Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-08

ness because 1t has unlimited capital
back of it. Not for minute.
Most Corrupt.
An actress. whose name I will not
give, said this:
After years on the stage am con-
WINGED that the theatrical business is
the most corrupt in the world
1t is corrupting, educationally, COM
mercially and morally.
1t is upon the charred souls of Wont
en- that most of the men who are a
power in the theatrical world have
climbed to their height. Cyrus Town
send Brady, famous author, went 10
twenty.one plays picked ones-and
out OF the twenty-one there were only
eight that were unobjectionable, and
two of the twenty-one we're gran1
opera.
1t is almost impossible to find in the
theater decency and purity.
The church and the theater have
nothing in common.
The Difference.
The stage gives the people what
they want and the church what they
need.
The theater is caterer and the
church's business is to be q surgeon
for the truth -
The only way to reform the theatcI
is to turn 1t into something else.
The church stands for what is right
and the theater cares very little TO-.
what is right and helpful.
Israel Zangweil says that the play
wright gets UP his productions to sat
isfy the lust of the age and not for
what they will do the world.
Archbishop Lehman said that to go
night after night to the theater, is q
mark Of decadence.
You avoid the pest house and .lep-
ers, and yet night after night you
will rush to the theater to. enjoy this
procession of moral lepers, exposed
on the stage for the pladits Of the
people. .t
The roue and scoundrelism and
mans infideiity form the groundwork
of most plays.
These are paraded before the peo-
pie as exhibitions Of genius and for
the entertainment Of decent people.
Had Free Entry.
| used to be a friend of the the
alter. I could go into any theater in
the United States. My face was good
for a pass anywhere. You know that
in the summer time the ball players
have money and the actresses are on
the hog And in the winter time the
average ball player is eating snow
balls, and has no money unless he
can get the manager to advance a
little on next summers salary. So
they help one another. l. have loan
ed lots of money to actors and never
lost a dollar. All the money that
i | have ever been skinned out OF was
by church members-thats the God S
truth.
SeIf-Denial
Supposing that I become a Chris
tian, what am going to do? | know
!! before l become a Christian that the
theater is no place for a church
member. The last play that | ever
saw was Denman Thompson's THE
Old Homestead" in McVicker's the,
alter, twenty years ago, and have
never darkened the door of a theater
from that day to this, except to preach
the gospel to the people, and | never
am going to. either.
ooh" said a woman to a minister
on a railroad train, you must have
an awfully duh time. There are so
many things that you can't do that
we can
What are the things that you can
do and I can't?"
well, you can't dance
How Go you know?;'
We'll, you don't And you don't
| play cards. 1t must be awfully dull
for you"
Look hcre-according to your argu
ment you are happier than l because
deny myself some things that you
don't deny yourself. Then, according
to your argument, there is another
strata lower down than you--the men
that murder, and steal and get drunk
| and are grafters. According to your
argument they must be happier than
you are because they crafty theil
desires and do the things that you
deny yourself.
| Christians Happiest.
| But, my friend, the Christian is
] the happieSt persons in the world
i
Happiness is found in denying your
self, am happier than you, yor
| playing, theater-going. beer
drinking gang, happier than the
thief. Happiness, my friend, comes
/ from another source for me, so
have no use for the theater. 1t i.
| the devils stronghold and it does no
| get a dollar Of my money. Ever,
penny that you put in fve-cent o.
| ten-cent theater and every dollar
4 that you put in at the box Office i:
! helping to advance one Of the devil:
strongholds. When the church quit
pouring money into that business i
will stop, and when the church O
Jesus Christ stops voting for tn,
whiskey business. and drinking an.
| playing cards, and going to the the
alter. and stops dancing. you know
that those things will die.
The four rottenest things on cart
have their existence because of tn
indulgence of the church.
Somebody says:
After all the years of unchecke,
experience we still SOW cards AM
! pop mi 1arc hn