Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-19
IN THE CHU RCHES

The fact that President Roosevelt and his
wife, who belong to different religious COM
munons, attend different churches, has at
tracted attention throughout the country,
and has been widely commented upon. In
speaking of the matter to Star reporter
a few days ago. a New Yorker said: This
difficulty cannot be solved in exactly the
same way that a governor Of Rhode Island
solved a similar problem. This governor,
so the story runs. was Congregationalist
and his wife a Baptist. They had been
married happily in Newport. where they
lived, about midway of certain week,
and were ideally agreed on all subjects
save this one of church membership.
The governor had been trying in vain to
convince his bride that she ought to go to
his church. and she had been laboring.
possibly tearfully, to persuade him to go
to hers. 1t was apparent that neither one
would yield and neither was willing to go
to church alone. The governor in partic-
ular, was convinced that it would be
derogation of his dignity If his wife went
to another church than the one he attend
ed. 1t was a sad predicament
Sunday morning came and church time
rolled around without any answer to the
question. OF course they must go to
church somewhere. They made themselves
ready and walked together out of the
house and together down the street to.
Spring street, on which, one to the south
and one to the north, both the Congre-
gational and Baptist Churches were sit
uated. This was the parting of the ways.
The question had to be settled then and
there, and settled in moment, for people
were going by on their way to church and
the bells were ringing. They paused on
the corner for one terrible instant. Direct
ly in front of them, but facing down the
HILL lay the old Trinity Episcopalian
Church. which neither had ever attended.
May" said the governor I'VE will go
to Trinity
And SO they did. The compromise saved
the dignity of both of them. This solution
Is impossible in precisely this form in the
case of Roosevelt and his wife. for Mrs.
Roosevelt already belongs to the Episcopal
Church
The following is a copy of an appeal
which has been sent to Washington in the
interest of the twentieth century national
Gospel campaign:
To the Christian Ministers and Leaders
in America:
On the 26th of December last we sent to
you our first appeal. expressing our con-
viction that with the opening of the TWEEN
tieth century the hour had struck for the
great forward movement of the church
through existing organizations and agen-
cies," and for the rousing of Christians to
their God-given mission of eyangelizing the
nation and the world That appeal met
with wide and emphatic responses, but the
mighty task of reformation has been only
just begun: the crisis is still upon u.s. it's
profound character having been merely en-
phasized by the striking providences of the
year, so that the needs and opportunities
appear today vastly greater and more
pressing than they did a year ago.
The tragic yet glorious Christian trans
lation of our martyred President, William
Mckinley. has revealed, as under search
light. some things to which we need to give
quick and earnest heed
The whole world has been brought to
sympathetic and intense admiration of the
spectacle of the sublime faith and heroic
death of a Christian martyr in one of the
foremost positions of power in the world,
and the chord of human brotherhood has
responded to the divine touch as never be-
fore. The common grief and affection have
prepared for common effort for that which
is highest and best, and should be taken
advantage of to call all Christians to a
higher and more strenuous Christian life.
The whole world has had vision
never before Of the unseen forces of evil
that have in them the possibilities of ma
tional destruction, of the awful menace of
the '1apsed Masses. whose countless mill
lions are practically unreached by the Cos
pei. That vision should urge, as nothing
has ever before urged. to the application Of
the only and divine remedy.
We appeal to you. the leaders and MEM
bers of the Church of God. to grid your
selves to meet these vast responsibilities
/. We asy your attention to the supreme
Importance of a national gospel awakening
A terrible affiiction has been permitted of
God. and has brought US to a consciousness
of the existence of an awful social disor-
der. which. II not stayed In its course bids
fair to work incalculable evil in days 20
come. While proposed legislation may
serve somewhat as a deterrent of future
violent developments of such disorder. moth
ing but the eradication OF evil dispositions
extirpate this and many other evils that
menace our peace, prosperity and properties