The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-24
CHURCHES A UNIT
 FOR CAMPAIGN Plans for Chapman Revival Meetings Outlined by
 the Rev. W. s.
 Phillips, EXPLAINED TO
 CONG. CONFERENCE Dr. Leete on National Coun- Gil and Tri-union-Social ism Is Also Dis
 cussed.
 

| iAO 1OAl ~LlliIu duuudl IiGCllllS OL tAA9 New Haven West conference of the 1 Congregational churches was held yes- terday afternoon and evening with the [ WestvIlle Congregational church. The attendance was declared to be the best for some time. After organization and business a devotional service, led by ! Deacon A. II. Hayes, led the regular af- ternoon program. The report of the National council of the Congregational churches, held in Cleveland, was pre- scented by pr. w. w. Leete, pastor of the Dwight Place church. He stated in substance that the council had decided on such a modification of the well 1 known, independency of the local | church as indicated disposition tow ard the polity of the Presbyterian church or a representative form of government instead of a pure democra- l tic form. On the question of union with the Methodist Protestant and United Brethren churches a disposition toward union eventually was shown. Resolutions on these two principal acts of the council are to be presented for action to the local churches, Dr. Leete also spoke of the large place given to industrial and social questions by the National council, a great meeting be- ing provided for a discussion by rep resentatives of the Federation of Labor and of federated employers.
 Miss Bertha s. Rick of the Howard avenue church gave an account of her work for several years as mission, ary in Wisconsin and as deaconess in this city. pr. Watson l.. Phillips of the Church of the Redeemer outlined the plan for the Chapman evangelistic meetings to begin January 5th Dr. Phillips said that the churches of the city are practically unanimous in the purpose to conduct special meetings, The Episcopal churches will conduct missions at the, same time and encour- agenent is given to believe that the Catholic church will also hold missions, while the Universalist church of the ment, By the plan of pr. Chapman the city will be divided into eight districts. An evangelist and singer will be pro- vided for each, who will hold a central meeting about which the work of the churches in a district will be grouped. The district central in the city will have the service of Dr. Chapman. The report from the Hartford meetings of last year shows that as good results, If not the best came from the outly ing districts. The central district of the city will be between State and Col lege streets; others, churches along Howard avenue, Dixwell avenue, above York street, Westville, Fair Haven and West Haven. An executive committee { will have charge of arrangements and district committees in each section will be provided. The main series of meet ings to be led by Dr. Chapman will be preceded by cottage meetings and gen. eral conferences for several weeks throughout the city.
 Rev Prof IA. w. Vernon, D. D., gave an address on "The Modern Minister; His Message" In effect Dr. Vernon declared that the message of a minis- ter Is not 8 code of ethics, although a religion that does not issue in right conduct is not a religion; the mes sage is not system of doctrine; nor an authoritative book; norl an institu- ton, however helpful, but Christ, set forth as distinct from these, in all his purposes and power.
 After collation. provided by the ladies of the Westville Congregational church, the subject of the evening, "The Relationship of Socialism to Christianity" was taken up. The first speaker, Rev Harris E. Starr of Mt. Carmel, had as his theme: "Is there a strong drift toward Socialism," MT. Starr said in part:
 "That there is a strong drift toward socialism at the present time may be seen in the tendency of industrial evo- lution, political activity, religious thought, and in the remarkable growth of the soeialistic propaganda both in Europe and America. In the industrial world there is going on a conspicuous movement toward centralization. Cap tains of industry declare competition wasteful, primitive, absurd. Its era seems to be in the past. The evolution of the trust marks the grave of com- petition. Thus the tendency of indus- trial evolution is to banish what so- cialisns condemns.
 "The great combinations have come, and now the people are afraid of them. They are reaching out the hand to mark their bounds, and to hold them in check In all political parties in the United States there is a demand for government regulation. Govern ment regulation is not socialism, but 1t Is a drift in that direction Govern ment ownership may prove the next and logical step, The growing senti- ment in favor of municipal ownership here and abroad, the proposal to limit wealth by the income tax, the gradual extension of the referendum, the ten dency in our own country to widen the scope of the governments function and to increase It's power are other signs in the political world that suggest a drift in the direction of socialism.
 Tn the church there is a growing feeling that if the religion of Christ is to be anything more than beautiful sentiment, it must manifest itself prac- tically in an effort to reorganize the present social system. As Dr. Gladden. recently phrased it: It is the business Of Christians to banish hateful and destructive competitors and to bring