Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-02

tons to date, both paid and unpaid, a
lew hundred dollars are unpaid. This
expenses and this will be divided amo
revival.
Conversions.
Previously reported ........... 1888
Tuesday night Observation-Disclosures. Ill
tuesday afternoon .............. 3
Total converts ..........3,0 05
Jessie ShirIeys Slabs.
Your every action gives the lies to
your, professed Christianity; you are
either densely ignorant or maliciously
untruthful, as almost every statement
you made regarding theaters in your
sermon on 'Amusements' is false. You
have repeatedly perjured yourself as a
minister of the gospel, while your
coarse and offensive language has
aroused the disgust of every true
Christian and the ridicule of the out
slider who merely looks on"
Mrs. Harry w. Smith, daughter of a
minister and Bible student, ."ofes-
sionally known as Jessie Shirley and
head of her own stock company, which
has played in Spokane nearly four
years, consecutively, reads the fore
going indictments in an open letter to
the Chronicle in reply to Rev. Billy"
Sunday, ex-baseball player and revi-
valist, who viciously attacked the
stage and the theatrical profession in
discourse of two hours duration at
the Spokane tabernacle last Saturday.
After declaring that Sunday prob
ably realizes that he can reach his
class of hearers more directly by the
use of smut and slang, Mrs Smith
says, "There is something rresistibly
funny in being called a NUT and a
lobster and when you hear o-called
Christian si.rieh, This whole town can
go to hell you have listened to the
tinues:
Shows Theatres Friends.
IF you feel that you must attack the
theatre to hold your job, look up a
few historical facts regarding the sub
ject and don't become the laughing
stock of all we'll informed theatrical
people You state that not only the
church but the press condemns the
theatre. What do you mean by the
press" Do you mean the Christian
Advocate and the War Cry, or the
mighty power--the American news
paper. in whose columns will daily be
found a review of the current plays,
with usually an intelligent criticism of
the same? Or do you refer to the
enormous list of monthly magazines
that almost without exception have an
interesting dramatic department as
DE, of the leading features?
SNor does the church in general con-
denim the stage. Not only the Jews
and the Catholics, but number of
the Protestant sects are liberal patrons
of the theatres, and there is today in
America stronsr organization known
as the Actors Church Alliance, de-
signed and organized by few broad
minded clergymen with the object OF
bringing the church and stage in still
closer touch.
1.-THE progressive Christian Of today
realizes the immense influence of the
stage which, having the advantage of
effective settings and life-like repre-
sensations, can and does drive more
sermons home than it is possible to the
limited scope of the pulpit Preach me
a sermon as strong. as touching and
as eloquent as The Holy City, and
will listen to YOU.
Even in the most poorly construct
ed melodrama virtue triumphs and
vie is defeated. In that respect 1 re-
gret to say that the drama is not al
ways true to life for in real life we
often see the hypocrite and rascal
prosperous and secure while the hon
est man goes under. Still, the inten-
lion of the dramatist is melting out the
proper amount of punishment and re-
ward is a worthy one and to be COM
mended.
Legs are Small Items.
''You say take the leg shows off the
stage and the theatres would not make
their salt Wrong again, Mr.. Sunday
II The life of the average musical show
lit but a fleeting one and the few that
$ ssurvive owe their longer existence tc
,the real merit of the musical numbers
land the wit of the text, while the
(greatest money makers have been
found in the stronger and deeper plays
that live for years and are always
welcomed by intelligent audiences.
II do not claim that all plays are
moral. That would be foolish state
ment, but shall We sweepingly con-
denim the stage because some objec-
tional works have found hearing
AS well wipe out literature because
there have been obscene and immoral
books published at various times, OF
destroy the church because it has
sanctioned many crimes-countless
The only way to purify the theatre is
d. to turn it into something else Wake
u u Mr.. Sunday, you are not living ir
fhe dark ages now but in the 20tf
fentury. We have happily passed the
(period when we could cheerfully burr
happen to believe as we did and Their
Justify our crime under the mysterious
n work, witchcraft,.- and delude' our
81 selves unto the belief that long face
and a tiresome Puritan Sabbath hat
4 squared our crimes with the Almighty
n ut is our glorious privilege to be
a living today and roaming the benefits
& of goth century progress. You NIGH
as well talk of abolishing music liter
sture or any of the arts as to talk Of
e. Rbolishing the stage. It has too firm
y hold on the hearts and minds o.
n those who appreciate its beauties ant
z realize its tremendous power for
n good
IA you say Booth and Garrick never
# allowed their children to witness
81 play. l hate to spoil your fatherly lit.
tie story, Mr.. Sunday but the trutl
ii Is that Garrick never had any child
~ rem, though happily married--to
n French danseuse, by the way. Booths
q wife was his leading woman, while i
~ is generally understood that hi
III daughter was his severest critic anc
I he highly esteemed her judgment
lM Euiogizes the Stage.
You say that a certain actress
Swhose name YOU cannot reveal, con.
S fded to you that the stage was cor.
IA rupt in all its branches. cannot i'm