The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-15
Strikes Direct at Card Playing, Dane.
Ing, Sunday Baseball, Thea
tiers and Other Popular
Amusements.
AN INTERESTING TALK
Said That Out Of Half Million Fallen
Women, $4,000 Of Them
Came From the Ball
Room.

"The Church and Popular
Amusements" was the theme Of
Evangelist VIM. ]. Lockhart
last evening at The Christian
church. The EVANGELIST had just
returned from his home in Des
Moines, and coming direct from the
train, found great audience waiting
for him. Evangelist Limit and the
pastor. Mr.. Lilley, had just concluded
baptismal service in which nine
were immersed.
II am fully aware" said Mr.. Lock
hart, "that a preacher can not always
be popular and tell the truth. There
is somebody that you are gcirg to hit,
and want to say if that somebody
happens to be you, that's who it is
meant for
II want to speak dispassionately
upon this subject, indulging in no ex-
aggerations nor crude figures. But
facts are facts and the truth will do
good.
with some forms of amusements
its the abuse and not the use that
makes their influence such that
christian must be cautious. Now
automoJiling in itself is harmless
and invigorating form of amusement
but there are mighty few people who
will ever get to heaven in an automo-
bile. Oh, yes. some people are big
enough to keep their religion and still
own an auto. but they are few.
Some forms of amusements are so
prominently owned by the devil that
anywhere and everywhere they should
be tabooed by God fearing people. The
dance, the card table are doing more
to undermine the standing of the
church than any other influence l
know. tell you I never saw dane
ing, card playing, church member yet
that was worth anything as soul win
ner RI you have any, trot 'em out
and I'll go up and down this. land de-
claring found an exception to the
rule
Are any of your churches in this
town run and managed by the society
gang? I don't know, but if YOU have
such a one. warrant that church
has not had conversion In six
months and revival is unknown.
"Of the 5000 gamblers arrested in
Chicago, nine-tenths testified they
learned to play cards in the home,
and eight-tenths in so-called christian
homes. That mother who teaches her
hoy to play cards SO he won't go to
the gambling house is as foolish as II
she gave him q keg of powder and
matches so he would understand the
danger of powder and not go near the
powder house.
Mothers, the dancing master teach
es your daughter that the bodies OF
dancers should never be nearer than
six inches of each other, but you will
find that some day the rule of the
dancing master has been broken ant
your daughter will be dumped out o.
closed carriage at your door dis
graced and dishonored. For ever,
girl that Is ruined by the dance Their,
is also a mothers son who falls
Passing by public dance hall in De.
Moines, overheard an old drunken
sot say as he staggered along, That
where they start to hell Yes, tn,
world says dancing is wrong, and I
the disinterested look thus upon II
there is only one attitude the christian
can take.
of 10000 fallen women in New
York City. nine-tenths of them test
fled that their downfall began in tn
dance. 1t is carefully estimated tina
there are 100000 public prostitutes /,
this country and 375.ooO of them trac