Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-12
OakWood.

Editor Of the Hennebec Journal:
Dear Sir-I desire to explain the attitude
of the clergymen of the city toward the
menagerie, dance hall and 90 called public
park known as Oakwood, and owned by
Col. Staples.
l. All of the "11 local clergymen" have
been seen today relative to this matter, and
with the result that nine of them are op-
posed to the violation of the law for the
protection of the Sabbath by theatrical per-
formances masking under the guise of
sacred band concerts. They feel that we,
the four pastors that signed the petition,
Saturday, have in that action their moral
support. The other two, Rev. A. w. Sny-
der of the Episcopal church, has only re-
Gently come to the city and does not like to
express an opinion on the matter till he un-
derstands the city and people and the work
of lakewood better, and Rev. E. E. New
bert, in frank, gentlemanly way, says he
has no convictions on the subject, so that
the insinuation that our petition does not
represent the majority of the clergy of the
city is unfounded.
2. lakewood is a pleasure resort run for
the financial benefit of the owner like a
theater and other places of amusement and
should stand before the law of the State
just Ms it is. ..
1t is money making scheme and its pro-
prietor has no more right to open it on the
Sabbath than the storekeeper his store or
the banker his bank.
3. We have not received our infOrma-
ton about this pleasure resort through the
imagination, nor solely through the rose
colored description of it from the lips of the
proprietor or his paid advertisements in the
public press. We have been on the cars
when the frequenters of its dances on
Wednesday and Saturday nights came on to
them. We have been compelled to listen
to their language, to their description of
their conduct inside the garden and Of the
associations they there formed. We have
had to listen to the mothers whose daughters
have been there. We have spoken with un-
unprejudiced intelligent persons who from
curiosity have visited the place and we do
not consider that our information about it
nation of the proprietor would lead the pub
lie to believe.
4. Our petition was aimed at the follow
ing statement in your paper of Saturday
Dancing at lakewood tonight, and if it is
pleasant there may be band concert Sun
day."
We petiioned the mayor to instruct the
marshal to prohibit such band concert on
Sunday. When Col. Staples heard of that,
he Immediately converted his band concert
into preaching service and band concert,
and now wants to go before the courts to
test the legality of a preaching service on
the Sabbath and to pose before the public
as the one who is providing a church for
the unchurched masses. Even people like
ministers who according to some "are SO
dull and uninteresting and can see only
their salary" are open-eyed enough to see
through such dodge.
Should Col. Staples succeed in conduct
ing his band concerts on the Sabbath by at
taching to them a religious service and thus
evading the law against them, he will have
done an unintended kindness to some
shelved clergymen who have failed as the
servants of churches, but in future may
find occupation as preachers for circuses
and sea shell sloops, who want to run full
blast upon the Sabbath as well as on the
week day, but who need the services of q
clergyman to do it legally in Maine.
5. We gladly recognize the service Colonel
Staples rendered to his country in the hour
of her need. We gladly recognize that he
may have the interests of the city at heart,
but there are hundreds who have the same
love for the city but do not want to make
that an excuse for breaking q law of the
State.
6. The clergymen of the city will gladly
conduct religious services at lakewood if a
sufficient number of citizens so desire and
will donate what money Colonel Staples
may give them for such services to the
Howard Benevolent Society or the Maine
General Hospital or any other deserving
charity.
I. We believe the great majority of the
best citizens will not patronize it as a sab
bath resort, and very many will not patron
ze it on other days while it is open on Sun
days, and that whatever odium attaches to
the place the owner has only himself to
blame. Very truly yours,
JAMES S. WILLIAMSON.
Augusta, June IL, 1894.