The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-03
KANSAS COMMENT
THE EvANGELIsT's HIRE.


Gypsy Smith. evangelist, is holding
forth in Kansas City. He is attract
ing more attention than a circus, and
his methods are not SO different.
There is even a similarity in motives,
which may sound shocking and sac
rilegious. But listen, and you will
hear the Gypsy praising the town, be-
cause of the fine hall it has provided,
and then abusing it because the col
lection is SO small. That abuse is the
real sacrilege; it forms no part of the
faith he preSumes to represent
Topeka is listening to abuse from
the Rev. Mr.. Beiderwolf, and Topeka
isn't coming through very well, either,
although the more or less reverend
gentleman will lose no money on the
transaction That is the one bet your
modern evangelist never overlooks,
and it is a rare town that escapes it's
portion Of abuse.
Perhaps the record breaker, both as
to cash collection and abuse is Billy
Sunday, sometime ball player. and
now plutocratic preacher. Seattle
had him recently, and Seattle is en-
from his preaching. Seattle surely
paid the price: $1,000 for six weeks
work. And it is hard to believe that
Sunday is worth the money, or that
any great evangelist is. The early
evangeliSts, the greatest of whom was
Paul of Tarsus, never displayed ten
dency of the itching palm. They lived
somehow, and asked no more. Nor
did they abuse and revile the populace.
1t was story of much love and for
giveness they had to tell, and was free
from abuse and clamor for graft or
gain. Statistics show that church
membership isn't increasing in this
country as it did years ago, and the
question arises, Is not the evangelist
partly to blame? There is no faith in
fear, and fear is the strongest weapon
of the evangelist; fear, and the in
fiuence of magnetic personality.
When the evangelist has passed from
the scene, his influence, such as it
was, goes with him, and the people
drift back to their old way of living
and thinking, which probably was
better than the evangelist had made |
them believe; even better than the i
evangelist, who fattens his purse on
human emotion.-Atchison Globe.
o
THE HESITATING MAN.
The world contains many kinds of !
men. There are good men, tolerably ,
good men, bad men and terribly bad |
men, but of all the men In the list may |
the good Lord deliver us from the
man.
Just why the hesitating man was
ever created is hard to conceive, un- ;
less like Jobs botls, it was to test,
those having to do business with him.
In business, things do not always come
your way and a large number of men
exist who do not see in your PROPOSE
ton all of the virtues you know so +
well, but the man who says NO and
saws it after a seasonable considera-
ton, you may still consider as your
friend and hold him dear in your
The man who accepts of
your proposition is held in high esteem
and you appreciate his clearnesS of
vision and sound judgment, but the
Hesitating man, who takes your time
for hours and is always on the mar
row edge apparently ready to fall on
your side, is the abomination of the
business world.
The Hesitating man cannot make up
his mind one way or the other. He
wants something, but is afraid to take
all of the risk attendant thereto and
still cannot bear to have the cup pass
from him for fear that someone else
may drink and bring pleasure to their
souls and profit to their purses. He
wavers between his desires, wears out
the good patience of his friends
causes delay and perhaps financial loss
10 his associates and winds up where
ne begins, still hesitating and afraid
to act.
We are not certain as to the loca-
ion of heaven, but this earth would
De a mighty good place, If the Hesi-
.ating man would forever pass to the
great beyond.-Lawrence World.