The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-10
A BLOW TO THEATERS
Rev. F. +. st. Clair Arraigns Popular
AmusementS Generally.
THEY ALL GET A SCORING
Gambling. Horse Racing, Circuses
and Dances All Roasted in the
Same Pan With the Stage
His Opinion Expressed.

Butte. June 9.-Rev. = +. St Clair
of the south idaho Street NJ f.. Church
South. who created a mild sensation
about six months ago by stating from
the pulpit that he did not want any
theater-goers i'm his congregation. and
that any members Of his church who
insisted on going to the theIter could
hand i'm their designations. got in an
other roast on the theater tonight in
the course of an earnest lecture on the
subject Popular ADJUSTMENTS Ar
raigned." He also denounced the race
track. the circus, public dances and
gambling. and put them in the same
category with theatcrs. Mr.. 81. Glars
sermon was from Ecclcsiastes Ni. o.
and he spoke substantially as follows
This text has a hidden irony at the
first Of it. Rejoice-that is, have
good time; live only 60 amuse yourself
but know this. God will bring YOU into
judgment for it There are people
whose only thought is, How can /
amuse myself? Time hangs So hcavi-
~ on my hands. what shall / do to
kill it, forgetting that they may Kill
time now but time eventually VIII
turn the tables on them. We are not
opposed to legitimate recreation. We
need it, must have 1t, and II we don
] TAKE H. dbuStu HtAhiN WIZ ti''iN ~
self and compel US TO stop. What we
oppose is this eternal round Of pleasure
hunting, Just for its sake ana not To
relax the weary brain Hours spent
in hunting. fishing, climbing lofty hllls,
/ rowing. etc, are prohtahly spent. But
our young people are not satisfied with
these manly. yes, even womanly
sports: but they must have something
more exciting. Now anything that
causes i'll health or mental lassitude
is radically wrong and we engage in
! them at our peril. Take the race
course: see the nervous tension, the
( bated breath, the wondrous anxiety II
I causes Then the waste of money and
/ temptation to steal. \ young man
/ finds himself betting on the entries.
He loses. Again the same results.
/ Then he appropriateS 60 his employ
7 ers money-then exposed. ruined. lose.
! What kind of company are you In :
! Drunken Jockeys profane swearers and
: common gamblers. Let me say here
( no lady can safely attend these doors
10 degradation and hell. Let them ana
! all who value their reputation beware.
! THE circus. All what efforts To al
lure into paths Of destruction do these
mincing scoundrels put forth. There
| is not a redeeming feature about them.
| They get your money and laugh at
! you for being "A dupe and fool Whom
do we find frequenting mostly. the cir
Gus? The idle. the dissipated. the
rogues. the liccntious. the Joyous, the
I worthless the refuse. sam Jones says:
Proper subjects for these places ar
| one-eyed negroes. yellow dogs and
sots.' If this be true. and who can
. doubt it. If we don't belong 10 any one
/ of these classes. let us avoid the cir
Gus. ] might put into the same cate
CORY. the theaters. tie public dance
and gambling. II is enough to say II
you become habitucs Of such places
I'll H.s -
obles, lifts up and puriics. You he
come satisfied and lose your capacity
for true enjoyment. Lives Of noble
men and women. grand and holy char
acters, Cody warnings, prayers, tears
all. all have no relish and are con
tinued by you and you sweep onward
downward, hellward. You SOW pleas
ure. reap remorse-sow to the flesh
reap corruption: SO many young peo-
pie are content to be parasites. They
live on the labors Of others. They
never advance an original thought
They live in wantonness and die as
the fool dieth. They know nothing OF
true life. They go out of life union
ored. unwept and unsung.' o, let me
plead with you-live for something
have lofty ideas. be producers. shur
every appearance of evil. Have con
victions and be manly enough To as
sert them. The great need of the world
is for men-mcn who cannot be bought
true, loving brave, sympathetic
There is but one standard of true man
hood and that is found in Jesus Christ
BY initiating, loving and obeying Hin
you will develop into a glorious char
acter of transcendent beauty. Dare Il
follow Him, let no sirens voice temp
you to deny Him. Close your ears
against the pleadIngs of those who leaC
you into the paths of shame that en-,
in bitterness and woe and hell. Yol
are building n character. Build fol
eternity BE not like dumb cattle
driven; be heroes in the strife Thei
calm and serene will be your death
having lived well. you die well. Angels
will chant your requiem. Visions o.
glory will burst upon your enrapture'
gaze. and, escorted by myriads Of re
deemed beings. you will sweep through
the gates of the new Jerusalem
W ashed in the blood of the lamb. "