The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-19

opeh ar meetings are held Broad street.
generally at the corner OF seventh or Eighth.
ifdt as before stated, the mission has its build
ing ON Eighteenth street and holds It's open
air meetings In front of the old market right
IN the heart of the slum district 1t reaches
large number of people--the most needy
ehat could be imagined.
But someone may ask for proofs of its
tniless. During the year the mission has fed
N the hall at one time and another 7ss people
II mas sent out 4l3 baskets. IL has given away
~ mats. b5 pairs of shoes and overcoats
i}esides this it has given ether clothing to 500
away $1,000
But that is only the teriai side of it. What
about The spiritual? DO the meetings do good
night In the week. except two. both in the hall
ana on the street. These meetings largely
attended at both places, and in the hall meet
thGs Tor the past year the different ministers
81 the city have taken part. as we'll as honored
5'%tneh OF the church. Among the ministers
htipins were Rev. J. \. Latham. Rev. George
MeI'ahies, Rev. Il. i. Lipscomh, Rev. L. l..
Williams and others. Others have promised
ne'p Tor the coming year. In these services
during the year ESQ persons have professed
religion. On night eleven received
into the church In duo form by one Of the
minister's and assigned to the various churches.
Now shall such work he suppressed. or
shaa it oe supported VIII the people say.
Away with IT, or will they give 1t their SYM
PathJ. their encouragement and--if need be
lnslr contributions 1t has not tried To In
lure amy other organization or work of charity.
Why should amy other try TO iniure that? Sure
mere rs room enough for all who want To
work for God. Then, too can expect to
prosper hy pulling another down. Jealousy
and Islander and false accusation are pro-
ducts of Christianity. They children Of the
devil and will at last get the reoake which
theS deserve The people who work In that
mission are not fakes and hypocrtes. They are
Christian people who have seen an opportunity
which nobody else appeared and they
are using II because no others have done so.
aud because they have zeal for the salvation
OF souls. II they We're Hoing no good, they
would not be entitled to Il place. but they are
doing n much needed work and they VIII con-
! tinue to do so in spite of opposition. believing
as they do that God will take OF His own,
can the Salvation Army show better record
in given and In compa rison with Its
ability The mission has fed the hungry
clothed the naked and brought those who were
low down morally up to true man and woman
MOOD every cent OF the money obtained mas
been pat to the best possible use. but only
email fragment of the expense incurred Is met
by public collections. The balance Is paid out
of the purse OF the Christian woman who is al
the head of it, aided, in measure, by private
subscriptions. And III condemning 1t what
does the salvation Army do 1t puts the brand
Of fake npen every minister Who has preached
there and upon every Christian worker who
has taken part in the services. Now shall a
70" men who have been in Richmond less than
a year presume 10 put into the list of scums
and ontcasts the pastors and some of the hest
citizens Of our city: They must not. They
shall not.
The leaders Of the mission would not inter
fere with the work Of the Starvation Army. on
the other hand II would bid them God-speed,
praying Ills richest blessing upon them; and
they politely ask that the Salvation Army will
not interfere with them. They ask that in a
Christian spirit. but il request will do it,
they demand that these attacks be stopped at
once, there may be trouble. Since this
article began To be written another letter has
appeared In which the public is warned
against the '-imitators The mission workers
desire to warn the writer Of such articles.
whoever he may be- to let others appear.
the mission workers will not join them. A
most urgent invitation has been extended TO
one Of them to do IT pointed out that
II she would put her money into the organiza-
ZION stock company the investment would
pay her handsomely. But she told them that
she in the work not to make money, but
for the love of souls. and she refused to do it.
Do they regard the mission workers as Inn
posters because they want work indepen-
IDENTIFY? A long time ago one fell into that
error and said. Master, casting
With us and forbade because he foloweth
with VA But Jesus said. Forbid him not, for
there is which shan miracle In
my that lightly speak evil OF me,
For he that is not against is for For
whatsoever shall giTfs cup of water to drink
In ray name because ye belong to Christ verify
say YOU he shall not. lose his reward"
The writer of this article having been long
engaged In religious work and especially mis-
sion work, knows whereof he speaks In refer
enoe the statements mae-a In this letter. He
Is Interested In the salvation Army and In
every other organization which has for Its Oh
two years he had been more closely identified
with the Eighteenth Street Mission than any
other and he od to write this defense of II
because of his interest in the moral welfare OF
the city and In religious work generally
o. f. ND