The farmer and mechanic., 1913-02-25
"A STARTLING SENSA TTON
AND 4 SIGNIFICANT SURPRISE
By Bishop W. A. Gambler.

fNurfG are DcIOK IndQe 10 correct the !
social evil" and close the houses OF |
shame in the cities. 1t Is the outcome |
- an advancing conscientiousness in |
;he iand with reference to legalized |
,nmoralitieS.
From one OF the most important
.,ties in the union came a press dis |
pa,ch some days ago concerning the |
.rrsade against vice in that city It |
sss occupied exclusively with telling |
how one preacher OF all the ministers
IN tbe city favored "the segregation Of
wee" in red light" districts. This
Dispatch was printed under this "scare
mead" caption: preacher FavOrs Seq
,rgated Vice." The whole thing show
.d how the press correspondent, who
-cnt the dispatch, and the telegraph
editor, who perhaps wrote the head
inc. were alike surprised by the posi-
lion of this lone preacher, who takes
tho wrong side of the question. They
sought TO make a sensation Of the
..ase because they evidently felt it
would surprise the public as much as
r. surprised them: and in this view
,oncerning the public's surprise they
were correct. The case presents a sig
,idcant surprise from which whole
some instruction may be drawn by
little meditation.
Why were these men and others
surprised by the position taken by the
reason than that 1t was felt to be out
of keeping with the character Of a
minister of the gospel. Men OF all
shades Of opinion, from the hottest to
The Vilcst ~orsOnS in the community,
feel that 1t is inconsistent with minis
terial character to compromise with
sin in any form.
1t is quite true that a certain num-
her of men in every community are
disposed to applaud a preacher whose
moral sentiments are lax and whose
pulpit utterances are loose but in their
hearts they do not hold him In the
highest esteem. They will call him to
nanauets, invite him to clubs some-
what off color in moral character, or
elect him chaplain to some irrelSgious
"idcr or secular institution, but when
sore trial comes to them, or when
acath stares them in the face, they do
,ot want him, and at such times he
docs not want to be with them. A
more religious type OF preacher is
sesred when issues too serious to be
compromised and too inevitable to be
-laded. are involved. When man
finds himself IN situation where tri-
Hing is out Of the question. he does
not care To call to his aid a clerical
triHer. Worldly preachers (save the
mark. hut there are worldly preach
"rsD should stop long enough from
he engagements Of their worldly lives
10 consider why worldly men pet them
and make much Of them in days OF
ease and do not desire their presence
III hours Of anguish. A due consider
alton of the fact might lead some OF
them To renounce the low position o!
clerical arbiters to worldly sinners, an(
resume the high position OF ambassa
doris OF God. from which they have
fdlien. In the courts Of royalty IL
former times there was one called 9TH
klng's fool; his rank was not high
although he feasted at his sovereign
liable and was praised for his wit; h
Was never called to counsels in which
wise statesmen considered the seriou
matters Of the kingdom, but was use
Tor purposes Of amusement only. II
Was quite as useful as is the preache
Who suffers himself to be made tn
plaything Of worldly men. and VIII
plays the part Of hberalist for tn
worldly patronage he may win there
~. Hts Office was exactly on the levt
II these pulpits In which sorry pulpit
wares are exhibited as the marketabl
Stuff which worldly men seek whe
providing for the pleasures Of an idl
hour' But how immeasurably belo'
'he plane Of messenger OF God
such Il level!
Inc significant surprise disclosed j
'his press dispatch sheds light on tf
question of what Is the right way
deal with that putrescent evil calle
'he social evir'. It shows that eve
men of the world know perfectly we
mat there Is but one logical and souH
position to take on the question. ar
mat ~ that this evil must be absolute
extirpated. 1t is worse than idle
's's about compromising with wante
~ichedness; and the time is not far 9
~heh any such proposal will be lOokt
rack upon as the base and coward
Standard of a licentious era. Wh'
mat nobler period, which has alrea'
"pened, has fully come. the polygan
W The unspeakable Turk will be CO
s'dered no more disreputable than
proposal for civil authorities to segr
gate unlawful vice and leave 1t
Hork It's purulent iniQuity In pollut
a's''icts. The posterity Of men. WI
now apologize for such segregation,