New-York tribune., 1906-08-28
THE GOSPEL AT THE CITY HALL.


The few days controversy over some remarks
made by an evangelist on the steps of the City
Hall which were interpreted as rejecting ad-
verSely and diSreSpectfully upon the Acting
Mayor took a new and radical turn yester-
day. The superintendent OF the meetings which
have been held at the City Hall daily for some
time made a formal public apology for the
utterance Of his jealous coadtutor, and then the
Borough President revoked the permit for the
meetings, so that no more can be held That
ended the incident, excepting for controversy,
which. we suppose, will be continued for some
time with more or less acrimony.
There are those who will regard both sides
as at fault entirely apart from the question
of the intent and purport of the offending
speech. Some, for example, will challenge the
propriety Of ever holding such meetings IN
such a place. Granted that their object and
their effects were the highest and holiest in
the>world. 1t may legtimately be asked whether
Il is fitting to conduct the propaganda of one
specific religion In u place dedicated to impair
tiality toward all religions. The seat of gov
ernment whether national, state or city. is n
place in which civil authority is exercised en-
tirely without regard to sect or creed Is Il
well to appear in even the least degree to
identify it with any creed? 1t is said these
meetings were nOn-sectarian. That was quite
true, as among a number OF sects, to wit, evan
some Protestant Christians who may be de-
scribed as non-evangehcal, who were not in
sympathy with them, and cannot suppose
that Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics or Jews
Of whom there are myriads in this city, re-
garded them with favor. We can appreciate
the feelings Of those who cry out against a
refusal to let the simple Gospel Of Christ cruci-
fed" be proclaimed in any place whatsoever.
Yet If a Roman Catholic priest should celebrate
49, eE,, al,
Of a synagogue on that very spot, some Of them
would still more passionately cry out against
what they would regard as Identification of the
city government with Catholicism or Judaism.
In land like ours which boasts of its COM
plete separation OF Church and State, it would
seem to Re best to avoid any semblance OF union
between them.
On the other hand, there are those who will
regard it as unfortunate. to say the least that
a colleague of the very officer of government
concerning whom the offending words are SUD-
posed to have been spoken should suppress the
meetings. However unjust such a theory NAV
be- some will inevitably think and charge that
the Borough President revoked the permit in
order TO give the Acting Mayor personal revenge
for personal animadverson, and also. per
haps, in order 10 hamper q form Of religious
work with which he is supposed not to sympa-
thize and to check the propagation OF a creed
in which he does not believe. We have no
doubt that Mr. Ahearn and Mr. MCGOWAN would
strongly disavow any such motives but they
surely must see that the formers action is such
as 10 provoke suspicion Of them. From the point
OF view which we have set forth, 1t might have
been better never TO have given a permit for
the meetings. But, once given, it might also
have been better 10 ignore such incidents as
that OF last week. and to let the permit stand
and the meetings continue, so long as they were
kent within bounds Of law and order