The Detroit times., 1911-05-16
BILLY SUNDAYS
CABINET IS HIS
CHIEF ASSET
Dozen Workers Minutely Trained
and Thoroughly Organized Are
Far-Reaching Factor In Pic
turesque Evangelist's Success.
How Stage Setting Is Made and
Audience Is Reached" At the
Proper Moment.
BY ALFRED J. PITTS.
Times staff correspondent)

(TImes Stan Correspondent).
TOLEDO. o., May l6.-Any great
movement that penetrates the depth
and profundlty OF our social economy
must be skilfully organized. The set
ting must be made and the principa.
and telling part Of the drama enacted
at the psychological moment II you
can reach" a person, whether he Is
a dipsomaniac or an outcast In any
other particular, you will reveal In
him the possibilities Of regeneration.
This Is the plan that is followed by
BILLY" Sunday, who has converted
more than 5000 persons TO the
churches Of Toledo. Sunday Is only q
part Of the great evangelization sys-
tenn that has gripped Toledo. he at
tracts the masses TO his meetings De-
cause they are convinced that there
will be no polish, and that he Will talk
to them--man to man. He payes the
way for the change from the OLD lie
to the new; when his auditors see
man whom they believe sympathlzes
with them, they are In receptlVe
mood and the evangelist can draw
vivid picture of their own follies. Tnen
the minutely-organized CABINET o
workers" with which Sunday mas sur
rounded himself must put on the M
ishing touches. No sooner mas sun
day drawn from his audience thelr
aspirations to change from the ola 10
the new than q chorus OF several nun
dred voices. Appropriately trained ior
the occasion, fills the auditorium WIN
the strains of touching hymns. Inc
leader of this chorus Is II. 0. RODE
hayer. of Colorado. He Is deep-chest.
ed. has a commanding appearance anu
q fine voice. While he Is directing tne
chorus. scores Of other workers, some
Of them belonging to the evangelist
marty. but most Of them from TOLEDO
churches, mingle with the audience
The whole plan has been so thorough
w organized, and every part OF the
stirring drama Is enacted at sucn an
opportune moment, that the audience
is struck by the force OF reality OF
the entire affair.
While the strains Of the hymns are
\ fioating over the vast assemblage Sun
day is going through his picturesque
motions on the platform. He yells and
pleads with the audience. His eyes
fash his sincerity. He, descends into
the audience near the platform often
and counsels with a man or woman
whom he has made a telling impress
sion upon and does not quit until ne
& or some OF his workers have taken
this person before the platform to
shake his hand. In such touching mo-
ments the evangelist scores his great
est triumphs. He has lifted the vilest
(. and most degraded Of human beings
from the cutters by such a setting.
The converts are taken In hand by
workers stationed near the platform,
placed In section nearby and which
does not make them victims OF the
gaze OF the audience, and they write
their names on cards, pledging their
dissemination to accept Christ as their
Saviour, and naming the church they
wish to join.
The church workers are given the
names Of the converts who live In
their respective districts and the pas
tors and their aides visit them and
make plans for them to join the
churches. BILLY" Sunday has proved
that aggression means progression.
He has turned thousands Of human
beings-the majority OF them hum
BILE and commonplace - to the
churches and the pastors figure that
large percentage will remain.
Mr.. Sunday closes his campaign IN
. Toledo next Sunday. He will receive
&fhe collection that is taken on that
ay, II being the custom to give him
the funds that are taken in on the
day of his work. He defrays
expenses of his cabinet" made
% q dozen persons, and pays some
them good salaries. His advance
1ont Albert p. Gill, goes to a city
III weeks In advance and makes ar
<nneements for, Sundays arrival
He organizes committees Of the varf
Gus church workers and when the
Evangelist and his party arrive all the
necessary arrangements,-haye been
made for an old-time revival
Usually q company Is incorporated
and bnsiness men pledge to take one
share OF stock at 81 each. These
& pledges can be used as collateral for
the construction Of the tabernacle and
other expenses. Between $4,000
and $4,000 IL required. When the
meetings begin collections are TAX.
en mp until these expenses have beer
paid. II the proceeds do not cover
the evangelist's expenses, the stock
holders, make good, but 1t is not OF
ten necessary for them to do 30. The
expenses here were covered by the
collections some time ago.
Rev l. Z. Honeywell, of Chicago
n Mr.. Sundays private secretary, anC
one Of his chief aides, and B. ID. Ack
ley. OF philadelphia, Is the pianist
Several women, including Mrs. Sun
day, are also members OF the party
II IL demonstrated at each meeting
that the cabinet" is q far-reachini
s factor In Mr.. Sundays success as al
evangelist.
DETROIT sPEEpER FINED.