free
trade, but hundreds have from free
ioVe. 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. Aft
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 a laxity in the enforcement of
the laws that is highly dangerous"
DR.. Crafts referred to the prevailing
passion for commerciallsm, 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 rega rded
the growing tendency TO luxury as dan
erous
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-
hled. II is upon the second generation
that the effects Of luxury are TO be
feared.
Above all. there is a growing disbe-
lief in future endless punishment
hereafter Men say: oh, hell has been
abolished believe that there is a
punishment hereafter, and / believe
that the fact should be emphasized. 1t
seems to me 10 be an essential part
of a hereafter. There are thousands of
cases that must Igo 10 a higher court of
appeals. But eDelieve all these clouds
that l have mentioned can be and Will
be removed. / a-n 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
tian citizenship will he made a part
Of the organic church work In unity
is victory
At the conclusion of DIR. Crafts adj
dress pamphlets outlining the work of
the Reform league were distributed
among the congregation