Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-08
MANCHESTER, England.

November Z. 1NS-
-HE sensational ending of the church
congresses of the year is the one
= topic in religious circles. True, II
was not wholly unexpected, for the Angli-
cans invited it when they filled their pro-
gram for the church congress with sub
Iects so secular that even the most pro-
eressive laymen were a little alarmed.
Meeting as the congress did, amid the
stress and strain of an industrial exist
ence that finds itself pressed harder and
harder. it was felt by the leaders OF the
church that the discussion each day
should show in amplitude and variety Oh
thought the way in which the natlonat
church reflects the national life. For tnat
reason the program contained set papers
on socialism, factory life, industry and
commerce and their local problems, power
" and unemployment and secularism
II looked as though the church was in
vading the political field In taking up Ger
tain aspects of social reform. And the
three days of the congress pretty heatiy
confirmed that belief. 1t was the third
time in forty-eight years that the Angil-
cans had met in Manchester but never
before had the conditions been such as
they were presented this year Nearly
1 600 fewer tickets for the sessions were
sold than ever before, and this cannot be
said 10 be due to neglect on the part or
the officials or to the failure of the people
to enthuse over the programs. IL was
due to the fact that thousands and tnou-
sands in this great industrial center are
out of work and threaten to be for the
most of the winter.
The .ever-growing problem of unemploy-
ment doomed large in the minds of the
churchmen from the very opening of the
gathering The lord mayor in his official
welcome to the delegates referred to II,
the Bishop of Durham in his official ser
mon drew attention to it and the Bishop
of Manchester devoted practically the
whole Of his presidential address to 1t.
Something must be DONE was The bur-
den of all the speeches, but 1t was not in
tended that this something should be an
anti-religious, anti-moral socialism. 1t
was fear of this latter movement that
led the police to place extra men on guard
while the great church procession was be-
ing held and for mounted men to precede
the march from the town hall to the ca
thedral. Demonstrations by the unem-
ployed were feared, and rightfully, as de-
yelopments showed.
At Deansgate one excited individual
shook his fist In the face Of the Bishop OF
Manchester and another started the cry
OF. mo popery," chorus which Swelled
. until the discipline Of the police prevailed
and the interrupters were driven back.
There was another scene when the pro-
cession returned from the cathedral A
gang Of hooligans made up a mock pro-
cession that threatened to rush the march
. ing divines, but once again the police in
aervened.
IS 1t was such events that led the Bishop
Of Durham to throw extra feryor into his
address and for the Bishop Of Manchester
to deviate from his set address and say:
Am I wrong in alleging that this note
of dependency has to some extent affect
ed all classes of society even our lead
ers? Is 1t not to be traced In the uncer-
tainty, the want of f1nality, which char
acterizes our legislation? Which of our
modern statesmen handles great economic
problems with the enthusiasm, the def
niteness of Bright or a Golden? Which
of them has the courage of Robert Peel
or a Gladstone or the imagination Of a