The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-19


Small publicly eschewed the use of tobacco
with a flourish Of trumpets, so to speak. They
did so in Difference to what they professed to
be their duty to others, lest their example
should have bad effect. A special from
Baltimore says these excellent gentlemen
have gone back to the use of the tweed
There is nothing particularly wrong in the
use Of cigars nor of tobacco. Many excellent
men are addicted to them, and will doubtless
find their way to heaven at the last day. But
that these two should do thing like that is
almost incredible, especially after having SO
solemnly promised not to do so. In his SER
mon on the evening of March %, in the city
of Chicago, the Rev. Jones said:
Gin hundred different instances / have
been notified that "a habit that you are given
to is the stumbling block to souls In this CITY,,
and / want to say to this congregation tonight
that from this day until we meet up in heaven
you can tell this world that Sam Jones has got
no habit that is a stumbling block to body
CGreat applause, which was subsequently re-
newed and 'Amens.' And to you, brethren
this Wherever and whenever there is fault
of mine that will lead any soul astray or that
is stumbling block to any one, God being
my helper, if / know it, that thing shall go
down forever with me. Applause. And if
there is spot or an inch about me that is not
consecrated to God and humanity tonight,
say this minute, Lord Almighty. it
shall be Thine from this moment till |
die Applause and Amen.'] And | pray
God Almighty that you will give me your
prayers. / have had fight that none but
God knows anything about. Ihave struggled
Thank God, have the victory, and give
God the glory and give you the benefit
[tAmen.1 May God bless you all and start
you tonight to give yourselves unreservedy
to God forever. For your prayers and your
sympathy am grateful, and if l don't do any
good in Chicago, let Chicago thank God Al
| mighty she has done the poor, little, pale,
Southern preacher some good the balance of
her life Great applause and laughter.
cat the conclusion of Brother Jones's re-
marks DR.. Scudder grasped him by the hand,
his face beaming with smiles, and said:
That was beautifully done, my brother
"About two weeks prior to this time Mr.
Jones announced that Mr. Small had given
up the use Of tobacco"
All this with whoop and hurra; vet that
was only two months ago, and they have gone
back to the habit they were so sure they had
abandoned In the came spirit of sesf-sufi-
ball evil, condemning it in the following Wig
orous fashion in sermon at Baltimore on
Sunday last:
''Thank God, Baltimore has no base ballSun-
I1x~ kal n,>I l,ox AL ,o1>o
game of baseball Sunday, and ever got back
into my yard, I'd fill him full of shot, and, if
he went Wednesday, I'd give him 100 lashes
There is nothing more corrupt this side OF
hell than basel ball. How many hundreds are
there who bet on it, and how many boys fitch
from their employers to get the money to do
it, | believe baseball is as corrupt as perdi-
ton"
There is religious charlatanism about the
method of this man that cannot be wholly
excused, and must be held against him when
he presumes to sit in augment on the doings
of others. No man has right to assail his
fellow man in the way he does, and expect to
escape when he himself is the offender. We
cannot see that baseball is so great an evil
as this gentleman would like to make his
hearers believe MOI can we think he himself
so regards it. 1t is not here to defend it, how
ever; but, if the church, OF any one speaking
for it, is to unqualifedly condemn every kind
Of healthful amusement without regard to
difference, it is useless to talk about progress,
for few sensible men will suffer themselves to
be persuaded that there is evil in all things
that are enjoyable. This clever pretender to
superior wisdom may 60 his way, but it is to
be regretted that he does not display that dis
elimination that will commend his teachings
to the common sense Of the masses. If he
thinks these things are so awfully sinful, and
that the turn-stile to the baseball park is the
gateway to hell, he certainly must think that
the use Of tobacco is about on the same low
level. But that crosses his own enjoyment
so he very conveniently ignores the ''fact"
that it is slowly but surely dragging him and
others down to perdition.