Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-03-01
He CANE, THEY HEARD.
And the People Of Tazswell Liked Sam
lanas.

anxiously awaiting the arrival Of Sam ?
Jones, the celebrated lecturer and evangel
ist, who had been announced TO lecture a
this place on last Saturday night. A
number of persons in the community haC
heard him, some at his recent lecture al
Bluefeld, but the great bulk Of persons
living here had never seen or heard the
man. From accounts they had read in
the newspapers Of his sayings and doings
many persons were prejudiced against
Jones, but after they met and heard him
that prejudice, with few exceptions, was
entirely removed. With most of US it was
realized that Sam Jones was rough man
in his manner of denouncing what he
thought wrong, rougher, perhaps, than was
anticipated, but that he was earnest,
strong, unique and thoroughly honest in
purpose. t.
On SATURDAY. night the Methodist church
was crowded with an eager audience, many
persons having ridden ard driven that day
ten or fifteen miles through the fearful
weather to hear Sam Jones 1t was their
first opportunity. and they did not permit
the down,pour Of rain, and later the snow
and blizzard, to-keep them from enjoying
it.
1t had been announced that Mr.. Jones
would lecture oil 'Sassiety," but he stated,
when introduced to the audience, that be
would not use that subject, as there was
no "sassiety" IN Tazeweh-there being
nothing to make il from here. He then
said that "sassiety" was the stop oI the
pot, and that we all knew when the pot
boiled the scum came to the top.
The speaker then proceeded to address
the audience in general way, his idea
seeming to be to paint picture of condi-
tions as they exist in the world and to
show that they are not such as they should
be. lie was especially hard on the two
great political parties that are now, as they
Lave been for years, contending for SUI
premacy in this country. HIS especial
complaint against them was that they
cater to the whiskey traffic, which he con-
siders the greatest curse Of the day. His
thrusts atthe Democrats and Organism
were very sharp and were keenly enjoyed
by the Republicans, and when he turned
his guns on the Republicans the faces of
the Democrats in the audience were once
again sulfused with smiles and the visages
ofthe Republicans correspondingly gloomy.
When he had concluded with the corrupt
politics of the day, he told of the short
comings of the churches, and then of the
defects in the home life of our country
It,is inthe home where the work for de-
veloping true manhood and true woman.
hood must begin; and upon parents rests
the chief responsibility of shaping rightly
the lives of the children committed to
their care.
The lecture occupied about one hour
and fifty minutes, and was a mixture Of
humor, pathos and political philosophy,
the latter being most frequently placed in
the roughest settng-sO rough that some
of the over.sensltive might be shocked,
but disclosing q truth equally as rugged
and moral deformity that was too re-
pulsiye to be otherwise presented to view
Those who were at first startled by. the
rugged expressions and manner of the
man, after thinking upon his theme and
weighing his philosophy, were forced to
the admission that his language was nc
coarser than the occasion and the themes
demanded. Many have said che is roughei
than We expected to find him, but he is q
better and more earnest man than we
thought him." all were impressed with
the profound earnestness Of the speaker
and his sincerity Of purpose, /,
1t was announced on Sunday morning
that Rev Sam Jones would preach in the
Methodist church on Sunday afternoon al
three O'Clock. 1t is unnecessary to say
that at that hour every seat in the house
was occupied and the aisles packed. He
took for his theme the PHILOSOPHY OIL
Prayer" and the sermon was an instruc'
tive and able one. 1t was original in
thought and peculiar in style, but none
the less effective. If Mr.. Jones ever comes
to Tazewell again to preach he will be re-
ceived by large congregations. lie left
our town on Monday afternoon for Poca'
hontas and lectured that night In the opers
house at thai town to an audience of from
five to six hundred people. His lecture al
that place was much stronger discourse
than at this place-his subject being, "Tht
world as it is, and the world as it should
| he"