St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-21
A TALK TO YOUNG men.
Rev. J. T. Johnson, the Evangelist,
Does Not Mince His Words.
DANCING AND THEATERS,
The Evils that Beset the Lives of
Young Men of ALI
Classes.

Kew. j. L. johnson, the evangelist,
who has been reaping mighty .harvests
OF converts at the Centenary M. E.
church, spoke last night to very large
audience OF men and boys. The sub
ject, as announced, was the secret and
besetting sins of young men. The
clergyman did not mince his words in
the least, nor was he at all backward in
going right to the root of the sub
ject. Mr.. johnson has the STEM
torian voice characteristic of his sect
and holds control of his audience that
preserves him from the discomfort that
a man OF less power would be
subject to in saying what he did. The
first of the address bore certain light
ness that would lave almost been
deemed vulgar proceeding from any
other source, but it had the effect de-
sired by the speaker, of fastening the
attention of his listeners.
Beginning with things of less gravity,
Rev. johnson spoke of the harm coming
from vile stories, trash literature, ETC.,
in the hands of small boys. Next he
said:
THE THEATERS CATCH IT.
question next. but one of importance.
Many times am asked by young men,
Mr.. Johnson, is there any harm in going
in and sitting down at the theater,
that is, if it is heightened placer Do
you know what they mean by high
toned? They mean about SO high" and
the clergyman indicated on his pedal
extremity the assumed length of the
ballots gauZy garments. Then he
went on to say that it was fact that
the people would not patronize the
moral plays. Just stop aud think" he
said, Isn't it fact that the shows that
have come to this city in the few weeks
that have displayed the most legs have
had the large patronage?' Then he
spoke of the demoraliZing influence of
such exhibitions. Then he took up
THE SOCIAL EVIL.
especially dancing. In disguise he said
he had been IN the low houses Of New
York and sawyoung men going to ruin,
but this was not the worst source of
evil-it was in the legaliZed hauntS-
the select ball room where young men
we're wont to draw the girls close to
them in the giddy waltz. On this point
he said:
81 have seen just as much deviltry
planned. yes, and executed, in one of
as in these that l have told you of be-
fore the low public. l tell you have
seen just as much downright meannesS
in high society, where it is not sus-
pected, as anywhere.
Let me call up thing of the past
the skating rink. 1t is gone, and gone
forever. Thank God. But stop, the
fruit of 1t. is yet with US. They are
running around here just about so
high,' and the worthy divine held his
hands down toward the floor. He gave
statistics to show that more divorces
and illegitlmate births had been caused
in high society by that harmless thing
the skating rink-than by any other
modern institution. The next topic was
that of
TOBACCO USING.
The doctor asked how many of his
audience used tobacco, and over three
fOurths of the large crowd of men and
bows raised their hands. He then
talked of the harm coming from the
practice. With wonderful realism he
brought out the disgusting features of
the practice. This he said was a
stepping stone to the next sin-drunk-
enness;, OF course every man who
ard smokes. The evils were twin
sisters. Then the doctor threw aside
all covering and waded into the subject
proper.
Il want to speak now of the besetting
sins of young men. Young men, l know
that l have those before me who have
been guilty of the worst of SINS"
In the plainest of language and the
greatest earnestness the speaker went
on to speak of the enormity of the evil
that existed in many mems lives where
it was never suspected. Of the awful con-
tamination that many young men were
bringing, not only on themselves, but
on the unborn generations. Some men,
he said, had no right to be husbands,
because they were lower than brutes.
Many had no right to be fathers, be-
cause they would bring being into the
world miserably deformed and con-
taminated.