Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1880-02-08
MORALITY MUST PAY ITS WAY.

For some years past the Balla Union Thea
ter of San Francisco was run as low melo-
dian. Its entertainments consisted of exhi-
billions of half nude women, obscene songs,
and fusilades of coarse jokes. 1t was the
abode of vulgarity and vice, and the resort of
rakes and harlots, Yet all that time it was
packed nightly; coin rolled into the treasury
and the proprietors became rich.
About a year aga John Crosbie, young
comedian well known on this coast, leased the
place and determiaed to convert it into re-
spectacle theater He discharged the entire
crowd of low characters that had so long dis
graoed it, and engaged troupes which presen-
ted none but respectable entertainments. He
advertised quite extensively the fact that he
had determined to make the place clean and
decent, and called upon the respectable peo-
pie of the city to patronise him. They did not
respond. The moralists were glad to see the
manager close up a resort of vice but they
were unwilling to put up any coin on the pro-
position. He sank $1,000 and went under
without hand :" help. About the same time
a well known character in San Francisco call
ed "Happy Jack" agreed to close up his dive
provided the temperance people would give
him sufficient patronage to enable him to run
a restaurant. OF course they promised him
the necessary patronage, and he accordingly
closed up his bar, sold out his dive and inves-
ted an eating house. 1t is almost needless to
remark that the venture was failure < a
ily Pitt Stevens went there and took enc
meal, decliRl e to patronise 1t further, being
enabled to get six dishes for twenty-hv cents.
Rev Hallelujsh Cox took three meals there
and raised q row because a second piece OF
apple pie was not thrown in free of charge.
The President of the Young Mems Christian
Association boarded there day or so and was
not seen afterwards. The rank and file of
the temperance people and moralsts Aocked
there in large numbers, but at the end of the
month, when the proprietor attempted to
make collections, he found most of the bills
rspudiated, and was accordingly compelled to
close up, several thousand dollars out Of
pocket (but rich in experience) and got back
with as little delay as possible into his old
business, where he traded with vice on a cash
basis.
The moral of this is that it takes money to
run anything and the good people of the
earth must not expect to drive the devil to
the wall on what is vulgarly called ''chin.
II the professors of religion expect their in
situations to thrive, they must put up money
dollar for dollar with tho worldly. Churches
already furnished will not grow mp out of
the ground in the night, and the pastors who
preach in them must be clothed and fed the
same as other mortals. A thousand sympa- |
thies for good cause are as dross alongside |
of a hard silver dollar. If the sports want a
race track they build it and back it with coin. |
IL the worldly people want u low theater they |
keep it going with cash. Religious people |
want churches, charitable institutions and |
societies for redeeming the wicked, but they
do not want these things bad enough to pay
for them. The followers of the devil pay their
way everywhere, and the followers of the
Lord must expect to do the same, or fail in
their undertakings.