Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
Written Tor The Star.

Written FOR The Star.
Charles Henry Parkhurst has been one
of the most famous preachers in America
since that memorable April Sunday in lS92
when he boldly charged in 4 sermon that
raid commercial relations existed between
the criminal classes and the police of New
York city.
He undoubtedly gave the impetus to the
work of municipal housekeeping that has
been going forward ever since, despite oc-
Casional Interruptions. Whatever he has
to say concerning civic questions commands
attention, and 1t frequently seems to the
resident New Yorker that the stranger
within the city who does not ask the way
to Dr. Parkhurst's church is an eXcep-
ton.
DR.. Parkhurst was led to take the step
that brought him before the country
through his deep concern for the welfare
OF the many young men in his congregation.
After twelve years of preaching in the
Madison Square Presbyterian Church ne
found that, no matter what effort he put
forth. he could get just so far and no lar
Their with the young men. Somehow he
was not able to get a thorough grip on
them and he could not make heads or tails
OF 1t.
II his dilemma he conferred with several
members of his church. professional men,
whose daily work placed them in position
to know life as 1T is. AS a result DIR.
ParkhuTst became thoroughly convinced
that certain forms of dissipation were M
terferlhg with the moral and spiritual
growth of his young men, and received his
first inkling that these vices and others
were undoubtedly protected by the police
In return for monetary consideration.
About n year before he received this IN
formation DIR. Parkhurst had become
member of the Society for the Prevention
of Vice at the solicitation of its president,
DR.. Howard Crosby. DR.. Crosby died while
DR.. Parkhurst was making his discovery
concerning his young men, and the society
asked the preacher to become its president.
Having formulated definite plan of action
following his conferences with his profess
sionaI church members, Dr. Parkhurst re-
Piled
IF you want some one as president who
will try to gun for the big game, I'll
cept. If it is the society's desire to con-
tinue to limit itself by going after small
grandchildren buying beer in the saloons
and such like-pve no time to waste in the
presidents chair
With this clear understanding of what
was before II, the society elected DR.. Park
hurst president. Being q man of action, as
soon as he felt that he had secured gem
eral idea of the way things lay between the
police and the criminals he preached the
famous sermon in which he arraigned the
police as the paid protectors of Haunting
vice.
While the average citizen was gasping
the charges, the Official set, IN apDa-
rent righteous indignation, went at DR..
Parkhurst hammer and tongs for giving
voice to such gross Hbels on mere hear
say. One of the results of this warfare
on him resulted in a presentment against
him by the grand jury for slandering De
Laucey Nicoll, then district attorney.
How DR.. Parkhurst Won Out.
Contrary to official expectations. Dr.
Parkhurst was not speedily laid low by the
official hubhub He was as thoroughly
convinced as ever that his charges were
true If I've done wrong in preaching
about what l do not know personally, III
see II l can't talk about something 1 DO
know" was his attitude
For the next four weeks he devoted the
greater part of his time to making him
self familiar with what was going in
the town" His guide was a young man.
far too well posted about such matters,
but he and DR.. ParkhurSt understood each
other fully, and what the older man saw
with his own eyes and heard with his own
ears caused him to return to the attack
with more vigor than before
Fully equipped for the fray DR.. Park
hurst started in not to break UP iniquty,
as has been repeatedly charged in certain
quarters, but 10 prove beyond the Shadow
OF a doubt the paid commercial connection
between the police and the criminals. This
he had the satisfaction of seeing done be-
fore the famous Lexow Investigating COM
mittee of 1894. the chamber Of commerce
lining up on DR.. Parkhurst'S side during
the hottest of the fight and securing the
appointment of the committee by the legis-
From that day to this DR.. Parkhurst has
without doubt, been the man most feared
by the police of the metropolis; and the
police of other cities have 10 thank him
for being the indirect cause of most of the
Investigations that have worried them since
lSGl-an epochal year in police history.
Before he took UP the cudgels against a
corrupt police force DR.. Parkhurst had
paid no attention practically TO political
questions of the day His interest in poll
tics as Ii preacher had been confined to one
or two sermons on local issues. But the
result of his police investigation convinced
him, he says, that nlne-tenthS Of every po-
Utica! question IS moral Some features
OF II are strictly matters of expediency:
with these the pulpit should have nothing
TO do. But where the ethical element en-
tiers then the pulpit should have something
TO say and should say it.
Dr. Parkhurst, therefore, does not hest
tate to raise his voice on any question
political social, commercial, financial. in
surauce-when II comes to question OF
morals AS a result. one Is pretty certain
of listening 10 some straight-hitting re-
marks when DR.. Parlkhurst IS the preacher
IN the pulpit
Became Preacher by Accident.
Like 4 number of the famous preachers
OF today and yesterday, DIR. Parkhurst took
up the ministry more by accident than de
sign.
While he was securing magnificent edu-
cation in Amherst and abroad in Bonn,
Halle and Leipzig, his chief interest CEN
tered in comparative philology; one of the
books from his pen bears the scholarly title,
Forms OF the Latin Verb Illustrated BY
the Sanscrit" He went deeply into the
study OF theology while abroad. and when
he cafne home for the second time IL was
with the idea OF securing q professorship.
About this time he met Professor See!ye.
afterward president of Amherst
I'm back. What shall / Go now?" he
asked OF his old professor.
The best thing you can do is to preach.
1T will be good thing for you" was the
uplooked-for answer. Then the speaker
went on TO point out how his hearer had
been under severe intellectual strain for
about fifteen years; how, meanwhile, the
sympathetic side of his nature had been
more or less neglected, and how this could
best be cultivated by preaching. The argu-
ment convinced Mr.. Parkhurst, the pro-