Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-13
TIKI. h|N|S|[RSPROIES|
Marshalltown Pastors Condemn the
Opening Of the Odeon on sun.
day Night.
Resolutions Read in All the Prot
estant Churches Of the
City.
----
A Meeting With Manager speers in
Iii
A Meeting With Manager speers in
the Afternoon-Ihe Latter's
Position.

the Aftern0on-Ihe Latter's
Position.
The pastors represented in the minis
teriaI associations Of Marshalltown on
Sunday registered a vigorous protest
against the opening Of the Odeon thea
ter on Sunday night in connection with
the engagement Of the Lambardi Ital-
ian Grand Opera Company. They have
taken vigorous stand and seem to be
backed in their position by a large ma
jority of their congregations. Some of
the church members are even more out
spoken in their protests than the pas
tors themselves.
The ministerial union early Sunday
morning, following the announcement
Saturday night that the opera company
would sing on Sunday night, hastily
got together and adopted brief resolu-
tions condemning the opening of the
theater for the purpose. These resolu-
tons were read in all the protestant
churches at the morning services. No
action relative to the resolutions We're
asked for by the pastors, but the Bap-
fist and Christian members arose and
moved that they be endorsed, and this
was done by unanimous vote. In the
evening Rev. Russell, of the Presby-
terrain church, and Rev. Boardman, of
the Congregational, preached on the
general subject of theaters. DR.. Van
Ness, of the Methodist, in line with his
announced topic Of Evils of This City"
spoke on the theater and Sabbath des-
ecration, while DR.. Parsons, of the Bap-
fist, and Rev. Scott. of the Christian,
made brief references to the subject.
The resolutions adopted by the minis
tiers and read at the churches as as fol-
lows:
by the Marshalltown Ministerial
Association be it resolved:
Whereas, BY public announcement
there is to be at the Odeon Theater this
Sunday evening rendition of grand
opera; and
Whereas, This is both fragrant and
open violation of the law Of God and
the law of the state of Iowa, and can
not be justified upon any ground of ne
cessity or money; and
Whereas, We note this to be an adj
ditional step in the already too preva-
llent desecration Of the Lords day;
therefore, be it
"Resolved, That we emphatically
protest against this Sunday opera
with is a ruthless violation of the
right of man as given him by the AL
mighty in setting apart one day in
seven as day of rest; and we also call
Af rif ~
and county officials to this open viola
ltion of the laws they are bound to en-
/ force"
WANTED TO INVOKE LAWS AID
Some of the pastors and church mem
bers We're not satisfied with the mere
| adoption Of the resolutions, and favored
taking legal steps to prevent the sing
| ing Of portions of several operas an
nounced as the program at the Odeon
Several pastors and others, with sever
| al lawyers who are interested in church
work, held a meeting in an uptown la"
office in the afternoon, and were dis
4 cussing the situation at length. Man
ager Speers, of the Odeon, was observed
passing along the street and was calico
| into the meeting. The lawyers tried t.
/ convince the manager that the opening
of the theater on Sunday night was IL
4 legal, and asked him to declare the en-
4 gagement with the company off OF
those grounds. Mr.. Speers did not SCI
his way clear to do this. he informed
the church people that he had made
+ a rule in the past not to open the thea
4 ter to entertainments on sundays. ant
did not intend to do so in the future
A but that he considered this an extraor
q binary event and an opportunity 10
d some of the citizens to hear grand oper'
u that might not be presented to then
again in life time
At the meeting representatives wer
lpresent from all the uptown Protestan
churches of the city, there being TWEEN
i ty or more all told. The best of feeling
prevailed during most OF the proceed
ings. Mr.. Speers presented his own cas-
and argued that the churches had al
flowed Sunday band concerts and SINH
liar entertainments to pass without IN
reference. He assured the church PEG
ple that he did not wish the under
standing to go out that this entertain
ment was to be a precedent. and wit
this understanding the meeting ad
journed.
Some Of the pastors announced from
4 their pulpits in the evening that as
q surances had been made at the meeting
that the theater would not be opene
J. again on Sunday.
PASTORS VIEWS.
Most OF the pastors are very moderat
in their views and say, in effect, tina
they could take no other position tina
the one they assumed. DR.. Van Ness
of the Methodist church, says he locke
upon the action of the theater manage
ment as an additional step toward
the Dissertation of the Sabbath, whic
prevails to too large degree. He say
that while he thinks 1t no worse to Sc
tickets to a Sunday entertainment tina
for merchants to open their stores an
sell goods. he had been protestin
against both.
Rev. w. H. Scott. pastor of the Chris
tan church, said: II think Sunda
shows are abominable in our city, an
that we ought to draw the line. Will
the music OF this company Is probabl
all right, the opening of the house for
would be an entering wedge to othe
! things that would be detrimental to tn
} morals of the city. I think the spirit c
the meeting Sunday afternoon was sue
| y