Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-11-25
"THE BATTLE OF THE sLuM."
Terse Comments Upon the Christian
Endeavor Topic for November 20.
"1ome Missions: The Battle Of the
SIum.'" Luke 14:15-23.
BY WILLIAM r. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
/ The new firing line of Christian
| progress is in the city. There centre
| the problems that are likely to give
the twentieth century it's greatest con-
Germ. The congested and conglomerate
character of certain large sections Of
most modern municipalities has Gre
ated an entire new set Of social prob
lens. Some of these are SO grave as
to alarm thoughtful citizens. Political
economists are pointing out that the
lnext generation will have to face diff
cufties far graver than any that con-
fronted the pioneers who made two
great nations on the western CONT
nent.
| The first step toward the solution of
the problems that are bound up in the
congestion of the cities is to recognize
the existence and nature of these
problems. Here enter the responsible
tiles of the young peoples societies.
| 1t is the Christian duty, and the pa
triotic duty, of every young person to
interest himself in civic questions.
There are great battles to be fought;
the warriors must be trained for the
fighting. 1t is not too strong state
ment to declare that any person who
is Indifferent to what is loosely called
stthe slum question" is recreant in his
Christianity and his citizenship.
A common colloquialism of more
than ordinary expressiveness describes
the defeated in life as "the down and
out" These abound in the congested
portions of the city. They sprawl on
the benches of the public parks, doze
in rescue missions, huddle around the
radiators in cheap lodging houses, or
stand at the door of the liquor saloon.
Some of their stories are romantic
and tragic beyond novelist's telling
Emma G. Dowd gives significant hint
as to one way in which their ranks
are recruited
A man devout once kept a store,
And, not contented, he wanted more.
So he schemed and schemed, and he
That his neighbor merchant was
forced to sell.
And he bought, and fourished, and
flew into fame.
The other? l never heard what be-
came of the other man.
/ The associated charities of the near
est large city should be on the giving
list Of every Christian. Their claim
is as religious as that of foreign mis-
sions. Jesus was forever ministering
to the near-at-and poor and even to
the undeserving poor.
So long as the slums are regarded
as slums their problems will never be
met; but when once they are seen
as collections of people, with the same
instincts, impulses and needs as other
people, there is hope for helping them
God himself is not interested in "the
Masses" he knows all his sheep by
name. The divine art of brotherine
ones fellow men; that is the only way
to win tthe battle of the Sums"
The Living church" Of Milwaukee,
> has made an interesting study of the
names Of Episcopal churches in the
, United States. 1t finds that of the
i 1894 included in the count, ST. Johr
! has the first place, SCI churches being
, dedicated to him. Next in order come
ST. Paul. Trinity then Christ. The
twenty titles of our Lord are used 90;
, times, of which 474 are Christ church
: and las bear the name of The Coco
Shepherd. Six Of the apostles are
, more often honored than Peter, while
! Andrew is sponsor for 243 churches tt
;. Peters ITO. st. George, a saint whose
name is not found in the Bible, come
ahead of all the new testament saints
:. in seventy-nine churches. Of tn,
!. names of women, st. Mary stands frs
+ with 1914, while St. Thebe and ST
q Mary Magadalene have each one.
S In commenting upon the fact that il
) the Philippines the missionaries agreed
: at the outset that the evangelical
l. churches should bear one Christia'
g name. The Christian Evangelist" o
d ST. Louis, suggests that in this countr
# all the churches should likewise bea
t a common name, having perhaps
parenthetical designation at the EN-
l. for the purpose of legal or historica
$ identification. 1t suggests such name
# as THE Churches of Christ" (Baptist)
S The Churches of Christ" (Presbytel
r lam, THE Churches of Christ
e (Methodist), etc.
= Owing to his obligations in connet
y ton with the foreign student work, MI
n John R. Mott has declined the secre
c taryship of the federal council of tn
o Churches of Christ in America.