Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-03-09
SABBATH OBSERVANCE.
A Timely Communication on the subject
From Bob Graham"-An Entertaining
Di.cussfou

FAlRNONT, W. A, MarCh 1.
10 ne Elntyr OF tie R,gis'sr.
SIR: The ground you take touching
Sunday theatres, IN your controversy
with the New York WOr,i, Will endure,
j think, without apology. Your edt-
torial is very strong and clear. You do
not invoke the testimony OF experience,
but you do invoke enough logic 20 prove
that morality is much impoverished II
its only support, or even one Of its sup
ports, is the sunday theatre.
Your adversary is Just DOW potent
one. That newspaper has paid its
owner prOdigiOuSly in money, and as
lever FOR all purposes Its chastity was
always suspected, however, before and
since 30 took the stump against the creed
and the commandments. This latter
gr0uad was not taken all az once. The
paper began by traffic with patrons
OF .ewjueSS among New York OhclalS.
It's operations were necessarily secret,
but no doubt il did what u could 70 aid
the bad men who brought moral ruin 10
that city, and upon those ashes 10 Oullt
its singular prosperity. IL is the one
DISTINGUISHED grOyeler in graetneSS or
our iOurualiSm-"Oy merit raised 70
that bad eminenCe." IL has now thrown
its mask, aud sides openly with another
uncertain Vlrtue-the Sunday theater.
IL Will keep young men from greater
vices, says the wspaper. IL used the
same argument against certain good
citizens who were impudent enough 10
deplore the wholesale lewdneS~ OF wOm-
eu I'm New York City. Churches and
and charities must look 70 their fOunda-
tons. but the brothelS must be main
tanned against all odds. Are they not
necessary TO virtue? So also now of the
Sunday theater? Does 10 not restrain
greater vices?
Ii would seem that you put the mat
ter Of Sabbath observance az rest when
you Justify 10 merely As obedience 10
plain commandment OF God. respect
able authority has vouched for the in
teCrity and the wisdom of the whole
ten statutes which are mainly levelled
at a single class Of Otfenses-the worst
OF all-those called nahum In Sc. Those
canons are understood 10 DE the criterla
OF civil and moral conduct everywhere.
Many persons are simple enough 10
stake their happiness here aud hereaI-
ter, upon their faithfulnesS TO them.
They are the marrow of what is COM
monty called the gospel, and large num-
bers Of its adberents are foolish enough
10 believe that even the gates OF hell
shall not prevail against IL. The editor
OF the REGISTER cheerfully takes 10 Tor
his position, with perfect faith, no
doubt in its original and varity.
In an OF this, he is of course bltndly
wrong. His journalistic duty was first
10 those aids of the gospel, the theatres
dud whatever else they suggest. He
has failed Of his duty, and Is without
Justification. In any case, he Is with
out public spirit. lie should have said
theatre even il he thought church.
But If he cannot De justified, perhaps
he may be excused in some degree. At
least, his sin against the New York
standards may possibly be so far con-
dOpad as 20 mitigate part of the Worlds
righteous Indignation. He was reared in
a ChriStian community, and his parents
were tota, strangers 10 the haliOwiug in
fuenEeS of the modern stage. II was
their misfortune 10 be simply God-fear-
iDc peOple, with whom any deOaSement
OF puTe religion was beyond the SIN OF
witcbcraft. Such was his training, and
like most people thus brought up, be Is
addicted TO the vice Of consistency.
Hence his habit OF writing as be thinks
aud feelsA-bad as 10 iS-may earn some
Now the Worlds argument is not
that there is a special virtue or utility
I'm sunday performances, beyond that
unon anv ,other day. Nor indeed that
the theatre is fitting Sab
hath employment in any case.
T'be World does not even argue that the
theatre is A proper or improving indul-
Vepce on AMY day OF the week, nor have
a. church people denied il. TIE World
merely arg,aes that there are some very
WICKED DiflceS and pastimes 10 this
ronntry-vSOrse even than the Sunday
theatre Now, therefore, 20 deter our
vouths frcjm these darker vices, let US
e,conrage lighter shades. Lest they
drink licluor, we will offer them wine.
orr children, peradyenture, may com
min adj ,altery; therefore we shall counsel
forni,sation merely. We give aid and
com fort 10 the enemy-aye, and we sur
reader To him; but We will not be so
b.fack as he is-at least, not quite 50
l6lack: however, we shall not be white.
IN Llt ldWt VI NoA "HIIL' +Ne a. oS -
little Of both.
A proposition that so unsexes ITSELF
nay, openly admits its want OF paterni-
T., could hardly be taken for
the basic stone OF so Seri-
Gus a proposition; but strangely
enough this one Is justified with evil
dent sincerity by many upon another
theory-eyen more startling. 10 comes
within a curious description elsewhere
given I'm the World, OF opinions neither
orthodox nor philOSOphic nor repre-
scented as such-yet preSuming 10 dis
pose OF a very grave matter by single
stroke OF the pen.
That theory is briefly, that the youth
OF the country are OF two classes, Is re-
lated 20 the Sunday theatre and other
SUNDAY questions. To the first class
are assigned those piOusly disposed
who have no personal interest IN such
questions The theatre would neither
attract nor pr0seiyte them, nor more
nor less upOn Sunday than another day.
Being safe from vice, these are ellmen-
ated the discussion. The second class
included all of that vast remnant Of the
Young whose career Is uncertain. They
are In the balance, SO TO speak-Oe-
tween the lineS-SuSceptlb'e TO good
and bad Influences, operated upon by
both. and apt 10 20 to the extreme OF
that one or the other OF these courses,
into which they are eventually drawn.
On one side is the Church and the re-
igion of Christ; on the other, the sun
dsy theatre, e Ia omnC genus. Now,
saws the World argument: The sun
day theatre is a safeguard for the latter
e,ass." Why? Because, if the Church