Willmar tribune., 1900-03-07
CHAPTER III.

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II have come to see you about your
sermon of yesterday morning" began
Mr.. White, abruptly. II consider
what you said was a direct insult to
me personally"
"Suppose l should say it was not so
IntendedY' replied Philip, with a good
natured smile.
''Then should say you liedv' replied
Mr.. Winter sharply.
Philip sat very still. And the two
mrn eyed each other in silence for n
moment. The minister reached out his
hand and laid it on the others arm,
saying as he did so: "My brother, you
certainly did not come into my house
to accuse me unjustly Of wronging
you? l am willing to talk the matter
over in q friendly spirit, but l will not
listen to personal abuse"
There was something In the tone and
manner Of this declaration that sub
dued the mill owner little. He was
an older man than Philip by 20 years,
but a man of quick and ungoverned
temper. He had come to see the min
lister while in a heat of passion, and
the way Philip received him. the calm
ness and dignity of his attitude,
thwarted his purpose. He wanted to
find a man ready to quarrel. Instead
he found man ready to talk reason.
Mr.. Winter replied, after pause, dur
ing which he controlled himself by
great effort:
II consider that you purpose.y select
ed me as guilty of conduct unworthy
q church member and a Christian and
made me the target of your remarks
yesterday. And wish to say that such
preaching will never do in Calvary
church while am one OF its men,
bers."
'Of course you refer to the matter
of renting your property to saloon men
and to halls for gambling and other
evil uses." said Philip bluntly. Are
you the only member of Calvary
church who let's his property for such
purposes?"
1T is not a preachers business to
pry into the affairs of his church mem
bers!" replied Mr.. Winter, growing
more excited again. '"rhat is what
object to-
"In the first place, Mr.. Winter" said
Philip steadily. "let us settle the right
and wrongs of the whole business. Is
it right for u Christian man, church
member, to rent his property for sa-
looms and vicious resorts where human
life is ruined?"
THAT is not the question"
"What is?" Philip asked, with his
eyes wide open to the others face.
Mr.. Winter answered sullenly: THE
question is whether our business af-
fairs, those of other men with me, are
to be dragged into the Sunday church
services and made the occasion OF per-
sonal attacks upon us. for one will
not sit and listen to any such preach
Ing"
But aside from the matter of pri~
vate business. Mr. Winter, let US settle
whether what you and others are doing
Is right. Will you let the other matter
rest moment and tell me what is the
duty of Christian in the use of his
property?"
ut is my property, and if l or my
agent choose to rent it to another man
In legal. business way, that is my af-
fair. do not recognize that you have
anything to do with it,
''Not if am convinced that you are
doing what is harmful to the COM
munity and the church?' s..
"YOu have no business to meddle ia
our private affairsy' replied Mr.. Win
ter angrily. "And if you intend to pur-
sue that method of preaching shall
withdraw my support, and most of the
influential, paying members will follow
my example, ..-,.... .~s
It was a cowardly threat on the part
of the excited mill owner, and 1t reused
Philip more than If he had been phys.
ically slapped in the face. II there
was anything in all the world that stir.
red Philip to his oceanic depths of
feeling. it was an intimation that he
was in the ministry for pay or the sal
ary, and so must be afraid Of losing the
support of those members who were
able to pay largely. He clinched bis
fingers around the arms Of his study
chair until his nails bent on the hard
wood. His scorn and Indignation burn.
ed in his face. although his voice was
calm enough.
"Mr. Winter. this whole affair is a
matter Of the most profound principle
with me. AS long as live shall be.
Neve that Christian man has no more
right to rent his PROPERTY for a saloon
than he has to run a saloon himself
And as long as live shall also be:
ueve that 1t is a minister's duty to
preach to his church plainly upon mat.
ters which bear upon the right and
wrong of life, no matter what is in.
volved in those matters. Are money
and houses and lands of such charac.
ter that the use of them has no bea ring
on moral questions, and they are there:
fore to be left out of the preaching ma.
terial of the pulpit? 1t is my convic.
ton that many men of property in this
age are coming to regard tlseir business
as separate and removed from God and
all relation to him. The business mer
Of today do not regard their. property
]. as Gods. They always speak of it as
theirs. And they resent any sinterfer
ence,' as you call It, on the part of the
pulpit. Neyerth heless j say it plainly, ]
regard the renting Of these houses BY
you and other business men in the
lhurch to the whisky men and the cor
4 rupters of youth as wholly wrong an;
50 wrong that the Christian minister
who would keep silent when he knew