The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-15

both the perversion and prostitution of the
body, and encourage its conservation
such a way as to minister to the soul in all
OF Its highest aspirations. The gym
nasium, the athletic park and the holiday
excursion" he said, ARE all allowable
under Christian athletics. But there has
come into our American life what is
known,as popular athletics which have in
verified the order of principle in Christian
athletics, and their chief tenet is the soul
for the body. Hence the rowing-matches.
wrestling games and the baseball contests
ure into a brutal growth of muscle, dedi-
Gated to ignoble ambitions for mere
physical superiority, and to stimulate a
popular enthusiasm in low physical compe-
athletics, in its best sense that l am here to
execrate. but the popular athletics which,
am sure q fair-minded person., OF noble
aspirations. cannot and will not justify.
\ have no apology be continued, for
craze in the name of athletics is sweeping
over the American mind in diversified
forms, the most prOminentOf which IS base
ball. Taking this as an example of modern
popular athletics they are reprehensible.
lied clubs and leagues, with its large and
expensive grounds, its public displays, un-
wholesome competition n iniGuitOus con-
stituency from the saloon, the poOl-IOom,
the wine-room and the street,eor-
from baseball as a simple recreation
for relaxation and recuperatiOn. 1t is base
ball as it now exists, whereby a simple
amusement has been degenerated into a
demOralizing exhibition and excitement,
against which all right-thinking people
must revolt. Its baseness AS shown to-day
Is evident. 1t Is the OutgrOwth OF q per-
verse taste. 1t belongs to the same cate
CORY as the prize-tight and the horse,race.
uha nm a. net Tho avn xhAaA <h.---
relishes the baseball spectacle. Its
grounds are the resort for sluggers,
bnmmers, sports. gamblers and loaf
ers.. J.. do not mean to say
that all who attend its games
pie are conspicuous. And to me it is an
unaccOuntable mystery how responsibility,
culture and piety can find anything In
common to enjoy on a plane of taste SO low
as that which furnishes exquisite delight
only be explained that mind and heart at
their best may become so victimized by a
popular excitement as to spasmodicalIy
lose a fine sense of rendering them tenn
porarily oblivious to true and noble dis
The Doctor presented the objection, as
raised by many, that corrupt people are to
be found even in the church, and in his re-
ply he held that baseness in the church is
leveled up to piety, while on the baseball
tAh thO 10 thO ~ 10y LIZ
continued. 1.-THE game exists by the demand
of the worst tastes, those ta,stes which give
precedence to Drawn over brain, sport over
sense. idleness over industry. passion over
thrift, to advance social life, to increase
knowledge or to encourage religion,
but to foster excitement and satlate
low feelings. There is nothing in it
that demands intelligence; nobility or
the spectators. Are the professional
players men of characterf Would they-en-
gage in any legitimate business If their
craft should be taken awayf The institu-
ton nourish itself by absorbing life which
it disqualifies for other industriesa 1 re-
peat it, baseball stimulates a pernicious
and irrational excitement, and an unmiti-
gated frenzy. To extol it is to commend as
a tonic and restorative. an atmosphere
charged with dust, feverish with heat,
sitting with the breath of the saloon. odorif-
erOus with the scent of perspiratiOn. ripe
with jeers, Oaths and slang. and pulsating
with an intense and immature excite
ment."
Holidays for the wOrkingman, the Doctor
said, are to be deprecated, if they are to
furnish him such strains of nervous excite
ment as is Occasioned by the national game.
The local press received its share of con-
domination for devoting so much space to
baseball reports. I'm general. the journal
ism of this city,, the pastor said. in ,conclu-
otOA 10 u III II u
know the members of the press here per-
sonally, and / esteem them highly. Yet. lean
not see how they can sincerely think 1T is best
or wholesome, socially, materially or NOR
ally for the community to ave such full
and complete accounts of the games played
all over the country. Baseball is a Upas
tree. Why not lay the Ak to its rootsf 1t
is so base that no array of piety on its side
can bring it clean out of its unclean char
acter. 1t may even leave some faint upon
fha Christian charQofQr that takes fha risk
of patronizing it."
A reunion service of the congregation and
friends of the church will be held nextSab-
bath, as the pastor goes the week following
Dangers to Young Men.
The Rev d. r. Lucas, of the Central
Christian Church. preached to young men
last night. and took for his text the ninth
verse of the 10th Psalm: "Wherewithal
shall a young man cleanse his waysi" He
said the highest power given to man
when he enters the world is that of choice
the power to discriminate between right
and wrong and to accept whichever he
will. A certain class of philosophers deny
this truth, maintaining the doctrine of
fatalism. and that all the world Is gov
erned by chance. A man an. however, do
what is right If he only Wills SO to do.
MANY grave temptations surround the
young men of the city," continued the
preacher, but one of the greatest is the
tendency to extravaganza, extravaganza
not simply in point of money, but in every
thing. Young men are too much inclined
to go to extremes. A mans power to &C
cumulate is very limited, hence it Is an
easy thing to squander all we may possess.
1t is so with our time. This is one of the
most valuable things that we have at our
disposal, yet in nothing else are we SO
prodigal. We complain that time, the
thing of iuestimable value, hangs heavily
on our hands. We waste much time that we
ought to expend in sleep. 1t is a fault of
young men this not knowing how
to sleep. They must learn how to sleep if
they would be good Christians. Again,
young men are apt to become ~extravagant
in their speech: From this comes the vice
of profanity. 1t is very hard for us TO make
O simple statement without adding some
expletive by way of strengthening it.
There is no reason whatever for a young
persons becoming p~rofane. but there is a
tendency in that direction. The habit of
falling in debt comes from catching the
spirit of extravaganza. The main point is
not so much what one makes. but
how to live within ones means. The
young men of this age have almost
lost sight of the real value of money. The
poor youth seeing the rich boy prodigal OF
his wealth, vies with him in expenditures,
and hence comes to ruin. A great conquest
of self has been made when we can bravely
face the world and say we are without
money. 1t is weakness on this point that
proves so unfortunate in commercial cir
cles.
Another great temptation is that of be-
ing too critical. The most unfortunate
an ~ &hA an Dn 20 &hA& r-n1 A0-.