The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-05
PASTORS CRITICISE
CAPITAL SOCIETY
RICH OILERS UN-AMERICAN-REv
TEUNIs HAMLIN's VIEW.
Fashionable Sunday Parade Depiored
by DR.. Harding, Who Sees Mem
ace to Spiritual Life.

Washington Special.
Bishop Satterlee in charge of this
Episcopal diocese, recently expressed |
the opinion in a public address that So |
ciety at the national capital is becom- |
ing a menace to the country. He said
he believed that the great influx of the |
wealthy, with their tendency to ignore I
the poorer classes and to abandon sim |
plicity in living. at the same time de-
voting the Sabbath to receptions and
dinners, thus overthrowing the founda-
tions of religion, threatened our ma
tionaI existence. The Bishop said:
The presence in Washington of an
idle, wealthy class is bad influence.
1t detracts from the 'upbuilding of
character and sets a pernicious ex-
ample. For various reasons, Washing
ton is destined to become more and
more attractive to persons of wealth
and leisure. Whatever local obliga-
lions bind them through home ties and
associations to the places from which
they come, here they are as free as
every American feels when visiting a
city in Europe"
In discussing Bishop Satterlee's view
of society, Rev. Roland Cotton Smith.
rector of ST. Johns Episcopal Church,
the most fashionable place of worship
his congregation, said:
IF you say society is bad. what do
you do? You simply draw a line around
the bad people and make your state
ment about them. Even so-called so
ciety' is made up of good people and
bad people.
"All that is being said about the
spread of materialism over the coun-
| try is true, hence there Is much mate
/ Ill = 10 fe,
| true that there is a great laxity in
morals in this day and generation, and
| this is as true in Washington as else
where. Wealth is one of the features
of our rapidly developing civilization.
| But 1t has come to stay, and the only
way to avert the threatened evil in its
| wake Is for the people who stand for
order and right living to array them
selves against those who stand for 9TH
| er things"
The Rev. Tunis S. Hamlin, pastor of
the leading Presbyterian church here.
| said
Society is very vague term. OF
| the so-called smart set l have small
personal knowledge. There is a small
element in washington of people of
wealth and leisure who devote them
selves to amusement Such a class has
been and is still unAmerican, as the
American people OF all ranks are work
| ers.
The tendency OF idleness is to ex-
| cess and pleasure seeking, and hence
| to the abuse of those recreations which
| rightly used, are essential to health.
efficiency and happiness. There seems
no doubt that some such excess pre-
walls in this city. 1t Is evidenced in
sundry dinners and receptions, and in
devotion to cards and other amuse-
ments, which are allowed to interfere
with normal hours and with the regu-
Var healthful life of the family. This
is to be deplored, but 1t is far from be-
ing characteristic of the life of this
capital. The attention that it attracts
is Itself evidence that such excuses are
rare"
The Rev Dr. Harding. whose church
membership is composed of the middle
class" said:
so far as smart society is concerned,
1 cannot speak with authority. because
1 have nothing whatever to do with
such in my parish. But will say this
much of society in general; There has
been a very great change during the
last few years in the observance of
Sunday. During the eighteen years
have been in this city have. of course.
seen a great many changes in social
conditions. I have seen all these fine
houses put up, and l have seen public
Sunday amusements go through a Sc
ries of agitations and finally become
an established fact. have seen also
Sunday visiting develop from the
neighborly call of friend upon friend
to the formal exchange of cards among
|, mere acquaintances.
"It Is no longer an uncommon sight
to see on the streets of Washington on
a bright Sunday afternoon the parade
of fine carriages that stop before this
I,tra No
I'D to the door, rings the bell and leaves
the card of his mistress. and one has
only to read the society columns of the
papers to be informed of the preten-
tious dinner parties that are continual
ly being given.
What is the result of all this? Per
haps an Illustration will answer. At
the home of a friend of mine the other
day l met a lady who is an Episco-
palian but member of no church. She
announced this fact herself. and when.
by way of answer, I said we should be
glad to welcome her into our commu-
nifty she laughed and said that perhaps
she would have time to come If she
sold her automobile. That is the way
Sunday is being spent-in out-of-door
pleasure seeking and in formal visit
ing.
Underneath this tendency there lies.
It seems to me, menace to the spirit
ual and home life of the people. Not
that would return to a Puritanic OBJ
servance Of the Sabbath But Sunday
Is the only day in the week when there
is opportunity for development of the
spiritual side OF our nature. and 1T is
the one dav of the week when members
of the family can forget their individ-
ual cares and spend time in each 9TH
er's company. Hence I regret this ten
dency TO make the seventh day no diff
ferent from the other six. But there
is no doubt that that tendency exists In