The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-05
SERMON ON CITIZENSHIP
FINE DISCOURSE BY REV. Il. j.
G1MMACK

Church, West Hnven-what the People
Should DO to Have Good Government
| The School Question Discussed.
| Yesterday morning at Christ church,
| West Haven, the rector, Kew. "A d.
Gammack, preached very stirring ser
mon and it was one that the members
of the congregation We're especially IN
terested in, as part of the discourse had
to deal with the state Of politics in the
borough The subject of the sermon
was "The Obligation of Citizenship,
and during the course of the preacher
remarks he told Of the state of AFFAIRS
| that has come and that is bound 10
come unless the citizens take a more
active part in the questions of the DAY.
The text taken was from st. Matthew,
xii q: "Then saith He unto them,
render therefore unto Caesar the Things
that are Caesars and unto COD the
things that are Gods" The preacher
said that the pulpit was hardly the
place from which to deliver an address
on the duties of the men as citizens,
but that as the highest act of worship
was about to come upon us and also as
the greatest political questions was al
most here he thought 1t more appfo-
pirate than at most times.
The preacher spoke of the elections
that are about to be held all over the
country in the next few days and that
how, by their result it will be seen that
the people are not the rulers He said
that this was so especially in the larger
cities and that the larger the city the
more ruling there was by few bosses.
Mr.. Gammack referred to the change
that has come over the United states
within the last half century and said
that it seems that each year the country
gets farther and farther away from
good representative government which
ought to be iloulishing in the land. lie
took as an example the city Of New
York and pointed out several instances
where the bosses were in where the
people were out. He said that the re-
form of the city government needed the
careful consideration of all the just peo-
pie and that unless this was done the
people of the United States would be
far from rulers. The outcome of boss
ism the speaker said was the fact that
the people are not represented in the
primaries. con the primaries the whole
government depends, and so If the peo-
pie allow them to be manipulated by
few leaders there never can be good
government ny the people," He said
that the people went to the primaries
like so many sheep to elect the choice
of the bosses. How can 1t be repre-
sentative if the government of New
York is Irish and the people are Amer
ieans?" In speaking of trusts among
cher things the preacher said. Look !
out for the danger not of the corpora
lions themselves, but of the people that |
sell the will o. the people"
Mr.. Gammack said that we need the |
deepest sense of civic obligation and |
honor in order to get the best results |
In this great question. Men say they |
have not time to go to the primaries. |
The bosses make a private gain on |
every one of these men. 1t is so in the |
larger cities more than 1t Is in the |
smaller ones. but is also applicable to
the local affairs" He said the condi-
ton Of affairs in West Haven, which is
in a state of transition is rapidly be-
coming like that of the larger towns.
The borough is becoming larger and
larger all the time, and the population
Is gradually creeping toward the city
The speaker said that there were many
men in the town of West Haven who
didn't attend to their civic rights in the
way that they should and that these
men were in the main responsible for
the condition of affairs in that place.
The men in public affairs in West Ha-
ven," he said, "are not the kind of men
hat were in twenty years ago. SO, be-
'ause the population Is growing in a
state of transition the borough is grow
ng from bad to worse
Here the preacher spoke of the
articles that he had read in the news
papers while ne was away on his vaca-
ion. He said that through them he
vas alone able to find out what was
aking place in the town and from what
lie read the affairs We're in a disreput-
lbe state, and it was a discredit to
hink that such was the case. Three
special instances Mr.. Gammack spoke
IT, The first was the opening of the
torres on Sunday. This he said was
IN annoyance to the people in the vicin-
ty of the stores and was temptation
or the children to spend their money
md to steal.
Another trouble that the preacher |
poke at length on was the present
chool trouble, He said that to every
'ody almost it was the most disgrace
I'll affair that ever arose in Weet uo