Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-08

church recommended to the last gen.
discipline relating to the prohibition
of certain amusements, such as thea
foregoing, dancing, etc, be stricken out
on the ground that the rule was not
enforced, and that amusements are es-
sentially, matters of private interpre-
tation. I have heard it frequently
stated, but can not vouch for its truth
that several orthodox ministers were
in the famous Iroquois theater the at
ternoon Of the fire. A great many Sc
verely puritanical religionists see in all
this the decadence of religion, but to
me it is clear evidence that We can
not successfully make ourselves see
things as wrong which our instincts
prompt US are not so. We are insist
ing on the same right to reject from
the creed and beliefs of previous CEN
turtles that which in our larger view Is
not in harmony with the spirit of the
gospel, as that held by the early gen
tile Christians, who refused to fasten
on the young Christian church, the
customs of the Jews. What one age
does must always be subject to revi-
sion by the people who come after
them.
We hold tenaciously great many
prejudices which we fondly believe are
principles. They will, however, scarce
ly permit of close analysis.
Here in Ellsworth, nearly all residents
are church members. Hence the
amusement question Is a big family
affair We have a skating rink, our sole
winter recreation The Iowa winters
are too uncertain for ice skating, and
the rollers have taken the place of this
aged cold climate amusement. The
rink flourished here last winter with
little opposition. The school children
skated, the old men skated and many
of the matrons likewise. 1t was inno-
cent frolic and good exercise. On July
the first dance was held, and since
that time there has been much disucs-
sion. In the interest of peace, and as
a means of providing amusement that
would have the approval Of most Of
our christian people, the writer with
the sanction of the other minister, pro-
posed to the rink management, that
they cease to rent the hall for dancing
promising in return to give the rink
our sanction and approval 1t so hap
pens, that in our church, we have an
orchestra for Sunday evening service.
meet the. public appreciation of music
here, and to enliven our evening meet
ings. There are in all some sixteen
pieces in the orchestra. AS an evidence
of good faith, and in furtherance of
our social plans we offered this or
chestra for one might in the week for
the amusement of the young people. 1t
may be somewhat of an innovation for
a preacher to play a cornet in a .skat-
ing rink, but to the writer, who tries
to be practical, and to meet squarely
all issues as they arise, this looks fully
as sensible as many Of the social fad
parties and pink teas which the mod
ern preacher is supposed to grace with
his presence and which do not at all
interest the young.
We have taken the position that we
should surround our amusements with
the presence and approval of the par
ents- the sanction of the church, thus
making it unnecessary for the young
to find their pleasures in forbidden
things, and In places that are injurious
just because they are destitute Of thai
restraining influence which the presence
Of father and mother would lend.
think you may safely say that the
dance question is settled in Ellsworth
for the winter at least, and settled with
the young people more disposed to be
reasonable than the old. If there is g
chivalrous knight looking for conflict
we are forced to think of that illustri-
GUS Spanish knight, Don Quixote, anl
his famous battles that were fought
! Ia his LII iss::s,..:: :a...ien
A. w. KICKER,
Pastor Congregational Church.