The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-16
SAYS YOUNG men
COUNT THE MOST
-
THEIR WELFARE MORE IMPoR.
TANT THAN ALL ELSE.
Fred B. Smith, International Secretary
of the Y. M. O. A., Is Guest of Honor
at Luncheon and Delivers Powerful
Address, Urging His Hearers to Re-
newed Efforts in Noble Cause.

Half hundred men gathered at the
7. M. G.. A. last evening to attend the
luncheon in honor of Fred B. Smith. In.
ternational secretary Of the association,
and especially noted for his evangelistic
work among young men. President Cyrus =
Northrop of the university presided.
The luncheon was entirely informal. Dr..
Northrop made an excellent POSTMASTER
and his sallies of wit in introducing the
speakers were much enjoyed.
Rev. W. III. Jordan was the first
speaker. He said he had ever been an
He spoke of its rapid growth and said
one needed constantly to revise his fig.
ures to keep track Of it.
''There has been a sentiment he
said, "that religion belongs to women,
children and preachers. The Y. NJ @.
A, standing with tremendous emphasis
for men in religion, has done more than
anything else to abolish this sentiment.
It is an organization Of men; reaching
for men; appealing to men. It touches
men where the church cannot reach
them" He spoke of the work of the
association as being nonsectarian. tThe
association, more than anything else, is
influencing the churches to united work
and to mutual fellowship" he con.
cluded. 90.
The Layman's Work.
E. W. Peck, state secretary, spoke Of
the religious work as seen by state
secretary. He spoke Of the work Of the
layman as compared with that Of the
man who is employed in church work.
"The man who is in business, but who
takes the time from his business to see
that the money is secured for such great
enterprises as the Y. M. C. Az" he
said, "is just as much doing the work of
the Lord as the man who in the retire
ment of his own chamber is praying for
the salvation of some poor soul. The
man who is in the association Is there,
or should be there, because he wants
to make his work count in the winning
of young men for Christ. The minister
has no more business to be any better
or any worse than such a layman; and
do you know, | believe the influence OF
the Woodworking layman is: the better
of the two. The power OF the business
man and the minister working hand in
| hand to help bring busy men face to
| face with God, is an influence for good
so great that it cannot be estimated.
MIR. Smiths Address. -.
DR.. Northrop then introduced Fred
B. Smith. Mr.. Smith spoke tor, nearly
half an hour, and gave stirring, elo-
quent address 90
eff you can save the young men OF
this country said Mr.. Smith, Ito
Christian purity and faith, the great
questions of the trusts, the strikes, pub
lie ownership of railroads and all other
great issues need not worry us; the
country will be safe, for such men Will
be able to solve all questions properly.
But if the next generation OF young
men is to forget the power OF religion
in their lives, then surely Is our pc
loved land doomed. For as go the
young men, SO eventually goes the CITY,,
many problems, but its greatest is the
| welfare of the young man; II you
! would know what stocks, bonds and
| corner lots will be worth In years to
come, you must know what the young
men are, what they are doing and what
they will eventually be. We are en-
gagged in great work. We are en-
small; it is nothing short OF the evan
gelization of the young men Of the
whole world"
/ Mr.. Smith spoke of a recent visit
made to Europe and the orient and OF
how prosperous he found the associa-
ton in nearly every nation of the earth.
He spoke of the work in India; how he
had been met in the first five cities OF
India he visited by their lieutenant
governors, and how he found in each
of these cases that such official was
the president of the local Y. NJ. c. A.
organization. He told of many inter
} esting incidents of his visits in foreign
lands and spoke Of how some Of the
J ancient cities, especially Rome, are be-
coming modernized.
Wonderful Day.
.sThis is a wonderful day." he said,
"and no one hardly dares say what
will not be done. We now are able
to telegraph thru the air without wires.
Recently man predicted to me that
within a decade we would be telephon-
ing without wires. And who dares con-
tradict him7 Yet boldly assert that
: the mightiest movement of this mighty
twentieth century will be the forward
movement of the church of God fol-
!; the salvation of men. -.
"The association is on the verge of
great prosperity. Never before had it
such secretaries; never such buildings;
never so much money at its disposal
history as it is today of its opportunity;
yet there is one great danger.
!, cit is too often true that those who
reach afhuence and popular lose
sight of the object they had in view
and are untrue to their aim. Prosperity
: has turned the head of many man
|, There are few men who can over
: prosper and keep up their old interest
in God. 1t takes a great man and 9
great church to do this; and let us not
think the Y. NJ. C. A free from this
danger. And SO it is that think the
test of tests for the association is to
come in the next decade"
! Mr.. Smith spoke of the half-hearted
4 support sometimes given church work
Y by church workers. He spoke Of the
y man who is always with movement
n, ''in spirit "There are so many OF
9 this kind of men in church member
n Ships he said, ''that I sometime,
t think Of Sunday morning the pastors
d would almost feel like running out OF
e their church buildings because of their
Ibeing SO filed with ghosts of the alb
sent, present in spirit.
. "Of all the things most wanted il
d Minneapolis, he concluded, sis the
is army of young men led to Jesus, with
e the church their home and the Bible
the guide of their ives.'
% Metrono1it,,, .N,,c;c ro