The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-01
REPLY TO THE RABBI.
Rev. Alfred H. Henry Defends Young
Peoples Christian Union.

Rev. Alfred H. Henry of the First
Methodist church yesterday made the
following statement, in reply to the
views expressed by RABBI LoewenStein
concerning the work of the Young
Peoples Christian union:
II have no personal controversy with
Rabbi Loewenstein, although have no
reluctance in expressing my objection
to his public utterances. There is no
question in my mind but that his latest
expression of opinion, as given in an
interview in The Salt Lake Herald, will
meet with wide condemnation, coming
as ii does from a recognized public
teacher OF morality. This teacher
cannot taxi refuge in the fact that his
instructions are limited to the mem
bers of his congregation, for he has
voluntarily stepped forward into the
assumed position of instructor to the
Y. P. c. u. and TO the Christian min
listers and Christian organizations of
this city. as well as to the public gen.
orally; and as one of those who are
asked to receive instruction, desire to
file my protest.
My first objection is on the ground
that when this gentleman criticised
the Young Peoples Christian union for
arranging a maSs-meeting because 1t
is not right to hold a. mass meeting to
the speaker had failed TO inform HIM
self of the object of the movement criti-
cised. To consider the religion of a
candidate or 10 arrange 10 fight either
for or against a man on account of his
religion. is utterly foreign TO the entire
movement inaugurated by the Young
Peoples Christian union. There is a
vast difference between holding a mass
meeting to consider the religion of a
candidate and holding mass-meeting
TO arouse the civic conscience of the
people upon questions of public moral
ity.
but it would seem that, having been
convinced that the first reason as
signed does not properly apply to the
case Rabbi Loewenstein now takes ref
uge in the statement that the Y. p. c.
u. is "a purely religious organization.
and as such should have nothing to
say concerning the questions of public
morality and decency involved in mu
nicipal politics. In the first place. the
Y. p. C.. L. is not purely religious or
ganization. if is meant by that phrase
an organization whose object is to
study theological dogmas and to prac-
tice certain forms of worship. 1t is an
organization of wide-awake young peo-
pie who have come to recognize the
existence of certain evils in society.
deadly in their influence and a constant
menace to the very life of society. and
who have also come to realize their
responsibility as citizens with refer
ence to these evils Their object is tc
influence public sentiment so that these
evils may be abated and. that this end
may be accomplished, desire to call at
tention to the fact that wholesome
laws designed to check and control a
recognized public evil, are practically
unenforced. The object of law where
it fails TO exterminate evil is at least
to keep it within bounds. In order to
be effective a law must be enforced;
good law unenforced is as worthless
as no law. 1t is to demand that good
laws. wholesome laws. laws in the in
terests of all that enlightened men
hold most dear, should be enforced that
the Y. p. c. L. has been organized.
But it would seem that Rabbi Loew-
enstein really does not believe that
these laws should be enforced. On the
contrary, he thinks that they should be
repealed. Saloons are necessity
Houses of prostitution are also neces-
sities,' says this public teacher of NOR
ality. i know that there are laws
against Sunday opening of saloons and
against sporting houses: they ought to
be repealed In the light of the above
declaration of principles. we do not
wonder at the statement that it is abb