Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-02
AGGRESSIVE OR NOTHING.
Father PheIap Discourscs on tho whoop-
ing Zip Of souls.

Father PheIap Discourses on tho whoop-
ing Up ~ Souls.
st. Louis Republican.
Father Phclan, In to-day's issue of
the Western Waterman, accoris the
following rather caustic notice to the
sensational salvation +" methods
which have come into vogue of late
years among protestant religionists,
putting over 1t the flippant but attrac-
tive caption Of Whooping Up Souls'
IF the devil has not patent on
startling sensations, immemorial and
prcscriptivc usage gives undisputcd
ownership of certain tboroughfares to
the passions. We think II is all wrong
for amy prolessedly religious body to
set up opposition coach lines on the
broad highway that leads 10 destruc-
lion. God hns not only only his own
ends, but bis own ways OF reaching
them. Showmcn bave their peculiar
methods of stimulating curiosity and
lave made sensation II useful
science. OF late there Is II disposition
on the part Of church people to inter
fcre with the prescriptive rights of
these showmcn. Not only In their
use of tie press, but especially in their
cunning and deception these laborers
In the Lords vineyard have put old
showmcn TO the blush. They have the
Boy Preacher now running nj large
~ Illinois, whose work among the
people of that state outatrips anything
known since the preaching of Peter.
In tho little town OF Peoria he made
one thousand converts, and, like the
theatre people, they had "a grand ccle-
bratlon over the protracted run A
thousand souls snved! Shout. Yell
yourselves hoarse! Above all, tole-
graph to the newspapers. The
salvation Is, like the play, all
pantomine In another and still
more startling particular ARE these
church people cutting into the bust
ness of the Snowman, They ARE ma-
king money out of their exhibitions.
For years the practice has been com
mon for syndicate of capitaltnlists
10 build church, hire n prominent
preacher, rent pews and declare large
dividends on the investment. 1t
would seem thnt the amusement
bureaus have taken the revivalists aud
started them on the road This 'Boy
Preacher Is managed by n clever firm
of spceulato,s who pay him sixteen
uhilulH uHu Slhlp-hlN uIu IWD-IHlruS
cents day for every day he breaches.
II Ia true, the compensation IL
not as large as tint received
by Patti or Nilsson or LnngtJy, yet 1t
Is handsome and 1t stipulntes for Just
so many performances. 1t would
seem that there Ia trouble between the
boy preacher and his managers. In
the contracts entered into between the
Snowman aud worldly randercrs to
amusement there Is a stipulation that
the star shall not net for any other per-
son or object, In the case of this
reverend youth such clause wns
considered unnecessary. But il
should have been inserted In the agree
mont; for the 'boy preacher Is now
using his off days In ministering to
opposition revivals, TO the great pecu-
MARY loss of his employers. They
denoupro this unbusiness-like proceed
ing and threaten all manner OF dire
retribution. But 1t IL not In the bond.
We should not be surprised If the boy
preacher Will follow tho example of
the circus beauty and bring his case
before the courts, This 'whoop-la'
style of preaching Is peculiarly Aneri.
emu and furnishes rich sport for the
scoiler and blasphemcr.N