The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-12
BISHOP HOSES ADDRESS.


erts Park
Before the delegates and visitors TO last
nights session of the Epworth League
convention Bishop f. f. Hoss, of Nash
vile. Tenn. newly elected to that dignity
in the Methodist Episcopal Church South,
lectured on THE Forces that Make Char
acter." The philosophy of the Southern
bishop is of the forcefu, vigorous, extreme
| ~ practical kind. strongly tinged with opti-
mistic views OF men and conditions. In
spite of the length of his address. to which
he himself jokingIy alluded several times,
the audience gave the most careful atten-
ton and demonstrated its pleasure num-
! Der of times by something seldom seen In
side of church walls-handclapping.
/ The force in character making TO which
! Bishop Hoss first alluded was that OF he
redity. Its strength and potency is UNI
/ doubted, he said. Mental moral and physi-
| cal characteristics are passed on by men
! to their children and queer freaks of ma
! ture are ordinary. Crime is certainly her
/ editary, the bishop observed and also other
| tendencies, such as family pride, suitable
! ity for particular businesses or arts, and
! temperaments. Environment, with its
many subforces is not less powerful than
| heredity, declared the bishop. The family,
! first of all. tends to make the individual
! success or failure. A practiced Methodist
preacher, said he, tell instantly when
| he enters house Just what is the moral
attitude of the family that inhabits IL.
| Physical surroundings play large part
! in holding character. Men who are born
! and brought up among the hills bear the
impress of their surroundings. Men reared
on the prairies have touch OF the nat
! lands about them. IT is this influence OF
surroundings that makes the Kentucky
| CT a.
! manufacturer, the Southern planter from
| the California miner the Indiana farmer
from the Texas cattleman. schools nave
| part not to be underestimated. The bishop
| emphasized the value of public schools as
compared to private schools, and declared
| that the boy who goes TO tutor Is TO be
pitied, and then added that the tutor is TO
be pitied, too. Books have tremendous in
fuence. The bishop expressed his abhor-
renee OF the morbid types of fiction which
| have become not uncommon in this gen
! Grafton, and searched his vocabulary for
condemnatory adjectives. 1t had surprised
him frequently. he said, to go into Chris
or in bookcases books that were too vile
| to be read by decent people.
INFLUENCE OF NEWSPAPERS.
To the newspapers the new bishop de-
voted several pages of his manuscript
Their influence, he declared, is growing
constantly. and with some people the news
paper habit has become marked in it's
effects as indulgence in opium. Ii has been
said that newspapers reflect public opin-
ion, but do not mold it, the bishop re-
marked. but his own belief was that news
papers do mold public sentiment TO a large
degree. He spoke OF the destruction of the
Tweed ring and the rout of the Louisiana
lottery as notable instances of newspaper
power i'm compelling the public TO act The
old saying that men are known by the COM
nan haNr will hnN m hA oh cr.a6
said Bishop HOss. 1t will have to read:
Men are known by the newspap ers they
read To illustrate his idea he pointed
out that a reader of the New York Tribune
is known a high tariff Republican; a
reader of the Louisville Courier-Journal as
a low-tarif. sound-money Democrat; a
reader of the Nation a bumptious mug
wump; a reader of the St. Louis Republic
as roaring advocate Of free silver: a
reader of the New York Post a pro-
nounced anu-jingo, gold bug, and added
laughingly, that a reader of the Christian
Advocate rs known as a Christian gentle
man.
Politics is another character-forming in
luence, said Bishop Hoss. He was firm in
insistence that religion should not be SO
spiritual that 1t could not take a hand in
erting an influence in politics. The senti-
ment was received with applause Travel
ing was the last factor in character-making
spoken Of by the bishop.
With all these influences. he said il
would seem that a man Is so hedged in by
things utterly beyond his control that he
is not tree agent and cannot act for him
self. That view is Incorrect. the bshOp
said For. by an effort of will consistently
maintained, man may overpower all In
fiuences and go his way for himself.
With Bishop Hoss on the platform was
the aged Bishop Walden. Of Cincinnati
whose long, white hair and venerable APP
pearance made his personality conspicu-
GUS He did not talk being simply intro
uuced TO the audience by State President
.. II, Palmer.
The delegates will have a busy session
this morning. Addresses will be delivered
+ by Presiding Elder b. A. Kemp of Elk.
hart, Presiding Elder +. p. Rawls of In.
dianapOlis. Presiding Elder +. A. ScheIl OF
. Charlottesville. the Rev. W. K. HalsteaC
of Indianapolis. Miss Edith Waterman OF
, Chicago, the Rev. r.. @. Saunderson OF In.
dianapolis and DR.. l.. ". Munhall OF Phila
IL.