The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-05-06
J0LTs CHURCH C0ER
DECLARES MINI TO BE WEARY
WILLIE OF RELIGION.
H. P. Silver Of Topeka Talks in a
Vigorous Manner to the Ministers
in Chicago; Tells the Clergy That
Their Touch Is Too Light; Should
Make the Pensioners Dig Deep
for the Mission Fund

Chicago, May 1.-The average Chr
cago church member is Il spiritual hobo.
He considers himself one of those
happy mediums represented by Weary
Willie, who was too light to do heavy
work and too heavy to do light work.
In his attitude toward religion he re-
6embles the hand out artist who holds
up button and asks the woman of
the house to sew shirt upon it,.
Standing before huge chart in
Orchestra Hall, showing in detail how
Chicago church members devote ON the
average IS cents a year of their in
comes for foreign missions, II. p. Silver
of Topeka delivered himself of this
arrangement at the laymen's mission
airy convention Five hundred minis
ters of Chicago and vicinity made up
his audience and they applauded Wig
orously even when he turned upon
them and held them responsible for
the spiritual shiftlessness existing in
this city.
"TOO Much Timid Asking"
There is too much timid asking on
he part of the ministers and not
enough Of commanding" he said. "You
have too little confidence. in the desire
of your congregation TO do good, and
such doubt is contagious.
Il believe one of the great secrets
of handling men is to tell them to do
things rather than ask them if they
won't. You would do well TO follow
the example set by the fraternal LODI
ges. The men in these organizations
are never requested to do IL piece of
philantmopic work. They are told to
do. it, and / have never seen one of
them refuse.
Men Need leadership
''AIcn need leadership. They crave
men big and brave enough to tell them
what to do. These figures showing the
ridiculonsly small support Chicago
churches are giving to foreign missions
does not mean that the men of Chicago
Gre miserably stingy. 1t means that
they have failed to receive intelligent
Information.
And you ministers must break away
from the oyster stew'an The pink tea
andAall Your othcr costly little devices
for painlessIy separating men from
F their money. Ii is unworthy Of the
great object TO which the money is to
be put. 1t lowers the dignity Of the
church.
RapS the Rummage Sales.
a man will give money for yomr
apron sales and your rummage sales
and your pink teas, but he gives erud-
9ingly. Show him the great work
that is going ON and the need there
is and he will give eagerly. Men are
hunting for avenues of outlet for their
money and for their energies, and be-
cause they are not being shown good
channels in which to eXpend them they
ere expanding them in ways that are
harmful
so much attention is being devoted
| to the commercial side of life that
men in this age are becoming sid
ed The result is that it is an age of
/ the rule of gold rather than the gold
en- rule. The standard of success is
! how much man can take from
society, rather than how much he
can add to it. 1t is time for a right
| about face. and if the ministers cannot
lead it they mad better look out
There is very significant activity
| among the laymen."