The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-16
CHURCH VS.. BASEBALL.
DIR. Case Makes the Circuit of
the Four Bases.
He Discusses Mike Kelly's Views on Excite
ment, and Terms the Non-Producing
Ball-Player Pauper.

A large congregation Assembled yesterday
evening at the Central Methodist Episcopal
Church 10 hear DR.. Cases sermon on Base
ball"
The preacher said his text would be found
in Numbers or somewhere in the Bible:
&" Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do
evil"
He defended himself against probable
charge of sensatonalism by saying first that
his attention had been called to the subject
through noticing the space devoted recently
i'll the daily papers to baseball
and an announcement that the sea-
son would open on Sunday. March 18Th.
He wanted to reach the baseball players
and managers, and had thought OF publish
ing an announcement that lie would preach
on "Amusements." But this would not
bring the baseball players, so he made the
announcement that had appeared III the
daily papers. If this was sensational 1t was
no more so than Chrtsts 20. ye generation
of viperss"
lie did not belong. lie said. to the class of
Frumbers. but liked to look on the bright
side-in fact, humor was one of his charac-
teriSticS. and like Sam Jones, lie had to
fight it back while in the pulpit.
A NATIONAL EVIL.
81 intend Tonight" said DR.. Case. ito
criticize one of the national evils OF the
time-the baseball craze. The common ar
gument which we use when we argue
against anything of this kind is that the
thing itself is harmless. 1t Is only the eX-
cess that is dangerous. But the tree Is
judged by its fruits and judged by this
standard baseball Is great evil
The base, used in the game, which was
formerly place of safety, has become an
emblem of destruction, The four bases
stand for four base things about the game.
The first base thing about it Is that 1t Is a
business. All mere amusement is degrad-
ing when it becomes a business. We are
told that people who make US laugh are
necessary We should laugh enough with
out professional amusers. If laughing TO
death is necessary, why, in heavens name,
doesn't some man invent tickling machine
to do the busineSS?
After enlarging on the fact that pleasure
was the hardest kind OF business, the
preacher went on to say that a non-pro-
tucer had no moral right to a living.
''When man becomes a professional base
ball player, or manager, or hanger-on, he
has become a pauper and the public has to
furnish him with food and clothing
OUR NoN-PRoDUCERs.
''In a colony Of 100 peoule, would eighty
two consent to support eighteen strong
Young men in unproductlveneSS. though
they must be amused on Sundays?
The cost would be too great. The same
fact exists in great communities. The
amusement makrrs are living of the
tOileTS.
at is necessary to play. Playing is as
normal as working. Recreation is neceS-
Sary, but 1t is not recreation TO look on at
other people exercising.
The second base thing about baseball is
the demand which it is supposed to SUP
ply.
A great exponent of baseball, who has
been called the $4,000 beauty believe
his name is Kelly-has written a book on
baseball. l have this book in my library.
| believe in keeping up with the times. L
have played base ball, but | have never seen
match game. l am ready to play now,
ministers against the lawyers, or wha
you like
"Well, the $4,000 beauty says in this
book of his. l am asked the cause of the
popularity OF tie game of baseball, and
answer, unhesitatingly, love of excitement.
For this reason l believe in as much kicking
as possible, for the public like to see some
thing which approaches fight This adds
to the excitement But excitement was not
what was wanted by the toilers of to-day.
'The third base thing about it is Sabbath
Dissertation. Baseball had been played on
Sunday at first Sunday games commenced
at New Orleans. or possibly San Francisco,
and gradually spread over the country.
A GOOD EXAMPLE.
Zone of the officers OF the ship that took
the Al-AmericaS and Chicagos to Aus
lTdlld Lhiu lie lUaI TIE managers uN al
they could in Honolulu 10 get permission TO
play match on Sunday and the Govern
ment refused. The country that has been
won to Christianity by American mission
aries refused TO permit Sunday Dissertation
by teams of American ball-players. 1t
makes me ashamed when l think of it. 1t
is enough to make a mans blood run vine
gar. | say this deliberately. Any man that
will consciously break the fourth command
ment will break the other nine,. and any
man that cOnscientiOusly keeps the fourth
commandment will keep the other nine"
The preacher then commented on the
wides read character of Sunday Dissertation
by ball-playlug in this city, and said that he
had, in three years, seen no report of ser
mon denOuncing 1t.
A WISE SAW.
''The fourth base, which completes the
run home, is the evil of gambling. Lavater
says, 1t is possible that a wise and good
man may be led to gamble, but gamester
cannot possibly be a wise and good man."
After abiding to the antiquity of gaming,
and saying that the first instance that he
had noticed recorded was when Jacob cor
nered all the pottage on the market and got
the better of Esau. The preacher appealed
to the women of san Francisco 10 use their
influence with their husbands, brothers and
sons.
Gaming" said DR.. Case. is playing
any hazard for property Men may gamble
in business. | am told that one-haf of the
business in this city, so far as capital is con-
cerned, is carried on dishonesty. The
gambler is the fiend outside hell The
church should lift up her voice against Sun
day Dissertation and gaming. The average
age of prisoners in the State Prison of Hi
nois is % years. 1t is the young men that
fill the prisons. We must save the boys.
"In the game of baseball there are
coachers who encourage the players to run
round the four bases. This city is full of
anarhprs Evaru 90 * a tpnaahar'
ing the young men on to these bases of ruin"