New-York tribune., 1908-04-22
EASY TO REFORM RICH
SO Say Missionaries at Housing
Metro politnn Meeting.

As an opening meeting Of 2 mission campaign
that of the Evanxelistc Committee. the gathering
the Metropolitan Opera House last night ecipsea
any first opera night in attendance and edasHsd u
in enthusiasm over six thousand persons heard
the strong appeal or the Rev Dr. ]. Wilbur char
man the evangelist for mission effort: of tho Rev
c. ". Gordon G2eph Common for the personal
element In religion. and listened 10 the great VOL
ume OF song from the audience snd chorus and
the solos Nearly as many persons were turned
away.
The approaches 10 the opera house for tao
blocks north and south were throneed for an hour
before the opening. Within. before the beginning
Of the services. there was standing room cnly- IN
the audience ministers. SUNDAY school classes
from several churches and among the chorus were
also whte-.,Iad girls from Sunday schools and mis-
sons. The chorus. under the direction Of Charles
NJ. Alexander FIVE hundred strong. and, with
the audience made sensational feature. mas
much as Mr. Alexander manipulated each as an
orSaaist haQdles the pedals
The Rev. DR.. Arthur ]. Smith the superintendent
Of the Evangelistic Committees work this year. of
which this meeting was the beginning aA fund
raising part. made an appeal for support as did
also the Rev DR.. a. F Schauffer who presided
Dr.. Smith said that it intended to erect ten
tents for this years campaign practically in the
same districts as last year Dr. Schaufier said
that $4,000 needed for the work. and he asked
all pastors interested to make appeals to their
churches.
Compassion was the key TO success in mission
airy work. DR.. Chapman said The hearts OF the
rich were as easy 10 reach the poor through
that Environment was not everything. he
said.
'How~about Adam and Eve?'' he cried How
about Judas Iscariot?
Mr. Gordon began by declaring that he had been
converted to mission work by DR.. Chapman He
Presbyterian minister. he said. and they
must often be converted from their conservatism.
which there was much laughter He gave ns-
merous instances Of the result Of personal work.
best results could be accomplished by the churches.
Cards were distributed for collection and II
was said that the pledges were almost enough TO
insure good beginning Of the work
The committee gave luncheon at the Hotel
Astor in the afternoon to pastors OF churches and
others who were interested~tn the work From
luncheon it developed into prayer meeting. and
then into rousing rally and experience meeting
There was much approval when the Rev. J. Wilbur
Chapman the evangelist who made the principal
address the evening. said in reference 10 what
he called evangestic work.
'CIergymen should have more courage The rea-
son society and riches cover so many sins is be-
cause they are afraid 10 walk up 10 a Rockefeller,
q Morgan Carnegie. slap him on the back and
tell him he is doing wrong, just as they would do
to a poor parishioner. II is no harder 10 reform
rich capitalist than to reclaim bum"
The Rev Mr.. Gordon got great applause for his
speech, in which he told Of his experiences IN
Philadelphia the rallies there, interspersng his
remarks with what he called newly acquired
Auericanisms
He talked of his eyes stopping over when
affected in his work of getting discouraged some
times and feeling like -chucking his work'-ths in
reference to his Philadelphia experience: OF look
ing over his sermons sometimes and finding some
that couldn't do the trick" and then he declared
that the rich especially needed missionary work
The Rev. John G. Fagg- minister Of the Middle
COLLEGIATE Church 10TH street and Second avenue.
was the toastnaster at the meeting Late in the
afternoon a reception was held in honor Of Mrs.
Alexander at the home OF ex-Mayor Seth Low.