The herald., 1894-01-22
A GROWING NUISANCE WHY NOT
ABATR IT3

Anyone who should casually drop
into Los Angeles of Sunday would inn
sgine that this city was the abiding
place of the most extraordinary religious
revival on the face of the earth. In the
first place, we are abundantly supplied
with churches. We doubt whether
Brooklyn-the city of churches-can
approach US in that line. Every de-
nomination on earth ia represented
here. The communions which repre-
sent the most advanced Christian senti
ment have, as general thing, fine
places of worship and clergymen, in
many cases, Of marked ability. One
would think that in these recognized
temples, administered by gentlemen
who carry diplomas in their several
spscialties, the pietistic moods Of our
people could find adequate expression.
But this is certainly not the case. Go
where one will on Sunday evening one
encounters crowd of religious zealots,
who block up the sidewalks and
make the night hideous with a
put Choctaw Indian to the blush. The
Lord Jesus Christ was much prosecuted
in his lifetime, but it lie verysdoubtful
whether He ever struck anything so en-
tirely humiliating as the impudent
familiarity of these religious fakirs with
His name. They seem to have gone
clean daft in their sudacious disregard
of all decency. They don't permit these
things in New York and other eastern
cities. II a man has mission to BIAS
pheme the Lord Jesus in properly regu-
lated cities they compel him to hire a
hall or shut up. The Salvation army
has gradually won its way to the sui.
fersnce of the community by doing a
great deal OF good to the poor. In ad-
dition, by the adoption of certain lively
tunes, and a good discipline, they man
age their street parades 30 that the sort
of interest that attaches to the fanfare of
a niger minstrel combination charac-
terizes them. They have adopted the
idea formulated by John Wesley or
some other famous divine to the effect
that the devil should not be permitted
to monopolize all the good tunes.
But as to the other iskirs. what wild
and woolly aspect they must present to
the stranger within our gates? They
resemble nothing so much ss the follow
era of Ali on the anniversary Of the
martyrdom of that saint 30 much
~ 81 MI
Fsnaticiem is their only impulse. IN
fortunately for the onlooker, they are
characterized by neither rhyme nor rea-
son, and their vocal efforts would thr ow
a Comanche warrior into conniption fits.
Why should these psychological mon
strosities be permitted to convert the
streets OF Los Angeles every Sunday
night into Bedlam? The mere fact
that they assert an obtrusive intimacy
with Jesus Christ, which He would un-
doubtedly be the first to repudiate, is
surely not sufficient reason for this ri
diculoua fan1arronade
The City Council of the Angel City
ought to grapple with this question at
once. There are certain principles of law
and order that ought to be asserted.
There is no reason why every lunatic who
fsncies himself to be inspired should be
allowed to disturb the well-being of the
ordinary and inoffensive citizen. 1t
certainly does no good to the cause OF
religion. On the contrary, it degrades
it, and if it has any effect at all it is to
increase tendency to scof at Chris
tisnity in general. We do not believe
that all this bowling has ever made a
single convert, as, indeed, how could it ?
If the propaganda we're to drum up re-
cruits for lunstic asylum it might
have some efficacy.
There is one plain duty before our
city fathers. Abste this growing nui-
sance in the interest of common sense,
the established churches and religion.