Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-07-10
Gambling and attendant evils

Gambling and attendant evils
Wine in the home and cards in the
rome. which tends to the saloon and
the gambling hell.
Dancing in every form. which is
, condemned by every Protestant
church in Christendom. and | want to
oencHnce new as criminal cowardice
this silence Of pastors which catches
the wounded birds who would fly to
their churches for refuge.
Now let us be perfectly fair with
each other. These things are either
light or wrong. If right, I ought net
to condemn them. If wrong, l ought
to condemn them. If they are right
for you they are right for me. If
they are right in your home. they are
right in mine. If they are right in
your life they are right in mine You
can not deny that. Every intelligent
man will say that is fair. Now. let
me picture for yeu scene:
On Wednesday evening the pastor
and his wife are at the operahouse
A few Of the older saints are round
here praying. With them, it is pray
er meeting night Thursday night.
the parlCr of the parsonage is lighted
and heated and the pastors wife en-
tertains at wine and cards. Friday
night the pastor and wife go to the
ball. he dances with other women and
she with other men, and so on. How
long. how long would a community
stand that?
AS a citizen under the proudest flag
that ever floated over pure people.
and as pastor of this church, | have
the same rights you have. May the
day never come when the old Methc-
dist church will so let the banner
trail in the dirt as that she is afraid
to raise her voice in ccnmendation
of Righteousness and condemnation OF
sin.
The church is the ONLY arbiter of
the~~great questions which divide
men and measures. in public affairs.
We must deal with living questions
social. business, educational and po-
/. litical.
During the past year I have touch
ed some of our social. domestic. edu-
cational and political questions which
affect the interests of the church. as
SUCH and all of us as citizens.
Pulpit and Press.
1t is contended by some that 10th
rulpit and press have lest prestige.
In a measure we have. Paper trust
company, pastor likewise a machine.
Several weeks ago I had letter from
prominent citizen. in Little ROCK.
neither preacher nor politician. ASK
ing that I start a movement to the
{ fleet of having all the preachers in
the state preach on the subject OF
boodling. I doubted the wisdom OF
such a course. Just at that time one
cf the representatives had been ar
rested and the Pulaski county grand
Jury was at work.
Let me say Just here. every honest
nan opposes boodling. and every IN
tel1igent man knows that boodling IS
one of the greatest of crimes with
which we have to deal today. MI
Folk of St. Louis has won Tor NM
self a name which will live after MN.
Then. as a minister interested IN
suppressing so great an evil. why ''o
hesitate?
In answering that question | shat'
Give YOU my opinion of the great
noodle trials at Little ROCK thah
which. in my judgment. more ch'o-
n,ota farce was never palmed Off on
a credulous public.
Nc. one doubts there was boodllns 'h
that lecislature-plenty OF 1t. NC enc
o,,oht to doubt the ability OF the courts
70 break it up, if they really want 10
do such thing
On the nth day of June. before 'ha'
court had rendered any decisions the
first one being July 4. some Oh you
heard me say
a. What shall be the final oa'.
come? A stronger class OF men WIZ
renresent US. Many of the good oh9S
will return and better ones VIII III.
the places of the boodlers. The cle-
nitv cf the law will finally be reSFof-
ed.
"Wiu these men be conVicfea
Some of them evidently will y" Hfs
not presume too far upon the dee's'
ions of the court.
s.1f ooruiotod will they be SertGHc-