Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-28
EXPOSITION OR BEER GARDtNs7


When the Chicago exposition pro-
posed to open its gates to Sunday Vls1-
tors in 1898 pressure against Sunday
opening came from very diverse direc-
tons Well meaning and sincere
Christian people opposed what seemed
to them open dissertation of the Sab
bath. Uptown saloons and resorts OF
various characters. both defensible and
undefensible, joined issue and raised
money TO urge the closing OF the falr
on Sunday. This peculiar coalition was
successful, and the fair remained
closed one day in the week very
much the same thing was repeated al
ST. Louis. The fair with its refining
and edllcative influences was closed on
Sunday, while the beer halls ana worse
attractions remained busily wide open
There Is a magnificent sermon in the
fair. lesson of endeavor never to be
unlearred by those who visit 1t. and
one especially adapted to the needs Oh
working people to whom Sunday offers
the least expensive opportunity to see
the fair. 1t costs a working man dou-
Bile to visit the fair on a week day
He loses his day worth So perhaps. II
he goes twenty days he loses $40 IN
wages and imperiIs his position With
an open Sunday he, his wife and grown
up daughter might pass twenty Sun
DAYS in the atmosphere of the fair or
the $40 which is his; first item of ex-
pense In the week day visits. The
result is that he stays away from the
fair. and in too many cases takes his
Sunday outing at the beer gardens.
on this subject, it is at once inter-
esting and reassuring to note tile COM
ment OF the outlook, one of the strong
ast and most ably edited of religious
denominational church organs in the
United states The outlook calls the
closing at St. Louis an " error = to be
avoided in the future, and says:
ST. Louis is wide-open cftf-wide
open on Sunday after the German
rather than the Anne rican fashion. No
whisky is sold in the saloons, or at any
rate the front doors of the saloons are
all closed. But the beer gardens are
all open, and in the neighborhood of the
exposition there are two immense beer
gardens which combined can entertain
from 10000 TO 10000 persons between
noon and midnight on Sunday. Right
next to, the largest and most popular
of these gardens there is q rack track,
with races on most Sundays during the
exposition season, and in the open
country about the exposition grounds
there are scores of resorts and attrac-
tions which would not be tolerated Oh
the pike" All the base ball grounds
on the outer edge of the city are open
on Sunday; SO are all the billiard rooms
in every part of the city. In the city
itself three or four theatres have two
performances a day, and down at the
levee there are dozens of excursion
boats in waiting for Sunday crowds
which seek a cool river breez's COM
bined with opportunities for gambling
with professionals of the lowest and
most dangerous type. On Sundays all
these places are In full blast; while the
beautiful grounds ont at Forest Park
are tightly closed t, the public by a
high fence.
The Outlook concludes:
To shut up by law innocent, educa-
tive and helpful places of recreation on
sunday. and leave doubtful, degrading
and positively vicious; ones in full oper-
alton. and to do this in the rlame Of
religion, is to inflict another Of those
wounds from which religion has 50
often suffered at the hands of its
friends.