The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-24
SUNDAY CONCERTS
OPPOSED BY MAJORITY OF MIN
ISTERS.
WOULD PRoFANE THE SABBATH
rue GENERAL OBJECTION To MAY
OR MYERS PROPOSITION.

ma of the Ministers Do Not Look
Of II in That Light-Rev. 1. III Mem
dos would Not Only Have the Con-
oerts. but Also Libraries, Museums
and Galleries Open on Sunday.
some of Those Who Object TO the
concerts and the Grounds of Their
o,tection-WOuld Hurt the Sunday
schools, They Say.
,tavor Myers recommendation in his
ANIMAL report of day or two ago that
series of popular Sunday concerts be
u;,so in the Park Extension during the
,,ontbs of May. June, July, August, and
ce,tember, has been widely discussed
among the ministers of the city, and
many citizens. While many of the lat
ear approve the concert idea, the greater
,,,,her of the ministers condemn it. Rev.
~. j. D. Jordan, pastor of the First
pantist Church, when asked about the
matter said:
"I am opposed to- the. proposed Sunday
.f,ernoon band concerts ia our park.
feel sure that our Mayor will not press
a. after the matter has been discussed.
Ne is too wise, thoughtful and conserva-
tive TO press a thing like this when he
6nds That it will offend the consciences
NJ so many of his representative constitu-
ens.
II see how a Sunday concert would be
mo more TO him as a man than Satur-
d9v concert would be to me. Were in
his Mace | could not afford to press Sat
urdsy concerts that would offend The He
brew conscience. l shah expect him TO
nave the same regard for the Christian
conscience.
Il believe that any day kept holy unto
our Lord is acceptable to Him. Our ma
ton, state and city, recognize the Chris
tIan Sabbath Oord's Day., and as such
it ought to be observed.
IF such concerts We're desirable they
ought not to be run by our city govern
ment nor supported out of our public
funds In my judgment they are not de-
sirable
Il know of no demand for such a char
ity but l have calls almost daily for
funds to provide food, raiment, shelter
wood and other necessities. There arc
no funds to meet such cases. l should
Judge there were none to provide these
Sunday concerts. Let US look after neces-
sites first and Injuries second"
Rev. Bascom Anthony was equally de-
cided in his objection to the concerts. 81
am most decidedly opposed to it, he said,
because | believe it to- be. a. dissertation
of the Sabbath and EVEN Were this not
so, / should oppose it, because it will in
terfere with the attendance and work
OF our Sunday-school, T. am very fond
of music myself and viii heartily en-
dorse any plan that will give to the pub
a.
day or night except Sunday. Further, 1
DO not see the necessity of having church
music played on that day in the Park
because there is enough of it furnished
in the churches. The most difficult prob
lem that the churches now have to deal
with is the religious training of the young
and every attraction outside of the
church on Sunday but adds to the weight
Of that problesn.
Il think that any money available for
such concerts might much better be spent
in other ways to assist rather in the
protection of our youth from immoral
Influences than in the placing of still
another attraction that will serve 10
keep them from the churches"
Rev DR.. l. p. Mendes, of the Temple
Mickva Israel takes quite a different view
of the matter. Personally" he said, Il
should like very much to see, the lnaugu-
ration of such a series of concerts in our
city. They are given in all other cities OF
any size and are a source of great pleas
ure TO the people generally can only
regret that we are so far Behind in this
matter. So far from opposing such plan
I give it my heartiest endorsement, and
could only ask also that the Telfair
Academy in this city, as we'll as every
similar institution and museum in the
country. might be open on Sunday to the
public free of charge. IL would but re-
suit in the keeping away from question
able resorts hundreds of persons that
now 90 there to be amused because they
have no other place to go to. II there
We're public concerts, and open academies,
and museums, the Monday issue of the
newspapers would not show the fiftieth
part of the crime that is now enron
iced.
IF a person is going to discharge his
or her religious duties he or she will do
it, and a concert more or less will have
no effect on the case. So far as | can see
there is rea lya no reason for denying the
privilege of hearing music in the Park
in this city because the people go to the
Park whether there is music or not, and
as to the character of the music there can
hardly be much criticism on that score
when in the churches themselves are sung
sunday dIleT SUNDAY dNdphotiSh9' SS-~S
tons and arrangements from very many
operas, and other strictly secular compo-
sitions. the very class of music that
probably would in great part, make up
the programmes of such concerts as are
under discussion
Rev. DIR. ]. Y. Fair, pastor of the indie
pendent Presbyterian Church, was asked
about the concert proposition. II must
condemn it," he said, first, because IN
all popular Sunday concerts music is put
on the programme that is unsuitable TO
the sandtity of the day. Were the pro-
srammes to be composed entirely of the
old hymn tunes, and the music of the
liturgy 1t would be less Objectionable. but
1t would still be Objectionable, in that It
would interfere with the work of our Sun
day-schools."
Rev. j. w. Sculy stated that he did no;
care to express an opinion without giving
1t more consideration. 90
So far as could be learned, a majority
oil the ministers are opposed to Sunday
concerts in the Park or anywhere else.