Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1900-01-11

you? l am willing to talk the matter
over In friendly spirit, but will not
listen to personal abuse"
There was something In the tone and
manner Of this declaration that sub.
dued the mill owner a little. He was
an older man than Philip by 20 years,
but a man Of quick and ungoverred
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 a man ready to talk reason.
Mr.. Winter replied, after pause dur
ing which he controlled himself by a
great effort:
Il consider that you purposely select
ed me as guilty of conduct unworthy
a 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 I 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 preachers business TO
pry into the affairs Of his church men,
bers" replied Mr.. Winter. growing
more excited again. "That 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 a Christian man, a 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 natter Of pri-
vate business, Mr. Winter, let us settle
whether what you and others are doing
is right. viii you let the other matter
rest moment and tell me what is the
duty of a Christian In the use of his
property"
ut is my property, and If | or my
agent choose to rent it to another man
in legal, business way, that is my af-
fair. l do not recognize that you have
anything to do with it,
mot If i am convinced that you are
doing what Is harmful to the COM
munity and the church?''
"You have no business to meddle In
our private affairsv 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"
1t was cowardly threat on the part
Of the excited mill owner and it 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, IL 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 his
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
matter of the most profound principle
with me. AS long as live | shall be-
leve that a 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-
lieve that. 1t Is 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 |
volyed in those matters. Are money |
and houses and lands of such charac- |
ter that the use of them has no bearing |
on moral questions and they are there |
fore to be left out Of the preaching ma
terial OF the pulpit? 1t Is my coDvic-
ton that many men of property in this /
age are coming TO regard their business
as separate and removed from God and !
all relation to him. The business men I
of today do not regard their property /
as Gods. They always speak of it as
theirs. And they resent any 'lnterfer-
ence,' as you call 1t, on the part of the
pulpit. Nevertheless ] say It plainly,
regard the renting of these houses by
you and other business men in the