El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-02

A significant experiment in demo-
! cratic religion is in progress in Sche-
nectady, n. Y. 1t is called the Peoples
church, and its inspiring factor is Rev.
i Dr. George r. Lunn, who resigned from
the pastOrate of the most aristocratic
| congregation in that city to champion
the interests of common humanity.
Schenectady is a peculiar city. Orig
nially controlled by conservative ma
tlves, it is today in the grip of absentee
capitalism. In 10 years its population
has leaped from $4,000 to $4,000, and
the bulk OF this "outlander increment"
depends for its daily bread upon two
immense industries, the General Elec-
trio company, employing, at maximum,
1900 workers.. and the American Loco
motive company, employing between
5000 and 1000.
DR.. Lunn, full of faith in the eff
cacy of the Christian religion to solve
those problems, came to the pulpit Of
Schenectady's most substantial congre-
cation resolved to battle for q bettered
social order.
He began by insisting that what mat
tered most was not what doctrines a
man professed to believe in, but how he
behaved himself as man and brother.
To Exile Women.
There arose a crusade to exile certain
notorious women outcastS. He did not
join, but affirmed that women who
were driven into social uncleanness by
the scant wages of unchristianized in
dustry might not be half so guilty in
the sight of God as women whose I'M
earned wealth had been in part re-
cruited by high rentals derived from
dealers in vice.
The street railway system in Sche-
nectady had been owned and managed
by the General Electric company. It
had given good car service, had sold
six tickets Called red tickets'O for
quarter and had been liberal with
transfers. When the New York Cen
trail and Delaware & Hudson steam
lines conceived the plan of securing
control of trolley traffic in The Mo-
hawk valley, refined compulsion" was
put upon the General Electric people TO
sell the Schenectady trolley system.
On May IA. 1907, the new manage
ment said: THE desire IF the company
is to extend its service md . continue
the use of the socalled red tickets but
justice TO the company makes it unwfse
that it should guarantee n Ierpetuity
this low rate of fare
Raising the Fare.
On March l, 1908, the fare was raised
to the fiat cent rate Although the
general manager Of the company was
a member of the finance committee Of
his church, Dr. Lunn headed = citi-
zens' committee, which first conferred
with the president of the Company in
fruitless endeavOr to secure revoca-
cation of the raise, and later carried
the whole traction situation before the
state public service commission.
But ii was in his contact with the
politicians that this fighting parson
stirred up the biggest hornets nest
william w WempIe, of Schenectady.
was in the state senate when governor
Hughes began his effort to delegalize
bookmaking. Mr.. Wemple voted with
the racing interests. For this he was
roundly cenSured by the Schenectady
association. But Dr. Lunnil
thought II would be a good thing to
have the governor come over to Sche-
nectady and make a speech. The presi-
dent of the Ministerial association was
absent from the city. hence DR.. Lunn
went ahead on his own responsibility. I