Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-03
WARM PULPIT EDITORIAL.
LEAyENwORTH PASTOR breaches
AGAINST SOCIETY PRACTICES.
Playing Cards for Prizes Vigorously
Denounced-Lesson Drawn From
Picture in Late
sporting. Paper.

Ieayenworth Kas, May 2-(Special)
Rev. c. Hawley Fem, pastor OF the First
Congregational church, or this city, de-
livered sensational sermon, entitled "A
Pulpit EDITORIAL" this morning. Several
weeks ago Rev. n. S. Thomas, of the Epis-
copaI church. delivered q philippe against
card playing by the ladies who belong to
the first society of Leavenworth, that at
tracted a great deal of attention. Mr..
Thomas told of young lady coming here
on a visit and losing $500 while playing
poker Since the first sermon the public
has been anxious for more, and when Rev.
Fem announced that he would talk on
card Playing to-day he was assured of
a large audience. His talk was radical. He
said:
There are papers published in the larS-
est cities of the land whose business Is the
presentation from week to week of all the
spicy police news, illustrated profusely
and in such way as to make evident the
desire to attract the attention and the
money of the vulgar, coarse and vicious.
To sin against ones wife or husband, to
rob a bank, to consort with toughs, dis
reputables, to become indecent, is to be
honored with picture in one of these
sporting Sheets AS its chief attraction,
decorating its front page only short time
since, one of these papers recently pub
ished a picture of some women In dresses
extremely decollete, seated around a card
table, enjoying warm game of draw
poker. while one, with her hand to her
head, was represented as eXclaiming 1 am
ruined forever The scene is explained as
one in the society circles of Leavenworth,
kas, and this not by ministers or cranks,
in what may be called the demi-mondes
own newspaper This kind of society wom-
en- of Leavenworth are classed with adult
ittttn md nfh hnr col nf a
earth, as worthy of national recognition.
When this is done. is 1t not time that some
members of society should object to being
classed with thugs and blacklegs?
And it is true that many women. instead
of boasting of even doing fancy work, will
very proudly show the sideboard loaded
with china won at progressive euchre and
unblushingy recount the victories of the
gambling table. If by acuteness they won
the prizes it was thievery; If not, there Is
no credit due them, for the cards were
dealt by chance. But still they boas. over
what they have won by methods by which
the vilest street urchin wins his drinks by
or the embeZzler has earned his larSuish-
ing in the neighboring prisons. And this Is
more or less attendant upon church serv-
ices, and some. it has been said. upon serv-
ices of the First Congregational church.
1t is not the intention of this editorial to so
radically abuse everything in the shape OF
pasteboard that people will say that it is
to be expected of one who is paid to say
In fact. it is reasonable to assent that
playing. cards for amusement Is no more
harmful than doing some other things for
amusement. and although the fact that
cards are the tools of the gamblers may to
scme conscientious people be good rea-
son for never touching them, yet 1t could
for baseball, football. chess, checkers.
wheat, corn. oats, horses. elections and the
weather. which are more or less favored by
good people. are also undoubtedly among
the opportunities of the gamblers frater-
nifty. If cards were to-day abolished, to-
morrow something else would take their
place. Consequently, it is not SO essential
to attack the means of gambling as the
spirit of it in the hearts of men. Now about
winter evenings this becomes the regular
thing and young minds should know some
thing besides how to earn living and shut
file deck of cards or they become insin-
cere and even ignorant of topics of daily
interest. To be honest, one must admit
that the card table, for amusement only, is
every night. church socials, etc, are in
some sections a worse evil than cards. and
here again appears the truth that it is not
so much the cards and socials that are evil
as the desire for amusements that charac-
terizes Young America.
against the eminent society women who
waste their time playing progressive
suchre, in this case its duty is ABOUT done.
children ought to. demand some of their
interest and music and art demand cuI-
tVation. This church. for one, is trying to
meet the needs of civilization and requires
the help Of every honest woman and her
honest money. The curse of the prostitute
and gambler does not rest on a woman who
uses her afternoons in doing kind and low
able things for her husband and children.
in visiting the widowed and fatherless and
the afflicted.
To the society people of Leavenworth,
this church would say. There. is the way
walk We in It,. To play light games is
sometimes good. But social converse and
the reading of good books is oftenest ben
eficial. and, above all, it is essential to take
time to fill the mind with knowledge of
things, study science and history. and do
the same for n sense of responsibility
This church believes that it is its duty
to supply these mean as far as possible
So let the cards be manufactured; it is
purity and heart that the church must
hold up. To love God and ones neighbor
is to be forever free from danger. How Is
this done? By walking in the path that
leads to the Jerusalem and the Geth-
semane. and upon the hill that is called
Golgotha."
Alaska Mail Service Contract.