The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-17
LEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

Nearly score of years ago 1 went
to Chicago and put in the best part
Of summer In studying some of the
religious institutions in the Windy
City. They ranged from the Moody
Bible Institute to the enterprises of
John Alexander Dowie.
Hull House and Jane Adams were in
the forefront in settlement work. but
Raymond Robins had not then begun
his career as a social economist as the
superintendent of the Chicago Munich
pal Lodging House which was to give
him his great start as one of Americas
greatest social workers.
1 do not know why I failed to run
across him until last week for white
constantly hearing about his activities
somehow it SO happened that my path
never crossed his in any of his social,
political or religious work, though
kept in sympathetic touch with his
varied activities in behalf of his fellow
man.
1t was with very great pleasure
that 1 arrived on Saturday night in
time to be present at the dinner given
him at the Tutwiler. went straight
from the train to the hotel and had
the pleasure of sitting next to him at
the speakers table which gave me
| chance to talk bit with him about per-
| sonal matters before he arose to make
his stirring address about his great
friend Theodore Roosevelt
Admitting my interest in the mission
which brought him here, and greatly
enjoying the speeches of the Hon. EN-
met O'Neal, Joseph o. Thompson, Gully
Exum, Jack Thomas. T. ]. Crittenden,
Mrs. Oscar Hundley and DR.. Stuart,
each OF whom paid glowing tribute to
the memory of the virile American; it
1t not my purpose here to go into
the matter of the Roosevelt memorial,
but to limit this story to Col. Raymond
Robins.
Some men you may be with for days,
and months, even years and never feel
any special interest in them and look
upon them as mere acquaintance. Then
again man comes into your company
FOR few short hours and when he
leaves you are conscious that forever
| after you will hold him as one who
| touched your life in such a way as to
forever hold him as true brother in
thought and purpose
Now this is how Raymond Robins
affected me- We only got snatches Of
| talk between his addresses and yet we
compared notes enough for me to be
hungry for a closer association. While
he has become a national yes an in
ternational figure and had a big part
In shaping public thought along social,
political and religious lines and 1 am
only known locally, yet for quarter
OF century I have been studying the
things to which he has devoted his
life, and this made 1t possible for me
to understand his ambitions and share
in them.
Once I went as the representative OF
great body of evangelical ministers
in the south to many cities to make
first hand study of every kind Of
charitological, sociological, and relig-
ious work being done outside the or
ganized churches to get the facts and
then to try and interpret them. 1 had
expected to use the material in a book
but somehow it has been hard for me
to do anything except casual writing,
setting down the things of the hour.
MY studies in sociology abroad in
the great cities of Europe gave my
mind direction which / have, never
been able to change, and 1 would not
II I could, for my greatest interest
In life is in what has fallen into bad
odor in some quarters and the very
name brings on frequently tolerant
smile or arouses a decided antagonism;
for "uplift work" became the plaything
too often of amateurs or the piece de
resistance of notoriety seekers. But
all the same in the hands of men like
Raymond Robins and women like Jane
Adams it is filled with great posi-
bilities in bringing about better un-
Outstanding between the unprivileged
and the privileged.
am a firm believer in the credo |
which takes the position that the Lord
raises up men and women for His
work. Raymond Robins disavows that
he Is a preacher, and he can prove II
If he means that he has never been
ordained; but after hearing him talk
to the mems Bible class at the South
side Baptist church and later address
the congregation at the First Method
list church he will have hard time in
making me or those who heard him that
he is without wonderful preaching
gifts.
Knowing some of his life's story 1 |
sat and marvelled as 1 heard him speak
on three different occasions What
was the power which took a backward
youth who reached manhood robbed of
chance for a good education and
nurtured on sandy farm to become
in his early manhood miner and lift
him out of his environment and set
him on his upward career in which lie
was to mould the thought and lives
Of thousands of people? 1t was the
power of God which calls men into SER
vice and then guides them by His Holy
Spirit.
Now am not easily swept off my