DANGER TO MORALS. 245 



In 1880, one of the chief cities of America, Chicago, had 

 only one church to each 2,081 of the people, whereas the 

 country had more than one to every 516. In 1840, 

 Chicago had one to every 747 of its people. The change 

 has been more noticeable in this city than with most 

 others, but the whole tendency has been in the direction 

 thus indicated. The cities of America are being filled 

 with those who have no desire for Christian worship. 

 Indeed the extreme socialist declares himself the direct 

 opponent of religion of any sort. The city is his home, 

 and it is there that his contaminating influence is exercised. 



Corresponding to the weakening of the desires of the 

 people for religious worship, has crime increased. The 

 ratio of prison population to each million of the inhab- 

 itants of the United States was 290 in 1850 ; 607 in 

 i860; 853 in 1870; and 1,169 in 1880. These figures 

 show that crime in America is increasing out of all pro- 

 portion to increase of population. It is in the great 

 cities that the increase of crime is chiefly taking place. 



But it seems a time does come when, the country hav- 

 ing lost its economic, political, and social vitality, it may 

 fail in moral and religious character. It has been so with 

 the fallen civilizations. In its appearance we see that 

 which may be the beginning of the end. What a pure, 

 noble, and grand development, in high religious purpose, 

 has been that worked out on the farms and in the coun- 

 try towns of New England ! How sad that the scenes of 

 these religious activities should cease to see perpetuated 

 the Christian traditions marked so indelibly upon the 

 history of the pioneer life of this interesting portion of 

 the New World ! 



The Rev. Mr. Henry Fairbanks stated recently, before 

 the Evangelical Alliance of America, that in Vermont 



