Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-01-20
DOVER A BAD" TOWN.

tlSk NOT seen u tiaEs hhHrf AHttN -
More Woridltness Than at the Captth''
Special Correspondence OF tazotte and Journal
Dover, Jan. IA. Several weeks ago
tho Rev. Alfred Smith, y. r., pastor
OF Wesley Church, preached 10 men
sermon on 'Tne Evils Of the PRESENT
bay" in which he referred to tho
Kent Club, which has headaunrters III
the Priscilla Block. The clubs menl'
bership includes some of Dover
wnalthioat and most influential citl-
zens. In the club rooms arc tables at
which poul and cards are played, which
amusements are frowned upon by tho
Methodist Episcopal Church, with
which several nemflora OF the Kent
Club are identified. In consequence Of
members OF his church having played
these games at the clubhouse, Dr.
Smith, IN his sermon, criticised these
individuals rs well az the club. Ihe
sermon was condemned by many people.
In view of the HdyorsO comment, and
to more clearly define his position and
that of bis church, DR.. smith, last
| Sunday evening, pfeacbed from tho
| text Romans u, 81: SIT is good 10
neither eat fash nor to drink wine, nur
anything whereby thy brother alum.
bitlu, UT ih UlltHuullSbI rs uIauo NSuh'
He said in part:
"Fho church OF Rome was made up
| Of Jews and Geutiles, and hence they
differed in their viOws and customs.
! Thu general statement that we, as
| Christians, bave no right to no any
| thing whereby our brother is offended
or made weak applied 10 the jew as
well as tina Gentles, 80 it applies to us
as protesting Christians.
because | mady the statements rela.
tive TO tba Kent Club am ready to
stand by them. understand that | was
credited with saying that the keut
Club is hell hole. This is untrue,
from the fact that | am not in the
habit of using such terms. 1 did say,
however, that the Kent Club il a place
whore young men oil this town OF Dover
are in training for the 'hlackles'E
table. BY this meant that the young
men who frequent this club, though
not gamblers. learn to play cards, which
will eventually, sooner or later, causG
them to practice those vices 50 common
to gamblers. Having said this, aut
after a prayerful and careful conaidera
tion OF the matter, | stand ready e
repeat it, and see in no way how | car
take it back. Again, say that thC
Kent ClHh is doing mure to popularIzt
card playing and puol.playing taar
most any other thing in the town
!, Nine. tenths Of the gamblers Of THU
, country have commenced TO MAY card
, in this way, or in a great mary case
, have commenced in the homes, learned
by tho fathers and moth ers.
= -" insist upon it that young men ar
! learning to play cards in the Ken
, Club. and that, il only ona man in
2 decade should go down TO gambler
fate, my statements are true and canno
be retraGted. | am not surprised a
the people OF the world doing thes
things, but tho surprise is that person
calling themselves Christians Hhoul
$ pAtronizu these places, thus setting tn
$ example to those who are not Chris
tians. | would not want any OF IN
!. boys to Join the Kent Club, not be
u cause the members are not their equals
8 but because l would not want them I
= play cards or pool.
/ Suppose they should add win
b list to this club, just for the members
not to sull, but to give away, everyon
- in this town would condemn it, Jut
\, 80 with playing cards. III the tlrinkin
" Of wine be the cause OF making OF
Il brother fall or become weRh, then "
should not do thesu things. just 80
20 is with all worldly amusements.
l. "A number OF persons have come
10 me within the last few days, and sal
J. that they do not see any harm
N dancing or playing cardH, and | heller
., they are sincere in their assertions, IN
T. yet they would condemn gambling M
other forms of vice. During my mini
TO try, which has covered a period of
az yenrs, six Of which were spent in Il
g. presiding elder's office, | have new
g. seen place where there 10 SO mut
w0rldliness as there is in the town
III Dover. | have always found that tho
n who dance and play cards are no fact
o. in the spiritual affairs of the churc
, They naver 20 TO prayermeetIng,
III classmeeting, and hence do not enjoy
NO happy religious life. Suppose th
db preachers and members should engR
er in eard-playing and dancing, win
ng would the churches do? They would
morally and religiouaIy degenerated Al
D. degraded. When the Methodist Epi
is copal Church does away with lis elias
ms meetings and prayermeetiDgs it b
better Gloss its doors The class a
10 prayernleetings are the thermnmsier
on which tho spiritual pulse of the Chr
lat tian is tested.
r,ly II have the utmost sympathy
ne parents of this day, because go ma
evils and temptstions are being tbro
nd around their children. I. as n parel
on have these evils to combat with "a
ne, ses Just how difficult it is 10 restrt
ny my children from doing those thir
u which they should not DO
ac- II wish TO be clearly understo
me regarding what | am about to sta
and that is that card playing d
nos dancing are doing mors in this vicin
anu to prevent the work aud progress of
ing church than the saloons. Some PEG
10 want their children to danup, SO Il
or they can go to balls, thereby send
I'd, them down to eternal ruin. / wo
~ rather my boys should die toni
ue than to see them grow UP to he dane
and card-plByers, even though they "
sral in the church and had The form {
'e III religious life.
Tor ~ had es much right as any of
inc members of my church to attend
Kent Clubs ball, and il it wers VT
for me to 60 to that hall it was VIZ
for any of the members OF my chu
'cnt to go. Suppose l had gone. what wo
ON have been the result? The presid
'rth elder would have appointed a C
nan mittee to sit in my case, ami it it
sing found me guilty | would have b
FITS suspended from this churc hunti I
iper ference Al conference, after nm
lch, partial trisl,'if were still found gui
ana and il did not repent of my misrio
Q a / would have heen nxnsIIed from
will ronforanca (
larp HThe only safe way FIR our hyot
nara 1900 - IL - i; 4,