Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-20
DANCING AND THE PLAY.
Forms OF Pleasure Condemned by the
Baptist Association.
RESOLUTIONS ON THE EVILS OF INTEMPERANCE--
THE LICENCE SYSTEM DENoUNCED--THE sEs-
SION AT THE E-sTREET CHURCH TO-DAY


Drinking, card playing, dancing and theater
going all received attention at the morning
session of the Columbia association of
Baptist churches which continued its session at
the Street church today. Many delegates
were present, fully half being ladies.
INToxICANTs AND CRIME.
The committee on total abstinence offered
resolutions which were adopted: "That we
believe the Gospel of Christ and the grace of
God to be the only effective means OF saving
men out OF the sin OF lntemperance, and that
our churches ought to use constant efforts to
reach and save the victims Of this great SIM
THAT as an association we express our una
bated interest In temperance reform and pledge
ourselves to use every proper means, both
traffic in intoxicating liquors, and to remove
the manifold and terrible evils of intemper-
ance.
THAT we earnestly protest against the action
OF our national Congress in allowing to exist in
the District of Columbia system Of license
laws which sustans the sale Of Intoxicating
drinks to the great detriment Of the best in
terests of the people, and that we hold our law
makers in a large measure responsible for the
frequent and shocking murders which, as the
result of intemperance, have recently furnished
the fair name OF our beautiful capital city.
wise, of intoxicating drinks as beverage on
the part of church members as violation of
their most solemn obligations and a sin against
both God and man, calling for prompt rebuke
and discipline"
These resolutions were discussed by Mr..
George Bowman. Mr.. Salmon Richards called
attention to the action of the Commissioners
in offering to license four saloons on each
square and characterized this as four too many.
Rev. r. NJ. Luther, DID,, also addressed the
convention.
DANCING, CARD PLAYING AND THEATER GOING.
Considerable Of sensation was created by a
resolution offered by Mr.. Jos. Walker, which
read:
Resolved, That we request the members OF
churches composing this body to abstain from
and to discourage the habits Of dancing, card
playing and attending the theater." Mr..
Walker characterized these habits as worse
than intemperanee and called upon the church
to put down the evils.
Rev. c. c. Meador denied that card playing,
dancing and theater going were SO prevalent
among the MEMBERS but said that he never
knew person who haDitually played cards and
attended the theater who was a good conscien-
tious Christian.
Mr.. Walker asked Mr.. Meador how he
stood on
GOING TO THE CIRCUsEs?
Mr.. Walker said he once went to . conference
of ministers, but that on thriving at the meet
ing place he found all the ministers gone to
the circus.
Rev. DR.. Greene of the Calvary church dis
couraged the passing of such a resolution, al.
though he expressed his opinion that the drift
OF amusements Of the present day worked
against true christianity.
DR.. Greene thought the matter should be left
to individual judgment.
DIR. G. w. Mccullough Of the Gay Street
church was strong in his denunciation of the
three things mentioned.
The resolution was passed unanimously
| although some Of the younger feminine dele.
gates looked their noes while they did not ex.
press them.
The treasurer's report for the past year was
read by Mr.. Henry Beard. The report showed
asbalance in the treasury of s4446. Contributions
have been received from the several churches
as follows: Calvary, S450.17; Second, $3.50
Fifth, $l75; First, 1925; Anacostia. $40; Noun,
Tabor, 800; East Capitol Street, S21. SO; E
Street, $500; Gay Street, $40; Maryland Avenue
mission, cas-.
The afternoon session was devoted to further
reports