The Washington herald., 1909-07-24
City's Corruption.

editor and moral teacher In a city that at
least once every few months he make a
quiet tour of all phases OF city life
through the ''tenderioin.' with its. to
him. shocking amusements; the variety
theaters. the dance halls. the Chinese res
taurants, the mill districts. the foreign
quarter. the fashionable hotels and the
aristOcratic clubs. For the first problem
OF our day is the problem OF the city; and
Il cannot be solved by men who have
only a secondhand knowledge Of 1t. An
open-eyed view Of things as they are is
the first essential equipment Of a re-
former. Whosoever would improve the
existing order must make all his the
cries bend to the ascertained facts.
Only Of late is the Christian church
awakening TO the fact that this tremen-
dous and increasing city problem requires
new methods and new men. 1t is in vain
that we endeavor TO meeg the exigences
Of this extraordinary occasion by country
church methods OF several generations
ago. An entire new book Of tactics needs
20 be written by the leaders of the armies
Of righteousness. For the church simply
must make good at urban centers. II she
fails there. she meets her Waterloo. The
tide OF emigration on the part OF metro
politan congregations from the districts
where there are the most people, simply
because these people are no longer Of the
old-fashiOned. church-going type OF ma
tlve-born Americans Is an almost in
credible blunder The apostolic church
boldly attacked the city problem. We
find Paul face TO face with Corlnth and
all that ii involved. The church of to-
day cannot be behind the church Of the
first century
THE wICKEDEsT CITY.
There has been more than a little talk
ns 10 which city on this Western CONT
nent merits the unenviable distinction OF
being the wickedest I think l know.
but TO mention names would serve no
good purpose. on this point there may
be dispute. but It is generally conceded
that In the world al the time OF the
apostles, Corinth held the palm for de-
pravity. It's very name had been changed
into an adjective. and "tO Corinthianize"
meant 60 deoauch. With mixed popu-
lation. like present-day Port Said and. /
Ike the latter city situated at a crOssway |
Of commerce, COrinth extended hospitality |
to all the vices OF all the people OF its |
capital OF Greco, and Its games were I
famous, so that the apostle who dwelt /
in the midst Of this multiform life for a
year and a half more than once used the /
figure OF the Corinthian games 10 typify !
the Christians struggle with evil.
Nothing IS wholly bad, and whenever |
one Is tempted to utter a jeremiad con- |
corning a modern city il Is TO be remem- /
bered that even IN depraved Corinth the
Lord said. I have much people in this |
city. Some persons go 70 a modern city I
and discover only vice. Others go and F.
find themselves IN touch with powerful /
and Inspiring forces representing the
highest elements in human life. Paul
had no difficulty IN allying himself with
a real community of fellow-craftsmen-I
for his problem. Ike that OF many
another stranger going 20 a city. was
the one Of self-support-and he discovered
the Jewish synagogue as a lighthouse OF
the one true God amid all the heather
blaclIness that environed IT,
THE CITY AS A PLAYGROUND.
Paul was a city man. Yet he never
became wholly Injured 20 the wickedness
and the emptiness Of city life. He was
as greatly affected by the frivolity Of this
metropolis as by its vices. The city is .
not ony the workshop Of the twentieth .
century. but also its playground Men /
and women go to the city for good I
time" How empty and inane is much OF /
the pleasure that is provided for these /
residents and visitors every thoughtful .
observer has remarked. There are few .
things more discoWaging than a night .
spent on New Yorks Great White 4
Way" II Is not only that people are 50 /
often vulgar and wicked. but also that 4
they are frivolous and unsatisfactory.
Our urban civilization has created arti- ,
fetal standards which are vicious. The l
newspapers told the other day how a
certain woman testified in cOurt-this /
kind Of people easily find their way into (
court-that her social standing required /
her to wear at least three different dresses /
a day. each costing about $500, and that |
she never wore the same dress twice! mi
the face OF such facts one cannot wonder /
at the presence OF sullen anarchy or /
rampant socialism Consider how we /
have multiplied the forms and accessories !
of what we call good society" The |
modern table Is not well furnished unless /
II has great array Of knives and forks /
and spoons and curious implements, until |
one has more pity for the state OF mind |
which has so burdened itself with useless
membranes Of an unreal Journalism |
try visitor who finds himself helpless /
among this array Of table accessories.
THE GOOD AMIDST THE BAD.
Beneath all this overlap OF foolish and |
needless extravagances which character |
ize the modern city life there yet remains. |
even as Paul found in Corinth, a thirst !
for religion. Recently a Young Womans
Christian Association worker was MAX
ing q Bible talk 10 a company of young
people IN a training school. BY chance.
a wealthy woman and leader in aristo-
cratic social circles entered the meeting
and heard her. She requested that the
association secretary spend the next sun
day at her home. palatial residence sub
urban TO New York There the visitor
found that she was called upon 70 meet
some thirty OF her hostess neiehbo-s
men and women Of wealth and position
some Of them known the world around
as social leaders. To this gorgeously ar L
rayed company she was asked to teach /
the Bible. So real was their interest that
they urged that she come every week 10 4
teach them in a Bible class which they
would form. Instances are not wanting
70 illustrate that even the men and women Il
who are dizziest with the perpetual round
OF pleasure-seeking and the observance
OF social forms still hunger for the bread
that satisfies
THE GOOD MAN IN A BAD PLACE
Face to face with the medern city. as
Paul was face TO face with Corinth the
question arises for the church. Has
Christianity word FOR the times? l. IL
equal TO these new hard tasks? Must II
flee from the crowded feted polyglot
downtown. TO the more congenlal atmOs-
sphere OF prosperous nntnwn districtsa