Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-09
NOT AFRAID OF ACNOSTICS
Dr.. Russell oonvsll Net Alarmed Over
Proisst Of DE. Roberts.
SAYS IT IS HUMAN re LOVE THE PURE
some People May Turn Away from
Good Book, but They VIII RE-
turn-saIoOn Not working
mans Club.

The people should not worry over the
contemplated action Of DR.. Roberts OF Kan
sas City in lecturing throughout the coun-
try and establishing agnostic churches. II
Is Just a spasmodic movement and Will
soon die out. Nothing like that can sur
vive. The people love the good old book
and will always love II. II is human ma
ture TO love the good andNthe pure. and the
blessed book will not be damaged and the
people will not turn from It. II has always
been our comfort and our joy. Some may
turn away for awhile. but they will not re-
main away. They love its teachings too
much"
So said DR.. Russell Conwell. who, with
Mrs. Conwell, arrived in Omaha yesterday.
DR.. Conwell is pastor Of the Baptist Temple
OF Philadelphia, one OF the largest Protest
ant churches in the country, having a mem
bership OF over 5000. He has been on the
lecture platform for ten years. AT the Her
Grand last night DR.. Conwell said;
Omaha is not the same place it was
when I first came through the town. It was
In IS, / think, and the last spike was being
driven in the Union Pacific tracks. The
city has had a wonderful growth. The
next time 1 passed through the town was
in 80. I was making a trip o the
world for the New York Tribune and the
Boston Traveller. I am an old newspaper
man and still love the work. / started the
two papers that were afterward merged
into what is now the Minneapolis Tribune.
DR.. Converts busy Life.
For the last twenty years DR.. Conwell
has been pestor Of the Baptist Temple in
Philadelphia. In assuming charge Of the
church he established a school in the base
ment of the building, the attendance at the
beginning being seven pupils. The school
is now now as the Temple college and its
founder is its president. Besides the work
connected with his church and the school
DR.. Conwell delivers upon an average Of 210
lectures each year. 81 love to be busy
said the doctor, land and my greatest
pleasure when 1 am the busiest"
OF Bishop Potter's assertion that the
saloon Is the workingman's club DR.. Con-
we'll said: THE best workingman's club
Is a home with wife, children and love. The
saloon is an u~nmitigated evil and giving II
a good title makes 1t all the more danger
GUS. It should be truthfully called the re-
sort Of drunkards and ioafers."
Dr. Conwell is So years Of age and has
lead a busy life. though he still has the
energy Of q much younger man. II have
been a newspaper man. lawyer, preacher
and for the last forty years I have been
delivering lectures" he said. "It seems a
long time when l think of all the men who
have been associated with ne on the plat
form that have passed way. There were
Beecher. Lowell. Holmes. Curtis and many
others. In fact, there are very few leo
turers now on the platform that we're lec-
turing twenty years ago"
Or. and Mrs. Conwell will spend Sunday
at the hotel. Monday night the doctor will
lecture at Red Oak, Ia, and Tuesday nigh
he will lecture in omaha under the aus
pieces Of the Young Mems Christian associa'
tion. -