Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-29
FEDERATION OF
CHURCHES Halls
RECALL MAYOR
ALEXANDER ADDRESSES HUGE
MASS MEETING
FoREsEEs ERA OF POLITICS RE.
GENERATED
President RyIand Speaks Of Work by
National Convention Undertaken
on Behalf Of Cause of
Labor

-
Mayor-elect George Alexander made
his first public address since his cleo
ton to the mayoralty yesterday after
noon at the mass meeting of the
Church Federation of Los Angeles ard
was rendered an enthusiastic ovation.
Tho auditorium and gallery of the First
Methodist church were completely filled
with an interested congregation.
Mayor-elect Alexander delivered a
heartfelt speech and Rev. e. p. Ryland,
president of the federation, spoke of
the work of the national convention of
the federation of churches, giving ex-
tended extracts from Its report on
modern labor conditions.
S. p. Milford presided, and in brief
address introduced Mayor-elect Alexan-
der as the first speaker of the after
room. The mayor-elect was greeted
with handclapping and the Chautauqua
salute. Mr.. Alexander said In part:
IT heartily approve of the work of the
Church Federation, for in union there
is strength. When the churches work
together they can accomplish great
deal more than when they work sepa-
rately.
.oThis city, owes a debt of gratitude
to the federation of churches for their
good work in the cause of civic righte-
BUSINESS. am pleased to see the Chris
tian people taking such an interest in
public affairs.
I'm country like ours good Chris
tian should also be q good citizen. And
unless our church members take part
in the selection of our public officials
the same conditions that have existed
in our city government for years will
continue. There are enough good. moral
PEOPLE in our fair city to have the best
governed municipality in the nation If
they work together and Danish party
POLITICS in the selection of public Of
ficials (Applause) The city scored a
great victory in February when we
adopted charter amendments. Amend
ment No. banishes politics from the
nomination Of city officials The ma
chine never had such blow as in that
amendment.
Did Not Want Interference
During the recall campaign the cor
rupt politicians were denouncing the
churches and ministers for interfering
in politics Many of them openly said
they would never vote for a church
member, but evidently many did. They
think the church has no place in poll
tics, and they do not desire to see
Christian principles applied to politics.
when the church realizes it's re-
sponsibility In this matter and stands
together for good men and measures
city has to consider land politics will
not be as dirty as 1t Is now.
Race track gambling would still be
with us If the Christian people of the
state had not helped to abolish 1t. This
city is on trial before the nation at
this time. That vice has been pro-
tected In our city seems to have been
proved, and we must see to 1t that
the laws shall be enforced and that
honesty, morality and virtue shall be
protected and vice banished from our
city.
"A majority of our people at the
recall election March 26 has expressed
its wishes on these questions and
shall try to carry out those wishes to
the best of my ability"
Here the voice of the mayor trembled
with intense feeling and his utterances
were drowned in loud and continued
hand-clapping. He continued:
II am well aware of the many diff
culties that 1 shall meet, but, God
helping me. will do my best to over
come them. 1 realize that this will
not be very easy task, but with
the help of the many good people in
our city we certainly can improve pres
ent conditions.
Awakening Is General
There seems to be an awakening all
over the country to the fact that our
municipalities are being badly gov
erned. Los Angeles is a city of homes
and we have more intelligent people
who think for themselves than has
any city of its size in the country.
We should be able to carry out re-
forms which others cannot, and our
success will encourage others.
"Can we not have a city wide awake
and progressive? A city of homes
where our young people and strangers
shall be safe from the snares and
AAxx tot 90 ~ nt
get in the front rank for better things"
Rev. Mr.. Ryland's address was
heartily applauded and motion was
adopted asking that the address be
printed in the daily and religious press
and given wide circulation. In part he
spoke as follows:
.It was a most significant event
when thirty-three denominations met
through their representatives at Phila-
delphia. The 400 delegates at that con-
ference represented 100000 of the
10000, 900 of Professionals in the United
Estates. 1t means that nine-tenths of
the Protestant Christians are seeking
to know how thew may. cooperate in
the work of the kingdom of Christ, and
many of them are loudly seeking or
ganic union OF those bodies that are
in doctrine and polity so nearly alike.
It may not be too much to hope that
this great conference of federated
churches may have been the beginning
OF a movement that will largely shape
the future of the kingdom of him who
is above all.
For Religious instruction
at was generally recognized that
the public school has not been able
to impar<. moral instruction sufficiently
and something further is needed in
the building of the character of our
American children. After much dis
cussion it was suggested that half
school day be devoted each week to
religious instructions: that the children
be permitted to, go to the church of
the choice of their parents, and there,
under the general supervision of the
pastors, receive instruction in religion,
church and Christian history, and that
the children who do not care for re-
llgious instruction go to the school
building, where they will receive in
struction sother than religious for that
afternoon. 81
'sIn regard to the church and modern
industry, the following report will sug-
gest the attitude of the conferences:
"There are many phases of the pres
ent Industrial conditions in the United
States which cry aloud for immediate
remedy The church, which has obli-
cations to every sort of interest and
person in the community, must be
identified, locally and nationally, with
the whole of the people more markedly
than with any part of them, and will
be sensitive to every influence which
affects the larger constituency. It is
not the kind of men that should COIN
mand the churches attention but their