Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-03-23

Sundry Opinions Elected by the
ImaervteWers of the CimcAm-
natl Euuufrer.

Episcopal Q6nOulllAdhAOAAs AtNC IL
Gently been agitating among
their congregations the sin 90 OF
dancing and tabOOing with stern
words. DIR. leonard. who recently
went tolsaee Church, Dayton, from
this cftv. has been among the most
active in this respect. Last Sunday
he receiyed-into his congregation a
number of young people whom he
made promise to forever fOreSwear
dancing. Considerable excitement I
has thus been stirred up among the
Dayton Church people, and mas
much as it is not improbable that
the crusade may soon reach Cincin-
natl we thought it might be inter-
esting to learn how some of the Gin /
cinnati pastors looked upon the sub /
iect. Al reporter of the Enquirer |
visited a number of the reverend /
gentlemen yesterday, and succeeded |
in seeing and talking with the fol-
lowing;
DIR. LILIENTHAL
Was app cached as representative
to speak for the Jewish Church. He
broke into merry laughter when the
Reporter laid bare his mission.
e NV dear sir" said he, "the Jew
serves to make life pleasant and
agreeable, without being hurtful to
society"
"Then you say, 'On with the
Dance"
"To be sure. What harm is there
in it, so long as il is confined to
decency and responsibility? OF
course the Jewish Church does not
give its sanction to public balls,
where all classes Of characters meet
and intermingle, and where refine
ment and decency are offended. But
in the home circle and Church So
ciety or neighborhoOd sociable,
dancing is a religious duty rather
than a sin. But, like every other
amusement, harm comes out of it
if carried to excess. During the
liquor crusade several years ago
was called upon to preach a sermon
on the all absorbing subject, and i
did preach upon the text of temper
anee. i ended that sermon with the
motto of our Church-'Temperanc
forever, total abstience never. That
is our motto in every action of our
lives. ] go to dances among my
people and look on with great
pleasure, seeing the young folks en-
jOying themselves. j teach all my
congregation that il is their religious
duty 10 enjoy this life Just as much
as they can with innocency and
safety to themselves and society.
In the eleventh chapter of Ecclesi-
astics you will find this text: Re
jOice o young man, in thy youth,
and let thy heart cheer thee in the
days of thy youth, and walk in the
ways of thy heart and the sight of
thine eyes
DIR. wENDTE,
Pastor of the Unitarian Church,
spoke freely and warmly on the
subject:
attended a social of our Church
last night, at the house of one of my
congregation, and the young people
danced till the party broke up,
about one O'clock. do not dance
myself, but am fond of looking on
and seeing it done. There is some
objection to the American system
of round dancing, especially waltz
ing. / refer to the habit the lady
has of lying in the arms or upon the
breast of her partner. The German
mode of waltZing is much more
praisewOrthy. The couple merely
touch hands or arms, and dance
more slowly than their American
brethren. 1t is a-mOre difficult
mode but also much more modest.
AnOtherab of dancing is in ladies'
dress where short sleeves are worn
or dresses are cut low in the neck
worn decOHette. These faults, how
ever, should not condemn an amuse-
ment which i'm itself is perfectly in
nOcent and harmless. "
"Then you sanction it among
your peOpie?" rE -
Certainly! OF course 1 do not
sanction public dancing, but in pri-
waite circles nothing can be more
harmless. On the contrary, you
look at churches where dancing is
prohibited they'll surely run into
games where kissing is practiced.
More young people are ruined by
this perniciOus practice miScellane-
Ously prachced than any one at first
would believe. The practice is
most demOraliZing among youth,
and maturer people also. We have
a recent example in the fall of a
deacon in New Jersy church, who
confessed that his fall from grace
originated in his kissing lady of
the congregation at a party where
dancing was prohibited and kissing
gaines substituted. -.-
REV. BAILEY,
OF the Universalist Church, Plum
street, like DIR. Lilienthal, laughed
at the idea of an interview with
him on dancing. ~
"YOu can say for our Church that
we dance whenever we like to do it
with prOpriety, of course. l do
not dance myself, but my wife, who
is young, is very fond of the
amusement. Some people sin every
day in crucifying their desires, their
pleasures and their happiness, out
of foolish fear of offending their
Maker, who put them in this world
and surrounded them with pleasant
things which they refuse to accept"
REV. TUCHLEY.
of st. Johns NJ. F.. Church, corner
of LOngwOrth and Park streets, is
young man who has recently been
called to the pastOrage of the cOngre-
CATION. When approached on the
subjet he pulled copy Of the Meth
OdiSt Church discipline on the report
er and referred him to this article:
But in the case of imprudent
conduct indulging sinful tempers or
words, the buying, selling or using
of intoxicating liquors asa beverage,
dancing, playing at games of chance,
attending theaters, horse-races, cir
CuseS, dancing parties, or patrOniZing
dancing schools, or taking such 9TH
er amusements as are obviously of
misleading or questionable moral
tendency, or disObedience to the or
der and discipline of the Church !;
first let private reprOof be given by
the preacher or leader, and if there
be an acknowledgment of the fault
and proper humiliation, the person
may be horne with. On the second
Offense the preacher or leader may
take one or two faithful friends. On
. third offense let him be brought
to- trial, and if found guilty, and
there be no sign of real humiliation,
he shall he expelled"
"That," said Mr.. Tuckly," is our
discipline, and as young minister of