The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-03-31

and permanently happyP Have not
many been made worse by themP In a
recent discourse on dancing, Rev. j, M
King Z D.. said, that in a personal
conversation with the late Arch Bishop
Spsnlding, the latter declared that the
confessional revealed the fact that nine.
teen women out of every twenty who
had fallen from virtue dated the first
step in their downward career to dane
ing parties. Eternity will only reveal the
number OF young men who began lif OF
intemperance and licentiousnsesat the
dance. You meet me and think you have
produced the "knock down. argument
and overturned all have said by quoting
from the Bible the words of King S1lo.
mon: "There ia time to dance" Why
did he 80 soon say, "there is time to
mourn" While talking with young
lady on the subject of dancing she said
to me. "The Bible says there ID time
to dance, does it notP" said "yes,"
and asked her "when is it?" / ask you
to night, when is itP II it is right to
dance and 90 masked to q ball or party,
then it is the privilege and would be
right for any Christian or minister to
engage. l venture those who 10 these
things would be among the first to i'm.
peach and assist in Kidding the city of
the clergyman and his wife who would
even be seen looking on with approval.
How much confidence would you place
in minister who would attend these
amusements?
Think of Calvin, Luther, Wesley, o.
terbein, Spurgeon, Talmage or Bishop
Weaver attending dance, ball or mas.
qnerade party. But it is difficult to tell
what will come to pass in these last
DAYS when the inauguration of the chief
magistrate OF this great Republic must
be attended with a ball, at which 1000
are present and 600 "trip the light
fantastic" at one moment, and among
whom are the ex President and the
President-eleCt, and among those whirl'
ing in the giddy dance were dignitaries
.relishing it as much as humble citizens.
l regard that inaugural ball stain upon
our National honor and morals and
prophecy of something worse. 1t is
morally as bad to give influence to a
wrong as to commit the wrong. The
Christians Of Baltimore have eX-
cluded dancing from all their parties.
Worthy of imitation. 1t should and
must come to pass everywh IRE.
You say the Bible speaks approvingly
of dancing The word dance, as used in
the Scriptures, does not mean what we
apply to it to-day. The orientals knew
nothing of the dance of to-day, nor Of
union of the sexes in the dance. Where
dancing is mentioned approvingly in the
Scriptures it was joyous and religious
ceremony. Tue word was used inter
changably for j)y, and their dancing was
frequently leaping or shouting as we
United Brethren and Methodists call it,
and always done for the praise and glory
of God. In at least two places it was as
sociated with death. Read the narrative
in which my text is found and behold
the work, the influence and the end of
an iofamous dancer. Tne7e triplet Of
amusements are wrong, because they
hinder the conversion of souls and the
spread of the gospel. Claus Magnus
tells us that the young people of the
North danced among naked sword. blades
and pointed weapons scattered upon the
ground; our young people dance among
far deadlier dangers than these. 1t is,
always has been and always will be as
sociated with drinking and drunkenness,
harlots and llbertines. One of our
ablest writers says: "The dancing hall is
the nursery of the divorce court, the
training school of prostitution, and the
graduating school Of infamy." Yet pro-
tessors of religion and even ministers
plead for it. Shamel
"Pulpits their sacred satire learn 10 spare,
Aud vice admitted finds Aatterer there"
once took particular notice of an ad.
vertisement of dance to be given on
Christmas night in very public place,
A foot line said, mo improper characters
admitted" Who ever heard of dance
at such a place, where no improper
characters" were pres 9ntP Only few
with even good morals were there, al
though the conductor of that dance was
a leading member of popular church.
l know what am saying when | assert
that few young men can dance we'll with.
out the assistance of some "old rye" or
"bourb1n," and no Christian can repeat
his visits to these amusements without
baCksliding. The verdict of learned and
dignifed synods and conferences has
always be that, Dancing is an
inve .tion of the Deyil." When
did the world ever see a dancer
and habitue Of the masquerade party
distributing tracts or seeking the saliva.
ton of the sinner? am free to assert
that the habituos of either of this triplet
of amusements have little, if any, inter.
est in their owr souls and none in the
souls of others. The ball is the
hot.bed of jealousy. 1t begets licen-
tiousness and is the avenue to
lust. 1t was Potrach who said, "T1e
dance is the spur Of lust-a circle Of
which the Devil is the centre. Many
women that have use it have come to
dishonest home, most Indifferent, none
better" 1t is true of the masquerade
ball and party. 1t begets pride; it ruins
the soul. The ball room and the mas.
duerade are the way to hell.
You ask, "Is it wrong to dance in the
family ?" Let me ask what argument
you DTluR III uoloupO VI hOhO uahOlub
You say, II enjoy it," Is this your rea-
SOM know it is your best, Then may
men be permitted to play cards, drink,
gamble and do thousand and one other
things admitted to be evil. You protest,
ut will not do any harm to dance at
home" This is an evasion and an effort
at license. Confne the dance to home
and there will be very little done. Make
dance for either sex exclusively and
how many will be PRESENT. Is it safe
little boys to play marbles "for keeps"2
Would it be safe to put the egg Of
scorpion in your pocket and let it remain
there? Is it safe to take the first drink
To certain extent the young are what
home makes them. We all know too
we'll the influence Of accomplishment to
think OF confning the dance to the
house. The young man or lady who has
become skillful as a dancer at home will
not be satisfied to let pa and ma enj ~
all their fine dancing. Oilers must
know it and behold them strip the light
fantastic" An amusement that hardly
deserves serious notice, is the masqle.