Mexico weekly ledger., 1905-02-23

preciated. Call at the LEDGER
and be convinced that this offer is an
extraordinary one. d&wtf
A Timely Sermon and A Liberal
Proposition.
To the Editor OF the Ledger.
ME1Ico. Mo, Feb 2L-The pulpits
Of Mexico are giving out no uncertain
sound on the subject OF modern evils.
1t was my pleasure, and that Of a
large and intelligent congregation Of
ali denominations, Sunday night, to
listen to a timely and brave deliver
ance on the associated evils of card
playing, the theater, the dance and
the saloon, by Rev, A. W. Kokendoffer,
OF the Christian church.
l can give but a very condensed and
imperfect outline Of this sermon. 1t
was not a fanatical and abusive de-
nunc!ation Of any body, but rather a
sincere and earnest warning to Chris
tian people against this quartette OF
evils. He used the term cards as EN-
bracing everything that tended to
form the habit Of gambling and left
bis audience to make their own appli-
cation. l imagine the ard-playing
and prize-winnlng sisters had no diff
Guilty In seeing the point. 10 referring
TO the evil influences OF gambling he
spoke OF a man well known in this
community, of some business standing,
who took a gleeful delight in watching
for the young men OF Mexico who
might have a few dollars in hand that
he might entrap and rob them of their
honest earnings. WHO is that fend
in human shape?)
The speaker classed under one head
the evils of dancing and theater 60
ing, and very briefly pointed out the
evil tendencies Of both. While not
condemning the stage in toto, he
clearly indicated the evil tendencies
Of indiscriminate tbeater going, show
ing how 1t tended to impurity Of
thought and fostered sentiments Of
irreverence. Touching lightly (too
much so we thought upon the subject
Of dancing he referred us to the fact
that a bill had been introduced In the
General Assembly in Jefferson City,
forbidding any girl under the age Of
eighteen years from attending public
dances or balls unattended by her par
ents or a guardian. This again was
very suggestive and | presume u
Christian sisters clearly saw this point
also.
The last point, and the one more
fully discussed, was that of the licens-
ed saloon. The speaker at the outset
challenged any n to mention any
one good thing that could be said in
behalf Of the saloon, 1t was evil and
only evil. Only briefly mentioning
some OF the moral aspects of the ques-
ton, he more fully discussed the sa-
loon from an econmic standpoint, as
Stunning that no one Of his audience
would defend the vile institution from
any other standpoint than that Of a
revenue producer.
He concluded the discussion with
this startling proposition:
tlNfra ma tho fp0aroo - Tho fhraa
saloons ia Mexico and l will establish
in the Ringo stand a large well equip
ped combination dry goods and cloth
ing store; at one of the corner stands
at the southwest corner of the square
l will put in a large first-class grocery
store, and at the other corne a large
well-fnrnished shoe store. Each one
Of these establishments, so necessary
to human comfort and happiness, shall
give employment to as many or more
clerks than any one of the saloons,
and all this shall be done without
drawing off a single dollar from any
other Of the business houses of like
character. In addition to this, having
set in motion all three of these useful
business firms, / will take the surplus
left from the saloon revenue and erect
on an eligible size a beautiful and
well-equipped "Young Mems Chris
tian Association hall. Think of this
ye economic Christian voters of Mex
leo, who, under the pretense of accum-
ulating reyenue for paving the streets
Of Mexico, are paving the way to hell
Of so many Of our promising young
men," This by way Of exhortion to
the preacher, who kindly said, that,
"for the life Of himself he could not
see how Christian men could get their
consent to vote for men who we're fav-
orable to laws licensing the saloon"
Next let US hear from the other pull
pits. Brethren Of the ministry wash
your hands of the vile thing and put
the responsibility just where 1t be-
longs. II. X. HINDE.