Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-09
Churches and Social Reform.

To the Editor OF The Star:
1t is a well-known fact that most of the
utterances of great public men on impor-
tant subjects of the day are either misun-
derstoOd or misconstrued by persons who
conffne their newspaper reading to the
headlines, or who, being out of sympathy
with the views expressed by the speaker
prejudice their minds against the truth of
his words.
striking example of this can be found
in the case of DR.. Edward Everett Hale
whose recent stirring address before the
Free Religious Association called forth
such storm of criticism from certain
Westinghouse, who seemed to find in the
address an attack upon a section of this
city. 1t is hard to understand how any
intelligent person could find in the chap
lain's words any offense to the people of
Washington. DR.. Hale spoke of the indif-
ferent attitude of some leading American
religions toward the social betterment of
mankind, and. by way of Illustration, he
referred to the annual religious conven-
lions held at Washington.
Every one who follows such matters Is
aware that year after year men supposed
to be representatives of their religion
gather together at these conventions and
put forth the most strenuous discussions
over new and "advanced' ideas on Chris
tanity, but take no note whatever of GER
tain existing social conditions right here at
the capital of the nation, overlooking two
important facts-namely, that true Chris
tianity always considers the welfare of the
entire man, natural and supernatural and
that bad physical conditions are according
to leading criminologists largely productive
Of crime, which, of course, it is the duty
of the churches to work against Clarence
barrow, the lawyer and socalistic writer
in his work entitled Crime and Criminals
traces all crime down to imperfect social
conditions and produces good, strong rea-
soning in support of his various assertions
He proves beyond doubt that there are
more crimes in hard than in good times.
especially crimes against property, and that
likewise crimes committed in winter ex-
coed those committed in summer And he
lays it down as a general law that the
figures of crime rise and fall as prosperity
rises and falls and as another law, that as
food becomes increasingly difficult to get
crimes against property increase in pro-
portion, while at the same time there is a
fall in the number of crimes against the
person. In other words he makes it clear
economic conditions. This being the case
DR.. Hale was certainly justified in deplor-
ing the neglect of plain duty on the part
OF the churches ignoring the evil conditions
which he spoke of. He did not utter
word of criticism against the city itself
but simply cited a state of affairs that
actually exists as evidence that the re-
ligions he referring to were not nut
ting their energy to proper use.
1t is worthy of note in this connection
that Bishop Potter has recently spoken
even more severely than DR.. Hale of the
inactivity of the churches in social work
but no bad feeling resentment has re-
suited. 1t Is to be hoped that the latest
statement issued by DIR. Hale on the sub
tect and solemnly accepted as an apology"
by the citizens committee, will put an end
to the unreasonable censure which has been
directed toward the distinguished chap
lain of the Senate.
FRANCIS DE SAYLES RYAN