The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-02-10
CHURCH AND
THE OTHER
HALF.
Rev. Geo. [. McMuit Makes
Interesting Address Before
Union Ministers Association.

The regular monthly meeting of tho
! Providence Union Ministers association
was held in the hall Of the Y. NJ c. A. at
1880 O'Clock, this morning. with the presi-
| dent, Rev John NJ. Lowden In the chair.
The meeting opened with devotional ex-
| ercises by Rev. G. NJ Conibear after
which matters of routine business. and
secretary's report were disposed OF.
The address of the morning was unusu-
| ally full OF interest the same being deliv-
cred by Rev. George J.. McNutt. a Pres
byterian minister aud reforher of the
west
Mr.. McNutts address waf entitled
The Church and the other IHlf."
The address lasted for an hour and the
speaker held the intense inter
est OF his audience as he un-
folded his theme. In beginning he told
OF his work I'm the factories OF the west
and middle west I'm bitches and I'm fact all
kinds OF rough labor wheresoever II could
be found.
This rough labor the speaker continued
in for period OF two years that he
might find out" as he declared, by act
ually feeling the conditions OF labor him
self how the other half lived and felt and
in what way the religious life of the peo-
pie was affected by their economic and
social condition"
I'm this connection the speaker told OF
going into . certain factory ana working
there as common truck hand.
All this, he did. he declared, 40 that he
might qualify himself not only TO be a
minister but TO minister.
The tendencies of modern industry, he
believed tends, first, TO the separation
OF employers and employees substituting
alien ownership for individual second
tendency, noted by the speaker, was the ex-
treme specialization OF the piece work
system and OF the use Of machine tenders
rather than machinists, and OF the using
OF minimum amount of brains and "A
maximum amount OF nervous energy.
This excessive outgo OF nervous force"
he said, prepares man for drink and
other exciting dissipation"
A third tendency noted was an increas-
ing difficulty to acquire individual homes,
the argument OF the labor men being that
a home is hindrance; that they must be
ready To go wherever they can find work.
THE consequence of this" the speaker
declared, was the tenement house with
it's unnatural restraints and limitations
upon the normal needs OF family, driv-
ing the child into the street, and graduat-
ing from the street into the saloon
In dwelling upon the sociological aspects
OF the modern saloon, the speaker de-
clared:
"A saloon Is both q place that caters
To mems wants that are vicious and is
also a place that supplies mems needs
that are natural and necessary In proof
of this statement the speaker instanced
the fact that practically every city saloon
contains the only lavatories and public
comfort stations that are accessible and
free, without restriction, to all leclasses of
men. Similar conveniences I'm hotels,
restaurants and the like are labelled "for
guests only: the saloon keeper draws
no distinctions at all. Ii il the one demo-
cratic place that ~ always open and near
at hand.
In the same way the speaker instanced
cases where the saloon keeper had pro-
vided committee rooms and fire proof
states for trades union and other in
dustrial organizations
"On a Christmas day" he said, "the
host who furnishes music, a place OF
fellowship and free. food and no questions
asked, is the man behind the bar.
"Entrenched behind such n sociological
fortidcation, when" asked the speaker,
will We. as the avowed enemies of the
saloon. dislodge and defeat our foe?
TO meet these conditions. created by
the change In modern industrial and So
cial life the speaker insisted that the
remedy was for manufacturers, munich
palities and churches and Y. NJ. &. AS
To adopt the spirit of the gospel of de-
mocracy and Of the things that make for
life 10 these changed condfons. adding
the significant statement that the insti-
tutions which we sometimes regard as the
glory OF Christianity may be the signs OF
weakness II that represents the substi-
tuition OF u PROXY Tor personal relation.
Given the personal touch" he said.
''of the man Of wealth with his working
men, OF the church with the masses and
not the classes. and the opening our
homes ON the basis OF the 18th chapter of
John and the 18th chapter OF Matthew
Is the immediate thing that can and must
he done and In many cases IS being done
with gratifying results
The question" the speaker said, rs
not whether the masses come 90 the
church but whether the church goes To
the masses. IL is not question Of bril-
ing man 10 Christ but bringing Christ
10 man"