The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-07-26
CHAPTER XX.


Ice In the series. With one or two
slight exaggerations the account was a
faithful picture of one of the most re-
markable meetings ever held in Milton:
Last night. it will be safe to say,
those who We're fortunate enough to
secure standing room in Rev. Philip
I StrOng's church heard and saw things
that no other church in this town ever
witnessed
I'm the first place, ii was Il most as
tonishing crowd Of people. Several OF
the church members We're present. but
they We're in the minority. The mill
men swarmcd in and took possession.
1t is not exactly correct to say that
they loungcd on the easy cushioned
pews Of the Calvary church, for there
was not room enough to lounge. but
they li.lcd up the sanctuary and SEEM
ell to enjoy the comfortable luxury Of
it.
"The subject of the evening was
wealth. and the president of the
trades assembly of Milton made Il
statement of the view which working
men in general have of wealth as re-
lated to labor of hand or brain. lie
stated what to his mind was the rca-
son for the discomfort Of so many at
the sight of great numbers of rich men
in times of suffering or sickness or
lack of work. why. just look at the
condition of things here and in every
large city all over the world he said
Men are suffering from the lack of
common necrSSaricS while men of
means with money in the bank con-
tinuc to live just as luNuriouSly and
spend just as much as they ever did
for things not ErCdflll for happiuvSS.
1t has been in the power Of men Of
wealth in Milton to prevent almost if
not aU of til" suffering here last win
ter and spring. 1t has been in thcir
power To see that the trncmCntS wc.'
better built and arranged for health
and dCccncy. II has been in their
power to do Il thousand things that
money. and money alone, can do and
believe they will he held to account
for not doing some of those things"
'At this point some one in the gal !
lery shouted out. Hang the arist0-
Gratis! Instantly Rev. Mr.. Strong rose
and stepped to the front of the plat
form. Raising his long. Sincwy arm |
and stretching out his open hand in ap- !
peal, he said. while the great audience |
was perfectly quiet: 1 viii not allow |
any such disturbance at this meeting. |
We are here, not to dcnounrr people, |
but TO find the truth. Let every fair
minded man bear that in mind
"The preacher sat down, and the Gu-
dience chcercd.
THE president of the trades assem-
bly, resumed the discussion. closing
with the statement that never in the
history of the country had there been
so much money in the banks and so
little of ii in the pockets of the people,
and when that was Il fact something
was wrong, and it was for the men
who owned the money to right that
wrong. for it lay in their power, not
Will tlle poor lllin.
He was followed by very clear
and intensely interesting talk by Rev.
Mr.. Strong on the Christian teaching
the wealth of the world
Several times he was Interrupted by
applause, once with Kisses, several
times with questions. He was Missed
when he spoke of the great seltishness
of labor unions and trades OrganiZa-
tions in their attempts to dictate to
other men in tbr matter Of work.
With this one exception, in which the
reverend gentleman spoke with his
usual frankncsS. the audience chccrcd
his presentation of the subject and
was evidently in perfect sympathy
with his views. Short extracts from
his talk will show the drift of his en-
tire belief on this subject:
"Every dollar that man has should
be spent TO the glory of God.
1.-The teaching Of Christianity about
wealth is the same rs about anything
else. 1t all belongs to God and should
be used by the man as God would use
it in the mans place.
"'The accumulation of vast sums of
money by individuals or classes Of men
has always been a bad thing for So
ciety. A few very rich men and n
great number of very poor men are
what gave the world the French revo-
luton and the gullotine.
"There are certain conditions true
Of society at certain times when it is
the Christian duty of the rich to use
every cent they possess to relieve the
need Of society. Such q condition faces
us today.
"'The foolish and unnecessary ex-
penditures Of society on its trivial
pleasures at time when men and
are out Of work and children
are crying for food is a cruel and un-
Christian waste of opportunity.
If Christ were here today, be-
lieve he would tell the rich men of Mil
ton that every cent they have belongs
to Almighty God, and they are only
trustees of his property.