Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-28
Outside Point of Wen

| Theory is one thing and practice an
other Many beautiful theories we be-
lieve in and think and say they should
be practiced. The other day this scribe
was much interested in reading about
the new socialist mayor Of Science
tady. n. Y.
| DR.. Lunn was chaplain of Bryan's
regiment at the time of the Spanish
American war. and when some hVe or
six years ago committee from
| Schenectadys First Dutch Reformed
I church went about looking for
! clergyman to stir its supersensitive
! parish up, they just naturally. we read,
! chose Lunn. But Lunn more than stir
red things up:
He turned them over and did other
! things to them that made his congre-
cation game in amazement. When he
went to Schenectady somebody had de-
/ scribed it as a place Of rampant vice.
Rev. DR.. Lunn said the thing Schenec-
tady needed most was a plentiful
sprinkling of chloride Of lime. He
started to sprinkle it.
! When his first sermon had been de-
! iivercd the members of the congrega- :
| ton looked at each other In perpleXitv.
| The walls of that ariStocrauc churcn
had never before echoed with such
doctrines.
! I'm a short time Rev. DR.. Lunn was
| the most talked of and about minister
! Schenectady had ever had. Whereas
! there had been plenty of seats In the
| church before he became its pastor. his
sermons We're of character that H!ied
! the ediflce to Overlooking at each serV-
ice He exposed what he believed to be
wrong conditions. Ee held the mem
hers of his CONGREGATION responsible for
/ the state Of affairs.
| The trustees counseled him to use
moderation. hut his reply was broad
side that made them all seek cover.
Then the trustees decided that the
| human DYNAMO was not doing things
in accordance with the accepted view
of what a pastor of the church should
do. They did not like his activity in
vice crusading. Neither did the dive
keepers. There also was panic when
he showed who owned the property
that sheltered the resorts. There were
hints of asking for his resignation. He
resigned. mucn to their amazement
they not understanding how young
minister could forego the pleasure OF
being at the head of such a fashion
able body as theirs.
Rev. DR.. Lunn hired the opera house
and Sundays conducted what he called
the Peoples Church" 1t was neces-
sarv to have the police reserves out
at each service to keep the people IN
line, so many We're there who wanted
to get in. The ministers talk was
strongly socialistic. He hammered cor
porate wealth and wanted to correct I'll
abuses. The women flocked to him, fol-
he advocated their cause, even to wom-
an suffrage.
The newspapers Of Schenectady die
not give as much space to DR.. Lunn's
campaign and sermons as OF yore. TIC
the moneyed class Of the city he was
decidedly objectionable. Particularly
was this the case about taxation. He
looked over the assessors books and
found that the big corporations and the
big real estate dealers were not as
sessed near SO much as the small land
owner. He showed 1t up. Then when
the newspapers did not support him he
published one Of his own. It was q
weekly, but it was brimful of hot stuff
Then he consolidated his Peoples
church with the First Congregations
church. taking the pastor OF that body
as his assistant. The latter quit In g
short time. But Lunn didn't. He has
kept going.
He plunged into politics and soor
had the leaders OF the old political
parties on the run. He doomed high
when he was nominated for mayor or
the socialist ticket. His campaign was
cTara cteristic Of him. He lambasted the
bosses and ringsters of the city ant
landed in office with good majority
: It will be noticed that in this colun,,
no comment is made on the above. The
reader can think it over, surprising al
this had happened in his or her homt
town. Here's another newspaper specia
that suggests things:
Chicago, Dec 1S-"The Methods
, Episcopal church needs to fear toda,
the influence Of Unitarisn, Tnagntffed
advertised and clothed with respect
ability under the administration Of Mr.
Taft, our president" was the warnin,
Of Bishop ]. P. Berry, Of Buffalo, \
Y, before the weekly meeting of tn
Methodist Episcopal ministers today.
The bishop declared that the Metho
dist Episcopal church was at a stand
still and asserted that subtle attacks
! made on the divinity Of Christ" AM
the influence of Unitarism were tn
principal factors which menaced tn
church.
The admission that the bishop
t church was at standstil1." and tn
inference that the other was not ere
5 spectacle" certainly suggests that per
f haps cause and effect have been re
: served The Dutch Reformed church o
Schenectady. and the Buffalo bishop
evidently do not see themselves a
= many outsiders do.
E ~