The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-10
Golfers Special Writer Takes Busy Birmingham"
 as Title This Week
STEEL PLANT TRIP
 VERY IMPRESSIVE
He Takes Issue With "Muckrakers" and Finds Nothing But Praise for Efforts in Behalf
 of Labor


 Julian Street on Busy Birmingham" It is much more complimentary to this city than has been the case of several
 of the other southern cities which MT Street visited on his last trip. The writer makes some good natured comparisons between Birmingham and Atlanta; speaks of the crowded local hotels; talks about the ways the boys "cut i'll" at dances, and comments on prohibition in a semi way
 He finds many interesting paradoxes typical of young and growing cities and writes in part as follows: Such curious contrasts as these may be noted everywhere. For instance, Birming-
 ham has been so busy paving the streets that it seems quite to have forgotten to put up street signs. Also, not far from the majestic Tutwiler hotel, and the imposing apartment building called the Ridgely, the front of which occupies a full block, is a park so ill kept that it would be a disgrace to the city but for the obvious fact that the city is growing and wide- awake, and will, of course, attend to the park when it can find the time. Here, l
  Birmingham contains One is a Confed- crate monument in the form of an obe- fisk, and the other two are statues erected in memory of Mary A. Cahalan, for many years principal of the Powell school, and of William Elias B. Davis, distinguished surgeon. Workers in these fields are too seldom honored in this way, and the spirit which prompted the erec- tion of these monuments is particularly creditable; sad to say, however, both effigies are wretchedly placed and are in
 themselves exceedingly poor things as
 works of art Art is something, indeed, about which Birmingham has much to
 learn. So far as I could discover, no such
 thing as an art museum has been con- templated. But here again the critic should remember that, whereas art Is aid, Birmingham is young. She is as yet in the stage of development at which cities think not of art museums,
 bui of municapl auditorfums; and with the latter subject. at least, she is now concerning herself.
 DR. EDMONDS WORK The leading figure in Birmingham's re- ligous life is Dr. Henry M. -Edmonds of the Independent Presbyterian church. muscular. business-like and efficient Christian. whose qualities give him strong hold upon the men of the city as well as the women.
 In the University of Tennessee, where he was educated, he was on the track, baseball, and football teams, and now, at an age several years short of 40, he Is a stalwart, fearless, able, and broadly sympathetic minister of the gospel
 The Northern Presbyterian church and the Southern Presbyterian church are different institutions, having divided at the time of the civil war and never re- united. Since the division the Northern church has shown progressive tendencies, while the Southern church has held to it's old conservatism
 As pastor of the South Highlands Pres byterian church of Birmingham, the breadth of Dr. Edmonds' views got him into trouble with the Southern presby- tery-the main points at issue being concerned with the doctrine of substitu- tionary atonement Chat Is to say, the belief that God was angry with sinners, and that Christ had to take the sinners place and die for them, in order to satis- fy the divine wrath, and with the literal interpretation of all parts of the Bible, such for example, as the story of the creation, of Jonah and of some Old Testament miracles. It was thought by the presbytery that Dr. Edmonds lacked conviction on these subjects.
 POPULAR SERMONS
 Moreover, Dr. Edmonds was in the habit of writing brief popular sermons for the Birmingham Age-Herald, and of BY in fhegA ser mons. scandalized the hard-shell ele- ment For one thing, he took the stand that prohibition was political rather than a religious question, and he showed a disposition to distinguish between red
 liquor" and light wines and beer. For another, he contended that there was no inherent sin in the game of golf. whether played on Sunday or any other day, and he stated that. in his belief the question of Sunday golf was one for the individual conscience.
 To make a long story short. Dr. Ed monds was removed from his position as pastor of the South Highlands church, l it being contended by the presbytery that he had, by his beliefs and assertions, put himself out of the North Alabama pres bytery organization.
 As a result of this the Independent Presbyterian church was organized, and l by far the larger part of Dr. Edmonds former congregation went out With him and joined the newer and more liberal 1 body which, though it has no building 1 of it's own, has the largest congrega- 1 ton in the city.
 1 Dr. Edmonds holds his evening serv- 1, ices in the Lyric theatre which, though {, it has seating capacity of 1500, is packed every Sunday night. His morning serv- 1 ices are held in synagogue. and be- cause of this his church has come to be popularly known as 'the Jew-Presby- terian church"-a title relished alike by Jews and gentiles. At night services ne groes are admitted to the theatre bal cony, and while this may not strike a northerner as worthy of especial com ment, southerners will, believe, recog- nize it as mark of Dr. Edmonds' lib- | erality.
 l My companion and I had the good for tune to attend his service in the syna- gogue on Easter Sunday. It began with | a brief and simple sermon addressed to children, who were gathered in the seats at the front of the church. When this ] little sermon was over the children went I out, and adults, who had been standing at the back, came up and occupied the j, front pews. This practice of giving the ! children a sermon they can understand and releasing them from the longer serv- | ice is followed every Sunday. and the
 great proof of it's merit may be read | in the faces of the children themselves. 1 The longer sermon, preached later, was 1 free from encumbering theology. doc 1 Urine and banality. It was plain talk 1 from man of common sense and broad