O TnE*EvENiNG.GAZETTE Tr-IE EVENING GAZETTEl ENTERED u was POST OFFICE IN Nonwamr as A NEWSPAPER. M 41L S UBSC'RIPTIONS. DAILY. one year. 83: six months. $1.75: thI ee months. $1.00; eneZmonth. 300. WEEKLY. one year. in advance. $1.00: six months. 600.; three months. 350. SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 1896. The Late Christian Endeavor Convention. Editor of EVENING GAZETTE :—I have been asked to say a few words concern- ing a criticism of the late 0. E. Conven- tion in Washington, which appeared in the Gamma last Saturday. Of course, all such criticisms depend largely upcn the point of view of the writer. If one is inclined to be over- ”critical, ' he will be likely to find enough to criticise. So far as this great movement is concerned, Ihave yet to find any of the leaders who have appeared to regard it as per- fect. On the contrary they have con- stantly warned the young people against possible excesses of zeal which too often is mistaken for spiritual life. On the whole I am sure these warnings have been‘heeded, though of course there are exceptions, but the exception must not be made a basis of judgment. Your correspondent mentions the dis- appointment as regards numbers in at- tendance. It is true that not so many as had been expected were at this conven- tion. But a little reflect-ion, taking in- to account the relative conditions, w‘Ould have led to a modification of the expectation. The estimate was made on the basis of the Boston Convention. Boston and Washington are widely dif- ferent as regards resources for a mid- summer religious convention. Boston is a religious centre, Washington is not. Within a radius of less than fifty miles of Boston there are no less than eleven large cities from which to draw attend- ance, to say nothing of towns of con- siderable size. This most favorable condition is for the most part wanting in Washington. Besides, hard times must have influenced the attendance. In view of these facts and others of like character, which I Will not take time to .mention, it seems to me the smiller at- tendance, instead of indicating a les- sened interest in the movement, simply proves that Boston is a much better place in which to hold such a conven- tion than Washington, so far as num- bers is concerned, a fact which we who have sometime lived within the Boston atmosphere have long well known. Again as to a lack of enthusiasm, which your correspondent mentions, and which he seems to ascribe to waning in- terest. Well, there is enthusiasm and enthusiasm. It is true that there was a notable absence of demonstrative en- thusiasm, such as street Singing and the like, which has characterized former gatherings of this kind. So far as I have beeen able to learn, the delega- tion did not, as heretofore, do much singing on the trains. This was partic- ularly true of the Connecticut delega- tion. But all this does not necessarily mean a lessened interest, though it might. it is true. Personally I was not at all surprised that this was so. Dur- ing the past year there has been a grad- ual change in these respects; County and State meetings have been characterized by a deepening spiritual life, which though less demonstrative, is none the less genuine. The stream has become deeper and less noisy. Mine‘is only an individual judgment, but it may be worth something neverthe- less, and it coincides with that of many other men of reputed good judg- ment. It will be taken for what it is - worth. My judgment is that the main reason why there was less of demon- strative enthusiasm is that a deeper spiritual life pervades the movement. But exception is taken to the aggre- . gate expense of such a convention. That is certainly worth considering. Indeed. it has been seriously considered. I can only speak for myself- It was worth more than it coat. If the visit ' did other young people as much good as was done to many who went from this section, I do not hesitate to say that I am convinced that it would more than pay our churches to send their young people; Religion, like educa- tion and other desirable ,. things, comes to us under conditions that cost money. The value of a deepened spiritual life, of a renewed, consecrated zeal, of in- creased desire to be useful in church and elsewhere, all of which, I know resulted from attendance on these in- spiring meetings, cannot be reckoned Union _ in dollars and cents. Besides this, many of the young peo— ple, who need a vacation and would . take it anyway, habitually take the op- portunity afforded by these great gath- erings to combine profit and pleasure rather than to go simply in quest of pleasure. I am sure your correspond- ent would commend this. The fact is, no one can tell definitely whether it pays or not. If there is “joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,” and attendance upon these gatherings will fit one the better to bring about the re- pentance of not only one, but perhaps of many, it must surely pay. I will only suggest that it would be legitimate also to take into account the fact that all this expenditure helps to stimulate business and to give work to people who need it. Surely the money is not wasted. But I am surprised to read that there was a flagrant desecration of the sabbath by the Christian Endeavorers. I think the writer is mistaken. The Wash- ington Post saidon Monday morning that though there had been special pre- paration made by railroads, steamboats and summer resorts for a big day on Sunday, the Christian Endeavorers did not patronize the same. The same pa- per went onto say that the same was true as regards visits to the Capitol and White House. Furthermore this secu- lar paper stated many would not even make use of the street cars, but walked. to and from church in the torrid best. My own observation agreed with this. The Post also commended the young peopli for their consistency in this re- spect. Of course some did go pleasure seeking but I Ihink the facts will prove this to have been the exception, not the rule. Your correspondent also expresses grave doubts as to “the wisdom of push- ing forward mere-boys and girls as the educa‘ors of the church.” I agree with him, and so do the leaders of Christian Endeavor movement. The weakness of this criticism is that it doesn’t apply. The trust surprising fact of all to me was the uniform evidence all through this convention that the young people Vere so completely led by older and, if you please, wiser heads. If the writer of that article has not led his young people, instead of being led by them, I am sure it is his own fault. No, the “mere boys and girls" were not the leiders, only so far as under wiser and .older leadership, they were found cap- able of leadership in subordinate posi- tions of trust. An army of compara- tively young men, among whom there were many who must have been “mere boys,” thirty years ago did valient ser- vice for their country. Shall not the same qualities of youth be enlisted in the cause of Christ’s Kingdom? For my part, if the young people develop qualities of leadership in the church of which I am pastor, I do not propose to suppress, but rather to direct the same. And this is precisely the policv of the leader; of the Christian Endeavor movement. . Another statement surprised me, "There were able and excellent speak- ers. but it was a surprise and disap- pointment that so few of the leading men of any great denomination were present.” I wonder if he did really attend the meetings. I will speak only as a representative of one of the great denominations, the Baptist. Naturally. I would know our great men better than those of another denomination. Of our leading men, we had the pleasure of listening to a large number, many of whom have a national reputation, and some of whom are known. beyond the borders of our own‘ country. The same I am told was true of representatives of other denominations. Without taking more of your space or of the patience of your readers I will conclude by saying that I find so much of what your correspondent said based upon what seems to me a misconception, that I find it difficult for my mind to trust his utterances even upon matters about which I know he has spoken cor- rectly. Personallv I care little about the criticisms. The-work will go on in spite of either of us, if it is right that it should, and neither of us will, in the final results, be found to have cut a very big figure at best. In what I have written I have yielded, for the most part to the wishes of the young peOple, whom in this section of the Lord’s kingdom, I have the honor to represent, and to whose leadership they have so generously appointed me. A more loyal company of young christians I could not wish to find. Of course, they are not perfect, else they would not need leaders and teachers. Our friend, I am sure is laboring under a misappre- hension. There are dangers it is true, but we older, and wiser ones, if we are, indeed, wiser, must avoid these dangers by kind, christian leadership rather than by unfair and captions criticism. R. O. Snnawoon, Pres. Norwalk C. E. Union. Soum NORWALK, Conr., July 31, 1893. S. THE EVENING GAZETTE“. CHECKER-BOARD BUSINESS DIRECTORY. DENTIST, , « 8 West Avenue. E. S. LEOBOLD. 4-7 Main Street. ENTERPRISE Bottling Works, 7 Wall Street. rIIIrAIrs AIIII mars EXPRESSLY FOB. FAM- ILY USE. Mail orders receive prompt attention. 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