The Cairo bulletin., 1908-02-11
MAKES DEFENSE
Of MODERN DANCE
DOES THE VEN. A. n. w. AMBER,
SON or CHURCH or THE
REDEEMER.
SAYS GALL THE POLICi"


Editor OF The Bulletin. have no
the pleasure OF knowing the Rev MI
Hopkins OF Chicago, but do knoy
both Mr.. Buchanan and DR. Bass, an,
| believe DR. Bass quite capable OF de
: tending himself--if it should happier
that he needed IT, | think it extreme
ny unwise when two gentlemen arr
seeking lime-light In Chicago pa
pers for another to Jump into tht
glare unless he liz looking for light
! Mr.. Hopkins goes to scripture ID
proye dancing is all right. Mr.
! Buchanan says all evils grew out OF
dancing. AS a matter of fact dancing
was as incidental to the fate OF Joha
the Baptist, as the banquet itself.
Herod made a rash promise to an
Immature girl; Ii was tremendous
promise, the value OF half kingdom.
The child gees to Its mother to ask
what she shall seek from her Uncle
King. And that wicked and adulter
lous woman, her mother, demands thu
II
1t Is always well to look al things
lin their true relationship God in all
probability neither approves or dis
Approves Of dancing. III He held
lin the same awful adherence that
some men do We might have had an
eleventh commandment on the sub
I Iect But the fact Is we have none.
\ Now. ii Mr.. Buchanan thinks that ourI
modern dances approximate In any
particular to tine orgies of the
Amalekites just let him attend one
| III the many dances round or square
given by some Of the self,respectlne
ladies and gentlemen 81 our city, am
| then turn te soma encyclopaedia uf
Biblical antiquities aud read what sort
of dances people INDUCED in, In thosa
days. III there Is any resemblance tn
the latter In the former the only thing
Ito do Is to go out and call the poles
4 cannot take up Mr. Bnchanan's al
|ticle piece BY piece. I haven't the Tins
But In his REPUTATION | find several
very amusing bits Ut Biblical inter
lpretation which might pass muster In
a Bible class but the eXegetical value
would be considered nil BY any schdl |
ar from the Cairo Free Baptist Bib,s
school To say nothing OF more all |
yanced thinking. The glaring misia |
|terpretation Of the elder brother pas
sage of the prodigaf son--for instance
There ID not a scintllla Of evidence that /
the dancing had anything to do with
IT, There is just as much sense In
cause it made the elder brother angry.
st. Luke. 1926. "And he called one of
the servants. aud asked what theseI
things meant. And he said unto him,
Thy brother is come, and thy father
hath killed the fatted calf, because
he hath received him safe and sound.
And he was angry and would not go
in, therefore came his father out and
antreated him: and he answering said
to his father 'Lo these many years do
| serve thee neither transgressed II
at any time thy commandments and \
yet thou never gavest me a kid: that
might make merry with my friends.
tEvidently the elder son would not
have minded little supper and a.
good time; to break the monotony of
ordinary routine work. But as soon
as this thy son tdon't even call him
his brother, tho selfrighteous pigl.
was come which hath devoured the |
living with harlots thou hath killed for
him the fatted calf"
And he said unto him. "son. thou
art ever with me. and all that | hay.s
is thine. 1t was mete that we should
make merry and be glad"
The old gentleman evidently didn't
object to the dancing His heart fun
Of love aud forgiveness for the son;
wanted him to feel what 3 little clean.
healthy home joy was like.
Now am in sympathy with that oil II
gentleman in all that he did and | /
think that perhaps the trouble with
the whole family was that every
healthy emotion in their breast hal
been repressed, until the younger son
could not stand the purftanicaI atmos
phere of the home and he went off and
I'D ,hings-and il brought the oil
nan TO his senses and the younger a.
80. And the sum of IT, whole matter
IS this: When parents bring children
INTO the world. they must learn to
a home for them that Is
'homely" not sleeping and eating
place. a room of the street for boys
10 go t. when every thing else is
.iosed. II that home is large enough.
et them have their friends there: let
hem dance and play and sing. AMI
{ the house is not large enough and
circumstances are such that
{ is not, a place ought to be provided
or them. What better mission and
service could the churca do in this agai
han provide such a place. | do not
condemn Rev. Mr.. Hopkins. con
sratulate him upon his comprehension 4,
# the needs Of the day. Please Col
ind with the cooperation Of the men
md women Of Cairo, IL / am here d
ong enough and there are enough | =
,rcad-minded men and women In this