Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-14
GOLDEN RULE CHURCH
Creed is Not Wanted in the New
National Institute.
HEAVEN AND EARTH PROJECT
John Augustus Wall Making Progress
With His Society.
ON A COMMON SENSE" BASIS
Not Antagonistic to Existing Relig-
ions-Talk by Man Who Has Come
in Touch With 662 Faiths.
ON A COMMON SENSE" BASIS

NEW fORk. january 15.-lngerSOlFS
teachings. atheism. Dowie and a proposal
to bring heaven down to earth were a
few of the things considered yesterday
afternoon in Berkeley Lyceum at a mass
meeting of the National Church" which
John Augustus Wall is trying to establish
Among the speakers were Mr.. Wall, an
unidentified man who said he had been an
inf1del for thirty-seven years; colored
man. who declared that in his career as a
tramp he had come in contact with 662 re-
ligions: a socialist from the East Side and
two elderly men. one in clerical dress, who
spoke along conventional theological lines.
Mr.. Wall opened the meeting with the
announcement that the name of the Or
ganization had been changed from the
National Church to the National Insti-
tute.'' which later brought an objection
from one of his seventy-five or one hun
dred hearers. Then he read long extract
from one of Ingersoll's lectures and tel
egraA from Ebert Hubbard wishing sue
cess to the movement. He said his aim
was not to antagonize the church. but to
gather together those who a rule do
not go to church and to make it society
without creed. except the ideal of the
golden rule. his motto being more progress
and more heaven on earth.
Refers to Dowie.
"If Dowie. with all his ridiculous and su-
perstitious theories. could go into Chicago
unknown and in ten years accumulate a
vast fortune and build up a powerful hu-
man machine and a city itself, what can
we not do with a common sense project
such this?" he asked.
"Barnum said the people liked to be
humbugged. and suppose If l stood up on
this platform and declared that was st.
John the people who now oppose me would
come here and say there was something
in it.
A middle-aged man near the front of the
theater objected to the change in the name
Of the organization but he didn't say why
and nobody asked him. He went on: II
have been an infidel for thirty-seven years,
but that Is to the past. / admire Inger-
soil as man. citizen, a father and a
brother, but twenty years ago 1 came to
the conclusion that he was not right. I
was a drinking man and had spent S25, 900
travelling about the world in riotous living,
and now believe that Mr. Wallis program Is
the right one.
More Crime Here.
I'VE hear a lot from Mr. Roosevelt and
the politicians about the prosperity Of our
country l have been volunteer worker
in the slums and 1 tell you there is more
misery, degradation and crime here than in
any country In the world because the peo-
pie have been led away from God by the
teachings of Ingersoll, and any movement
will fail that has not the leadership of
Christ 90
To cries of Put him out" one voice ex-
claimed: with all due respect to the
Christians, Ingersolls teachings should be
considered as WE'LL and this received a
salvo of applause. The colored man said he
used to be Baptist. but he had become a
tramp and in knocking about the world
had come in touch with no less than 682 re-
ligfons. Il believe in Bob Ingersoll," he
| exclaimed. II believe we can make our
heaven or hell right here!"
That's right" interposed Mr.. Wall. who
talks in colloquial fashion. Whatever
comes afterward will come anyhow -,
Next came the socialist. He considered
Wallis ideas a step forward because they
consider the things Of the earth instead Of
heaven and bring before the people the
criminal conditions we live in. Settle the
bread and butter question here before yeu
bother about the church, heaven and hell
and God knows what he cried.
Our whole plan is to respect each others
opinions" said Mr.. WALL but to unite for
more heaven right here and he invited
those present to see Samuel g. Supplee,
treasurer Of the movement, who was pres
ent. and give him as much money as they
could spare toward that end 1--WE must
swallow the church or it will swallow US -
he concluded and the ushers took I'D a COL
lection. There will be another meeting next
Sunday when, Mr.. Wall said, he hoped to
see a larger audience. because he knew he
was up against hard game"