Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-07
HOT SPRINGS BIGGEST EVENT

From the New Era, Hot Springs, Ark.
Hot Springs is by no means the only
town where churches have manifested
most healthy and beneficial interest
in civic work.
Harrisburg, Pa, the capital of the
keystone State, for the past several
years has been carrying on q line of
civic improvements until now it has
| more paved streets for its size and
population than any city in the United
States. When the big things COM
menced to materialize for Harrisburg
the churches were asked to lend their
assistance and give their cooperation.
Harrisburg has made greater progress
in every worthy way in those past
years than ever before in it's history.
Its citizens knew that the respective
undertakings were for the best interest
of all because such projects had the
backing and support of the churches.
Last week Harrisburg witnessed
miles of river front changed from an
unsightly and unsanitary condition to
banks of evenly cut grass and beauti-
full flowers. Concrete steps lead down
to the waters edge, along which run
concrete walks. Harrisburg celebrated
the accomplishment of this last mu-
ntctpal improvement. Eleven thou
sand school children had a day all to
themselves. The churches had an
other day, all of which caused a sub
evening paper, to inquire why Harris
burg always mixed it's municipal un-
dertakings up with the church. The
inquiry, together with the reply by the
Telegraph's editor, follows. In view
of local criticism concerning church
activity here, this is both timely and
interesting, and seems to bear out the
contention made by the New Era a
few evenings ago that it is a healthy
sign for any city when the churches
are asked TO cooperate in those things
that made for city's progress. But
read:
"I note with interest that your town
starts almost every one of it's cele-
brations and its Improvement CAM
paigns with services in the churches.
Does it not seem odd to you to ask
your preachers to link up the spiritual
and the secular, and are there not
things in your public celebrations and
your loan schemes that the church
should not be asked to countenance?
Personally believe the church should
confine itself to things purely re-
ligious"
To the foregoing the editor said:
To begin with, 1t may be said that
the biggest event of each week, judged
from the standpoint of attendance, is
the Sunday church service More peo-
pie attend church in Harrisburg than
gather together, week in and week out,
Tor any other purpose. The church,
therefore, must be regarded as the one
great institution in which a large ma
1ority of our people are interested. 1t
would seem only proper, therefore,
that the church should participate in
our celebrations and support our pub
lie Improvement enterprises. Harris
burg has never encouraged an i'm
provement or planned a public Jubilee
with which any church could take ex-
ception.
'The Telegraph is quite aware that
there are those who criticise the
church for entering into the life of the
| community. going into the byways to
do social welfare work, giving atten-
tfon to public philanthropies and striv-
ing for better living conditions. To
these the church should be a thing
| apart, precinct sacred to worship.
and separated entirely from all forms
OF earthly activities. But on the other
hand there are critics who take view
diametrically opposed to this and who
are sure that the church would be the
stronger to-day had it's membership
begun earlier to participate in the
affairs of the community along the
lines indicated.
Surely there can be no harm in the
church giving of its dignity and char
| acter to anything that it's members
may undertake for the betterment of
| their town-which after ALL means
also their fellow-residents