The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-06
he TURNS ON THE LIGHT.
Rev. j. Wesley Hill Speaks Of the
Brutality Of Prize Fight
ing.
Devotees of Comus Who Danced
to the Wild Music of
ID Venus.
winked at and Patronixed by Those who
Arc sworn to Protect tho Public
Peace.

Thu meeting for linen only" aS the ST.
Paul's Methodist Episcopal church yester-
day afternoon at $3.50 o'clock was a NAM
moth affair. The subject. prize Fighting
Brutality drew a congregation of at least
i've hundred mon, among whom we're mem
bers of the legislature and members OF the
Helena Athletic club. Al precisely $3.50 the
Sacred orchestra, consisting OF thirteen
inst uments. began = special musical ie-
oital which lasted for twenty minutes, after
which the congregation joined with the
orchestra in singing "Yisld Not to Tempta-
tion.' and several other spirited selections.
After the opening prayer the male quarte'te
rendered q very beautiful selection. Where
Will You Spend Eternity"
Rev. J. Wesley Hill then arose and de-
livsred without notes the following sermon.
which at one point called forth = burst OF
applause from the cong eRation. The
text was: ''The glory of young nen is their
strength.'-Prov 20.29. BRUTAL sports
seem to be the order of this day. We have
news from the ring for breakfast and from
the cock pit for supper. Our civilization
has reached such a stage that the prize
ring commands moro attention and draws a
better house than the at exhibition. the
lecture platform or the sanctuary. Irue
this is q Christian nation, but much terri
tory has been set aside and dedicated to the
worship of Moloch, Al whose bloody shrine
men like brute beasts, deity their
deadliest desires and crafty their basest
passions. We have heard much about the
blue laws of puritanism. but what OF the
red laws Of pugilism? IL the tinge of our
civilization turned flom blue to red? If SO
W. are already near the yawninR chasm
where nations have plunged to their ruin.
The decline of Roman greatness was
sienalized by her bloody and
cruel games. The precursor OF her disin-
tegration was the brutalizing OF her high
form of civilization. When the gladiator
lowered above the painter. the philosopher.
and the poet, the glory that had rested upon
the seven hills faded away and the people
saw the corpse Of their past greatness float
ing in the olotted blood OF the arena. Rev
erence for life 10 one of the constituent ele-
ments of civilization. sensitiveness to the
sufferings of another is the highest type Of
human character; and IN form of smuse-
ment that mutilates o. destroys these d.
vinely planted principles, strikes a deadly
dagger into the royal heart of t ue man
hood. injects . hellish poison into the lifs
currents OF our nationality. and If not
thlottled by the iron hand of the law. will
work it's black arts until our civilization is
transformed into q gloomy waste over
which animalism and anarchy will run riot!
Understand ms, l do not take q stand
against innocent amusement OK healthful
recreation. The Bible does not Set itself
against that. We carry by the very char
tor of our creation the right to participate
in the boundless variety of pleasure that
-n>a<~ M nk evaFv turning n0lnt. Ih0 En-
man body is constructed like some delicate
instrument, which may be pitched to q
thousand Joyous tunes; every 0 gan and
sense brings Us in contact with natures
contribution to our JOY and Rladness-
these senses are SO many windows through
which We may look out upon the beauties of
tho world. Christianity does not under
take to quench this desire for recreation,
but to control and direct it into safe and
healthful channels. Its work ia to guard
the desire for amusement against abuse
ment, the thirst for recreation against des-
ecration, the innocen. exercise Of phi sical
powers against the fierce delight OF the nat
ural Wild beast that turks in the human
breast. We are Prone to glorify the man
of strong intellect at the expense of the
muscular man. We are apt to despise ply
steal strength and look upon it as some
not for a Christian to coyet. But the Bible
does not sanction such a view; in it We read
of men who made Themselves famous as
axemen. No great skill is required IN
handling an AZ, a little muscle and prac-
tice, vet these men are held in estimation
in ali ages, because they lifted up their axee
against the thick trees. David came first
into notice, not as q writer of poetry, but a:
u powerful young man. The Apostle join
says: 1 have written unto you, YOUNG
men, because ye are strong. Their specla
value was estimated upon their strength t,
s,-I-ra hnrtnaSo n O n4HH c1IHIaFo nf .Ialni
Christi The Christian world. in lt
anxiety to educate the mental and mora
lowe 8 has too frequently neglected thu
physical man. You may erect a commo'
dious and beautiful IN nsion and at int
it the best material and secu Q the labor o
skilled carpente s and join RS, but unless
the foundation is st ong the whole super
structure will totter and reel and plunQe
beneath the furious gale INTO shaDeless
helpless ruin.
The same principle obtains in the WORT
of human development; unless the laws o
health are obss we'd and due attention i
given to the development Of the l%nascula
man. the well p~ol1shed BRAIN will find alas
too soop that its tabe nacle is crurnbilnl
upon an insecu 6 foundation and that 1T
we'll deyelo, ed power for action ID ~fetteftC
by a disease stricken BODY. But, mark you
IA line ID to b. drawn between healthy exc
else and that amusement known in tn
sporting world as prize fighting. III
former Is all right; the young man shonl
build up his muscle until he has a fleet an,
powerful frame. Foot racing, fencing
wrestling. boxing, boat rowing and othe
such sports may be INDUCED in their innc
cence, and when manhood is attempte
through them and men In rings and undo
rules, play the part of painted savage,
there comes a drop from manhood to brute
hood, and those who stand aside and ar
plaud such cruel exhibitions rank no hight
in the scale of moral being than the com
batants who are beating each other bin
and bloody. Fighting Is always wretche
business, but perhaps at times thel
are eytenusting circumstance. ]
defense Of person or roper,
or the name and fame of thoi
dear to us, it loses its offensive characts
In moments of hot passion, too, the dead
or sudden blow. receiver some excuse frol
n kind and charitable public. But to p,
the human body into pc feet order, sole
that it may be a bstteting ram to manal
mutilate and beat into jelly another bod
is the most inhuman. loathaoms and sic
enina work that over outraged the name
humanity. There il nothing so beastly
n bull fight, SO vicious in a dog fight or
heather sh or inhumsn ia the gladitori
Gpo Is Of old.
but re frequently hear 1t said tn
these puRlllsts furnish an example durlI
the process OF training which deserves
be gene ally initiated. From the stant
point OF the st let letter sach q remaI
may be innocent enough, for as the M,
are In process OF training. they are cor
PEELED to be temperate in every way, and
Is surely right that people should be ten