The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-10-25
TRIBUTE TO SAM JONES.
An Eccentric Preacher and Eff
fective Rescuer.


Sam Jones was the greatest
preacher this country has ever
produced. The statement is made
after due deliberation. The near
est approach to him was Dwight
L. Moody. Those two men.
Moody and Jones, unquestionab-
ly helped more men to lead NOR
al lives than any other two men
who have ever lived, and we be-
lieve Jones had a few more
marks to his credit than did
Moody.
Nor were there ever two men
who differed more IN their make
up and in their manner of doing
good than Jones and Moody.
They differed in their methods
as much as they differed in their
appearance. Moody was short
and fat, great, round-bodied
fellow who looked like a toy bal
loon dressed up. Sam Jones was
lean and lank. Together they re-
sembled a baseball and a bat.
Moody drew men to him by
his kindly words of comfort and
compassion. His sermons were
the simplest that have ever been
preached. They were full OF
heart-action. He told a simple
title story, trimming over with
love, and in the tenderest tone
asked the 'wanderer' to return
to the ways where peace and
contentment could be found.
Sam Jones used sledge-ham-
er. He drove men into the
straight and narrow way by 60
ing after them with a club
Moody would have taken a
drunkard and soothed him and
persuaded him to- give up drink.
Jones would hold him out at
arms length and say: You are
a sweet-scented geranium; now
amt you? You ought to be in
hell, and there is where you will
be unless you stop drinking
Stop it, you red-nosed bum
Haven't you sense enough to see
where you are going?' And of
ten the man stopped, just as Of
ten as he did when Dwight L.
Moody lovingly argued with
him.
There were thousands of per-
sons who did not like Sam Jones
methods. His language insulted
many of his hearers. Not all OF
the preachers were friendly with
him. He was ridicuIed by the
best society,", and he was de-
nounced by many. And yet if he
had been different, he would not
have been Sam Jones. He would
have been just an ordinary
preacher.
If results are what the world
IS looking for, then Sam Jones
vas a success. 1t ought not to
make any difference how a man
gets results. if honorable men
and women are the results. If a
drup.sard can be cursed into let
ting drink alone, then it is all
right to swear at him. If a soci-
ETY. woman can be made to see
the evil of her way by exposing
her person to a mixed audience
by doubtful picture of full
dress ball then the man who
paints such a picture has done
some good. That was Sam
Jones' way. He cursed the drunk
ard, sometimes literally and he
showed the society woman what
she looked like as she daubed on
the paint ana powder and ap-
pearcd half-naked upon the ball
room floor. And at the end Of
the year there were all over the
country thousands of men ant
women who knew that because
of Sam Jones they were better
men and women than they
would ever have been had it not
been for him.
Society and intemperance
were the red flags that goaded
the bull in Sam Jones, and he
went at them with head down
and neck arched, and when he
struck them the fur flew. He
put out of business in his day =
thousand saloons literally clos
ed them up. He has to his credit
more sober men than the great
Murphy, the temperance orator
or than John B. Cough and
George w. Balm combined. He
was a friend of the merchant, ir
that after every series of meet
ings that he held, the women
bought more goods for their
dresses Ii they didn't buy more
goods, then they took a piece
out of the train and sewed it al
the top of their garments, for the
fancy hops" in the towns of the
country where Sam Jone:
preached were more decorous af
ter his sermons than before
In his home life, Sam Jone:
was one of the most lovable o
men. He had pawned his wife:
jewelry to get money enough tc
buy whisky, but before he dice
he atoned for such sins. He was
as tender as a little girl in talk
ing to his wife. He loved hi:
fellowmen as devotedly as die
Moody, and he used the roughel
methods because he believed tina
that was the best way of reach
ing them. When he entered
home he laid aside his bitterness
of speech. There he was all love
all kindness, all tenderness, ant