The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-02
FOR A SINFUL MAYOR.
Thousands Pray at Big Philadelphia
Meeting.

200 ministers met i'll Holy Trinity
church ono prayed that "rhe shackIes
Of the gang be stricken from our sin
full mayor, and for the redemption
of the city from macFine rule and the
reign of vice. Three hundred held
services in their own churches and
sent up a similar prayer, or moved
around among their congregations
stimulating applications.
In their exhortations the ministers
compared 1.-The vice ridden city OF
Philadelphia to Babylon and to
Sodom and Gomorrah of the scrip
lures. and decided those responsi Bile
for the conditions should take warn
ing lest the Lord should wipe out the
stain in sea of fire
At the same time-1O O'Clock in the
morning thousand women met in
the Twenty ninth Street Methodist
Episcopal church. The ministers fin
ished praying at noon, but the women
prayed and tasted until 4 o'clock.
The ministers were scOrching and
women were plaintive. While these
two meetings were going on, in hun
being offered Altogether it was the
most extraordinary happening ever
recorded in Philadelphia
Mayor Weaver, Mr.. Smyth, director
of public safety, and even the coun-
ellis, who were prayed for collectively,
confessed to being unregenerated still!
The Sinful john" he was
called by one minister-visibly was per-
turbed-
mo, I don't feel any different" he
shouted why should feel any diff
ferent? How dare you ask such a ques-
tion?''
Pressed to describe his feelings dur
ing the period when the mass of prayers
for his guidance were being offered,
his honor" grew inarticulate.
Thousands upon thousands of prayers
-of hafr 4
o'clock The Rev. Floyd Tomkins, who
is Holy Trinity's rector, is behind the
ministers crusade and he called the
ministers to order. He said there was
and his director, but they might as we'll
try it.
Then a negro minister got up and
said this city was like the ancient
Sodom and GOmorrah and that unless
the mayor and his officials repented
within week and effectively stamped
out vice. fire would descend upon them
and the city and leave only a barren
plain. There was a stir of protest at
this and some of the ministers were
They did not see why the in
nocent should be burned with the wick
ed.
Another minister declared Philadel-
phians might profit by Guy Fawkes'
ton in England and hang the
mayor in effigy. This did not seem to
be much in the nature of prayer and
the Rev Dr. Kerr Boyce Upper re-
buked him.
Some things were being said" he
thought, that Jesus would not say
Then the Rev. Mr.. Tomkins attacked
the business man who, he declared had
sent him a letter saying he had been
with the reform party until called to
the prayer meeting. That, he said re-
duced the reform movement to an alb
surdity. Mr.. Tomkins grew excited over
this. Then prayers were begun. Even
Israel Durham. the boss of Philadelphia,
was prayed for by one minister
Before the meeting a number of sand
wich men paraded through the business
part of the city and through some other
streets. They bore banners inscribed
Pray for the mayor They had car
ried these banners yesterday and were
routed by the police The police today
let them parade. It was said this was
because Director Smyth had told them
to do it.
1t was reported at night that the re-
formers and ministers within the next
week would present to the courts evil
dence that the police protect vice.
Upon this evidence they will ask for
the mayors impeachment.
At meeting of the Woman's Chris
Lian Temperance union, attended by
several hundred persons, a prayer
league" was formed last night. It's
object is to pray and fast every Friday
until the city shall be purified and its
officials cleanSed of the sin of reSpOn- /
shall decide when such a state of af-
airs has been reached the women do
not say, but they are determined none
he less.
1t was pointed out at this meeting
hat in the days of old prayer and !
lasting We're eficacious and that mod
ern Christianity was deficient in lack
IF faith in such expedients.
The members dedicated themselves
@ the ordeal until 'our public officers
"a 1nn1xad y CT ha-
ngs." AS some of the speakers de-
0icted conditions in the Tenderloin I
rom reports by DR.. Clarence Glib
1oney, secretary of the Law and Or
Ter society, many women in the audi
ence Wept.
Mrs. J. f. Fox, vice president of the
Northwest Woman's Christian Temper
lnce union, was a leading spirit in the
morning meeting She first suggested
hat a day be given to fasting and
prayer for the converting Of the mayor
md city officials. She was assisted by #
hrs. J. ]. Morley and a number of 9TH
r women from various sections of the 4
ity. When the meeting began Mrs. l.
FOX and Mrs. Morley were the only 4
mes present They began to pray, how
Yer, and declared the meeting was
pen. Stragglers began to come into the II
hurch and each one almost Immediate
y began to pray. The khurch filed in
n hour.
Almost every women offered prayer
nd a great number made snort ad- 1
resses. The entire assembly was in
ears a number of times With few ex- 4
options the women tasted and remain
d in the church until it was closed at n
clock. Among the speakers we're Mrs.
decade wife of Bishop McCabe, and
Irs Harriet S. French, county presi-
ent of the Woman's Christian Tenn +
erance union, who said she objected to 1
he segregation of vice and that she be-
ieved Christians are to blame for the II
ity's shame, because they did not be-
in to pray long ago.
SPECIAL.