New-York tribune., 1899-03-13
URGING on THE FIGHT.
PASTORS CONTINUE TO DENOUNCE THE
FOUR-TRACK SCHEME.
THEIR HEARERS INVITED TO ATTEND 10
NIGHTS MASS MEETING TO PROTEST
AGAINST THE UsURPATIoN OF
AMSTERDAM-AVE

AMsTERDAMAvE
The appeal sent out Saturday by the resi-
dents OF the upper West Side who are opposeo
to the laying OF four electric-railway tracks o"
Anosterdam-ave to the ministers Of the churches
in the city asking them TO urge the Importance
of the fight being made in the Legislature over
the Ford bill and TO invite the congregations
to attend the big mass meeting which is TO De
held tonight at Durland's Riding Academy
bore fruit Yesterday all over the city, and es-
pecially among the churches west OF Central
Park In almost every church the pastor asked
his hearers TO attend the ss-meeting, ana
accompauied the Invitation with strong state
ment as TO the merits OF the fight being made
against the railway.
with one accord they declared mat IL was 'no
fight OF the people against corruption and tyrah-
nv All creeis were represented in the general
denunciation OF the Senate and the railroad
Father Galligan, of tie Roman Catholic Cnurch
of the Holy Name, vigorously denounced the
Senate as being in the control OF the corpora
ton by purchase. Father Renhart. OF the
Church Of the Ascension urged his people to
go to the mass meeting. The Episcopaiian cler-
gymen Of the churches on the West Side read
the notice Of the mass-meetng and the appear
sent out. and number Of them commented on
IT, The pastors Of the Presby .erian. Methodist
and Raptist churches also called on their menu
hers to take part in the movement against four
tracks.
The Rev. John Balcom Shaw, OF the West End
Presbyterian Church. after announcing tns
mass meeting, said yesterday;
It is known 70 you all. of course what treat
ment the people Of the West Side have been re-
ceving at the hands of one branch OF our Lesls-
lature in these last few days, and how Sharply
whether the will of the people or the VIII ana
compact Of corporations and corrupt pol'G'anS
shall have control. .. J., -
As one who visited Albany myself, In COM
pany with that large and representative deiesa-
ton, | am prepared TO say that notnns put tn"
continued agitation and persistent uelei nina
ton OF the citizens will wrench from our law
makers Of the Senate any relief from the si'u-
alton that Is upon US. ~ r. ,.
No one can vote AGAINST this bill Tor hohese
reasons Let us therefore demand OF those now
opposing it or seeking to block its passage py
hypocritical delays or modhcatlons that they
either support the measure or bear tne chaIse oL
being cOrruptly Influenced. call upon all our
peope 10 attend the meeting for protest to-mor-
row and speak out their wrath ana their ue-
mand in no uncertain or equivocal tone
The Rev Philip NJ. Waters, pastor OF Grace
Methodist Episcopal Church, spoke as strongly
as Dr. Shaw in making the announcements
Said he
II Won can possibly get there tomorrow night
that is the place where duty calls upon you TO
be urge on you to join in this great protest,
and then to supplement II with letters 10 tne
members OF the Senate Railroad Committee, ana
especially 10 its chairman. Senator John Raines,
who seems TO show an unexplanable activity In
opposition to the Ford bill. showing them that
the people here in earnest about this thlng
1t is high time for us TO find out whether
our representatives. "a they call themselves,
at Albany. represent us or the railroads,
and II they do not represent want 10
know the reason why. We want TO let the
Senate understand by the tenor or our let
tcrs and by the spirit Of that mass-meetng that
are in this fight to stay until the last gun
is fired
The Rev. I. VI. Haldeman, OF the First Bap-
It's, Church. devoted his preliminary sermon
last night 70 the invitation Of his members to
the mass meeting and 10 a discussion Of the AM
sterdam-ave situation. He said that the mat
ter had grown outside OF the bounds OF any such
local nomenclature and had become matter
that vitally interested the people OF the whole
city because 1t had TO be a straight fight
between the people and tyranny. He urged
his people to go TO the meeting.
The Rev. Madison c. Peters. OF the Blooming
dale Reformed Church. also took the night SER
vice to give a short preliminary talk on the sub
ject and tc ask his hearers TO go TO the meet
ing.
At the evening service Or. Peters said he had
every reason to believe that the victory was
dentally received led him to think this.
Tie West Side is in this fight to win, and tho
man who votes for Death-ave. Will commit po-
litcal suicide. We want to find out once for all
whether this is a government OF corporations.
by corporations and for corporations. whether
il is still a government Of the people by the
people and for the people. The legislator who
votes for the street-grab bbers is either a knave
or a fool, and he can take either horn OF the
dilemma.
MI.
Church, did not mince words in speaking OF the
four-track matter and in urging his members TO
go 20 the s-meeting. He said
This is a conflict between the residents OF this
neighborhood and lot Of unscrupulous poll
ticians backed by an equally unscrupulous cor
poration. which has little for the lives
and limbs of our neghOOrs IN its efforts to In
crease its dividends.
1t is the duty of citizens OF whatever political
belief who have any influence at all TO exert
all Of il for the public good in this crisis, and
public good certainly does not mean four tracks
in Amsterdam
Father James NJ Gagan. Of the Roman
Catholic Church Of the Holy Name advised the
people Of his parish to go TO the mass meeting
and to get other people 10 go.
Whatever the result OF this fight II we do our
best We can wash our hands clean II know
the people in this parish | know that they will
let these men who can't hide the fact that they
are under the control Of this corporation know
that they not blind or dead 10 this situation
and that they tell when a man has been
bought The people will assert their rights
Father Galligan told his church about the trip
to Albany and the reception by the Senate OF
the delegation that went up last week. and sfd
that some OF the peoples representatives had
shabby way Of treating the people who went to
look at their work
The Rev Anson p. Atterbury OF the Park
Presbyterian Church. said when he read the
appeal signed by the Amsterdam-ave. pastors
that without considering the moral aspect Of
the fight between the people and a single cor
poration the placing Of four tracks in the ave-
nue. affected every person in the neighborhood.