Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-04
ANNUAL CONVENTION
protestant Episcopal Body in
Session Today.
THE BISHOPS CHARGE
ORGANIZATION EFFECTED, FOL-
LOWED BY ROUTINE BUSINESS.
Bishop satterlee Enjoins Sunday OBJ
servance and Attendance Upon
Divine Service.
THE BISHOPS CHARGE

Z The ninth annual convention of the Prot
estant Episcopal Church of the diocese of
Washington opened this morning in the
Church of the Epiphany at 10 o'clock. Bish-
OPP Henry Y. Satterlee presiding. The fea-
ture of the morning session was the annual
sermon of the bishop. Business of a routine
nature was transacted and complete or
ganlzatfon effected.
A resolution was offered and referred to
broper committee looking toward action by
the convention in regard to Sunday obser-
vance, which question has been brought
Into prominence recently through opinions
expressed by Episcopal rectors.
The bishop delivered his charge before
the beginning of the regular business ses-
sion. He said In part:
The diocese of Washington occupies a
antique position in the American church.
from the fact that 1t is a city set upon hill.
1--WE are here to witness for Jesus Christ in
the capital Of the country, to stand
Fas the representative of what the one holy
Catholic and Apostolic Church was In the
primitive centuries, before the division be-
tween the east and west took place, and,
at the same time, to be In full sympathy
with the members of those various Prot
estant bodies whose ancestors for untold
generations belonged to the Church of Eng
land I'm days gone by. This throws great
responsibility upon us, whether we will or
not.
Furthermore visitors from all parts of
the country are coming in increasing num-
beers to Washington. for sojourn more or
less long. and to these also have to fus-
charge an obligation.
Peculiar Responsibilities.
And now I. behooves our people them
selves to realize that IL We have peculiar
responsibilities, which cali from our clergy
and laity the quality Of Initiative in an
unusual degree, We have also peculiar OBJ
stacles to face. All the temptations. asso-
Citations and influences. both for good and
evil, which center in the capital of other
nations. beginning to show themselves
= In the life of the capital of the United
States. ~~.
During the nineteenth century Washing
ton was preserved from these dangers for
manifest reason. Unlike London, Paris
Berlin or Rome, II was not a city to which
the government came, but one which the
government Itself created In the passing
from the nineteenth to the twentieth GEN.
!tury our country suddenly assumed an IN
ternational position. and the tone OF WASH
ington life is insensibly becoming less natu-
ral and more artificial. The beautiful sim
pliclty of social aim and social life which
characterized the Washington of the nine
teenth century is becoming stigma
tiled homespun provincialism, and So
cial conditions are rapidly changing from
lwhat they were. New cosmopolitan iu-
fuenees are crowding out the principles
and lowering the standard of the past
. For various reasons which we have now
ltned to become more and more attractive
TO persons of wealth and leisure. What
ever local .obliga tons bind them through
home ties, anil associations to the places
from which they come. here they are as
free every American feels when visit
ing city in Europe.
! irresponsible wealth, with its false
ideals. it's diletantism. its Qualification of
pleasure and beauty, its luxurious style of
living. its tendency to make amusement
and social engagements the chief business
t..F t. lxx-ax- mas nynartannp shows
an influence which brings about moral de-
generation. for such social conditions sap
the foundations of real Christian manhood
aud womauhood and honeycomD the ROBUST
ness of character. -5
The Several "Sets."
In the great cities of Europe there have
been from time immemorial a smart set
"a fast set "a rough set and the like and
because they are recognized by all about
= them their influence is limited to small
sphere Here in America it is different.
= yYith the sudden increase of wealth and
Extravaganza, classes IKE these nave
sprung up as mushrooms all over the land,
aud their style of living, just because 1t is
sensational and new. is not only attract
ing abnormal attention. but is exercising
an abnormal influence, especially over the
younger people of America. Sooner or
later the real character of each of these
! Ni be recognized as plainly here as IN
Europe and its power for evil in every city
will be checked by the larger lie, the
more absorbing activities OF the comnu-
nifty and the moral influence of those who
create public sentiment.
But in Washington there is no such
cotlnteracting influence for good In the
daily life of the commonwealth. Washng-
ION IL not a commercial city, nianufactur-
L ing or business center, and IT is not yet
become an educational center. IL is indeed
IA great political center. but its best states
men and politicians are chiefly non-resi-
| dents. who cannot be expected TO exercise
| With their families, the same kind or con-
seryatiVe influence in Washington tnal
rbey WELD in their native city or state the
| Whole burden of this, in consequence fails
IIuon Washingtonians themselves, ana they
must by themselves and by tner own pun
| lie spirit form the conservative power
which protects the best life or the capitai
ne the nation with its traditions. History
shows that no influence in the past, IN pre-
serviny all that is best and noblest In So
| eial life can equal that or the CHRISTIAN
religion. II mas oeeh ING saie Va '
garth. ..,.- x.yoah
inetou is today a religious city, and THIS
fact becomes all the more inspiring 10 those
I hyho are patriots well as CHRISTIANS, WHEN
| they remember that all through the hrst
century of it's existence it has been, as we
haye said governmental CITY, IN whlcn
til dominating influences were those OF our
national life itself"
Sunday Observance.
Referring to Sunday observance, he said:
at has been closely associated with
The life of the American people from the
earliest colonial time that 1t has been &C.
c,ared by the Supreme Court of the United
states 10 be part of the common law of the
land.
"FIx your minds, / pray you intently
,ipou Ibis fact, for opportunity Is here
Afforded us for just such concerted action
as il most needed at the present time. We
hav. not TO create an institution or an Ob-
rsAr,.auce or an organization OF any sort in
order TO have frequent meetings for the
fnculcation of gospel ideas, for we have
ons here. already at hand. accepted by
every Christian body, with regular weekly
meetings at a stated time; when whole
day is set apart by common consent Tor
MALICIOUS purposes; when such meetings are
Held. not In one place but In hundreds OF
different places all over Washington. and
regarding which the habits OF our Christian
ueople are such that they always arrange
,heir time and their other engagements so
"a 90 conform with Sunday observance and
attendance upon church services.