The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-18

people to subscribe SO soon after pay
/ ing their first subscriptions to the
building. l think it will be wise to
take this matter up at once and map
out plan by which ii can be raised
and that plan vigorously applied until
the whole Indebtedness Is wiped out.
which at present is $l6,500 Some
subscriptions are in hand already
made constitutional on the whole
amount being raised. The associa-
ton can be made self-sustaining If
this interest is cut out of the budget
and the membership raised to 1000.
/ recommend an immediate canvass
for members until every man and boy
in Richmond has been solicited for
membership.
A Good Investment.
1t is truly ''Richmond's Best Invest
| ment." What other institution throws
open its doors day. and night and Of
/ fers free to any boy or man any priv.
ileges whatever What other insti-
tuition shelters at very nominal
price sixty young men, giving them
decent. Christian. homelike environ
| ment? What other institution meets
any man on a common level and helps
him to help himself. gives him free
education, secures for him employ
ment? What other institution looks
after our boys when they break their
mothers apron strings and teaches
them the same lesson Of morality and
manliness she has? What other insti-
tuition employs several specially train
ed men whose lives are devoted to the
building up of character in the boy
to manhood?
What other institution takes each
individual boy or man and tries to
make the best possible piece of phys
ical. moral and spiritual manhood out
of him?
What other institution appeals only
to the good qualities of our boys and
develops that, enabling them to over
come evil tendencies?
Protects Young Men.
What other institution stands be-
tween the parent and the world to
! warn and protect the young man from
evil influence?
1 answer, There is none.
| do not say tonight that the
Young Mems Christian Association of
Richmond has done all these things
fully and effectually and that we have
proofs of many cases. but l do say
that we are doing this work and that
We have some concrete cases. We
do not hear of all the good we do. but
we quickly and publicly hear of any
thing wrong We do. even if it be SO
| small a misdemeanor as throwing an
egg. Remember. there were ten lep-
'ers healed. made whole, translated
| from the most loathsome disease of
the body to perfect physical man
hood, and to this day only one of
them has made public mention of it.
Leaves Good Taste.
Sixty-five men under this roof and
the influence of these surroundings
caanot be made any worse by these en-
vironments. Thirty-five thousand eat
ers in the Spa would come in contact
someway, somehow, with somebody or
something here that would, at least,
leave good taste in their mouths.
One thousand transients seeking
, anu obtaining shelter over night might
see the difference between Christian
organization and a dive or bothel
where some might go to spend the
evening were the Y NJ C. A. not open.
These 10000 fellows who played
some game in these rooms might have
missed a thousand traps that were
laid to catch them somewhere. that
would result in their dawnfall
The 10000 who spent an hour in
physical exercises here might each
have filled a want of nature that en-
abled her to dispel disease and the
time was well spent in good company
and was followed by good sound Sleep
Study Of the Bible.
The 1916 boys snatched from their
play to an hours Bible study will
never feel any harm from It. Let us
thing to ask those boys fifty years
hence, and they will tell us that the
influence of the Y NJ c. A. were next
to those of the home and were a great
help to them ell their lives.
Now, my dear friends. l am afraid
that we have not yet awakened to the
fact that here is Richmond greatest
institution, Richmond's best invest
ment. We, who seek and find good in
&c 20 xal1