The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-12-23
Underwood Bouquets and Briekbats

/
gone into bankruptcy with assets moth.
| ing. Also we were told of Portland
preacher who has just joined the vaud.
eyille stage as famous singer, while
DIR. Hills troubles and his confession,
from the most famous pulpit of the
world, of defeated ideals have been
largely exploited in the press.
These items are significant of a con-
dtion of things and of hidden tragedies
in the lives of many who have lived for
the public good and no have often been
compelled TO make the best terms they
could with hard necessity, and are
sometimes made to feel like paupers
when pittance is grudgingly doled out
to them. In country where money
and commercialism hold such a high
place as among US, the ministry is de-
void of special attraction. The ranks
are not being filled with the flower of
the land. The brightest young men and
the best brains of the country are be-
ing drawn into commercial pursuits.
Even the professions of journalism,
medicine, law, are so evidently COM
mercialiezd that il is question wheth-
er they are not essentially money-mak-
ing institutions. The preacher spends
some 10 years preparing for his profess
sion and spends more in the process
than other professional men, while he
is relatively the poorest paid man in
the community. The average salary Of
preachers in the U. S. is 5000, consid-
erably less than that of the workmen
in Ford's automobile factory or the big
ammunition works.
The United States spends annually
more on dogs than the sum total paid
in salaries to the Protestant clergy of
the land. The tobacco bill in any COM
munity, in Underwood, Hood River or
White Salmon, exceeds the total
amount paid for education and religion
together. Then too, the older and
more experienced the preacher be-
comes the less he is desired. He is
idolized at 80, criticized at 40, ostracized
at 30 and Oslerized at 60. History
has not a place in the margin. even"
said DR.. Claiming, "for the minister
and the school mistress.
More than this, the ministry has
specific disadvantages. There is a
great deal that is petty, small, irritat-
ing. disagreeable. Any chit of school
girl. as we'll as the heavy weight citi-
zen, may knock him. 1t is not pleas
ant to assert ones self in opposition to
good men; to announce truth which
will surely be unwelcome to those who
are living in the twilight zone between
morality on one side and private and
domdestic sin on the other. The
preacher must lead the advance to
higher ideals than those of his time
and place and this is to be isolated. He
is often a martyr and involved in trag-
edy of which his congregation is as ig-
norant as they are of the text of his
last Sundays sermon.
The preacher is the prophet of a
coming better age, and the prophet is
always an unwelcome visitor. No age
likes him when he is around, but every
age applauds him when he has been
beheaded sufficient length of time.
This summer we rehearsed the story of
John Huss and wrote books in his
praise, but when he was with us 500
years ago, we murdered him. The
prophet attacks mans selfishness,
his naug6tiness and his sin, and no
thuh ilhSO thuts iHC ptOpuCt 10 a Ic-
former and society does not want to be
reformed. People who are rich / nd in
fluential, people who are having a good
time, living in sin and feasting upon
the fruits of oppression and frand, peo-
pie who are we'll fixed physically, and
who have only conscience enough to be
startled by moral dynamics and thun-
der bolts, have no use for a prophet.
We ought to read Winston Churchill's
"lnside the Cup" to familiarize our
selves with the condition confronting
the modern preacher in the modern city
church. These churches are often con-
trolled by unrighteous money and intlu.
ences which will make it very uncom-
fortable for anyone who questions their
supremacy or moral right. Some 20
years ago committee. of which this
writer was one, was appointed to in
vestigate ana report on the ownership
of property used for immoral purposes
in the city of Portland. 1t was shown
from the public record that most of
this property was owned by religious
people who controlled and financed the
churches. When the report with the
names was read to the city preachers
meeting one witness said it was like
calling the roll of the churches. 1t is
needless to add that no action was
taken on the report. One preacher
said any action would be like "monk-
eylng with the buzz saw" and one
who did make the report the subject of
a sermon and called things by their
right names vacated his pulpit shortly
afterward. Geo. H. Hines has the
report now carefully filed away in the
archives of the Oregon Historical soci-
ETY.. That the report is not antiquated
was shown only short time ago when
a business man in an address to the
Portland Y. M. c. A. said that 95 per
cent of the property in that town used
for illegal and immoral purposes was
in the hands of religious people.
What is the preacher to do? He can
be sure of having very comfortable
time in this world SO long ss be chimes
with prevalent beliefs and does not
hew too closely to the line of righteous
ness. The man who never interferes
with anybody's wickedness and will
take tainted money without question is
accounted a good fellow. But let him
stand up and declare against public and
private evil and he will at once come
into collision with the whirling wheel
of the worlds sin and be torn to pieces.
1t has been a thankless task in all
ages to try to make the world better.
Socrates had to drink hemIock for his
reward. The gentlest son of woman
that ever touched this earth was nailed
to cross. Wendell Phillips, Wilber-
force, John Brown, Beecher, Garrison,
lohn Waslav Whitfield nc uell oc tba