Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-09-17

I'ut, WitCiiiIliii, SoiIlc VHc dSk'.
''are these all the sights and sounds OF
death that you see and hear" Alas.
alas, no. For. willie one crowd is PASS
ing through the Railways and ascend
Ing the stair of the immoral thcatcrs.
ami another crowd is staggering slowly
on with flushed cheeks. hurrying to-
ward the bar behind which liquor Is
sold. which i'm the end will prove as
fatal as the poisonous hemlock quaifed
by Greek philosopher. | see still an
other multitude of death seekers
These pass me not in rags or with slow
and lcadcn steps. They are dressed
for the bathrooms and the low dance
halls. They move in regular step. not
with the tramp. tramp. tramp of many
soldiers. but with the sliding and
graceful step of the waltz. the two
step. the polka and dances which we
should not and will not mention.
Are All Dances Dnds
"Arc all dances bad!" asks some
young girl lis every one dance Of
death? Are all our young people ell
emies of Christ and bad who ever
visit dance halls" This is Il question
which is often honestly and anXiously
put to me 10y my young people. Well.
my young friend. you have asked me
a blunt question. and | will answer
you in just the same way. First, | will
say. and emphatically say, that | do
not believe all young people who go
to our dance halls are Intentionally
bad. believe. yes. | know. some of
thought. They go for the pleasure Of
meeting other young people and of
passing an evening in each others
company. In the next place | will EN-
phatically state that | believe one OF
the most pcrnicious. one of the most
awful causes of spiritual death III our
cities today is the dance hall. And in
support of my second statement will
say that in all the United States you
cannot find one minister or layman
noted for spiritual or cvangelistic pow
er who is not an enemy of the dance
hall. through and through. out. and out.
They all. without IN exception. believe
spiritual life; consequently they are.
and always will be. out and out.
through and through. enemies of this
destroyer. this insidious foe of spir-
itual life.
As spoke in reference TO regular
ence to the regular dance hall devotee.
You never saw I'm all your life IL per-
son who was conspicuous for her love
for the dance hall who was ut the
same time conspicuous for her dcvo-
ton to the service of Jesus. The two
loves do not exist in the same heart.
They are altogether incongruous. In
the spring of 1904 attended one of
the meetings of the amusement com
mittee" of the Methodist general con
ference. In that committee We're Il
few who were trying to uphold the
dance One man, leading lay mem
Der, rose and said, "A prominent pas
tor in the east told me that the very
best and truest and most consecrated
members of his church were those
who were attendants of the theater
and the dance hail." What was the
reply to that speaker? An argument!
A testimony? No. All the audience
did, both in gallery and on main floor.
was to raise II big guffaw of ridicule.
The statement of that lay member
was absurd on the face of 1t. Every
one knew that what he said was con
trary to the testimony of experience.
You never in your life saw deep spir-
itual conservation for Christ and love
for the dance hall exist together i'll the
same human heart. The modern dance
is foe to all spiritual development
and barrier to progress in the Chris
tan life.
On the Downward Path.
"Why is it that the Catholic church.
which is so liberal upon many matters
is so strict against dancing!" was the
question put by Protestant minister
to Catholic priest some time ago
Because" was the answer. in the
confessional we priests are able to
trace the source of almost every sin.
We have found out by the admission OF
ruined men and women that most of
the immoralitics of II great city or a
country town can be traced directly
to the dance hail." The dance hall is
the beginning. not the end. of the down
ward path. Some good people-aye.
many good and respectable people
dance But 1t is the place where many
good people are spiritually destroyed
or spiritually depleted. 1t is the place
where we have the spiritual ''saugh
ter of the innocents." Therefore to-
night as n Christian Waterman ii Is
my duty to warn you of the danger of
entering It, Some there are who es-
cape as by fire, but to all the ordeal
is fierce and perilous. 1t is the place
in which the enemy Of souls finds his
most numerous victims and exercises
his most insidious power. You who
pray. Lead us not into temptation.
but deliver us from evil" beware of
entering the dance hall. Beau Brum-
mel was the uncrowned king of the
English dance hall. He was the Ward
McAllister of his day. But that is all
the history most people know about
Beau Brummel will tell you his
end. Beau Brummel died in the insane