The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-12
Men Stirred By Excoriation of Gambling and Un-
 clean Living
DIR. BIEDERWOLF TO 7
 RETURN NEXT FALL
Nearly 1900 Men Crowd Into the The atre to Hear the Farewell Ad- dress of Men and Relig-
 ion Worker

The mems mass meeting at the Bijou theatre yesterday afternoon was a fit ting climax to the eight day campaign waged by the Men and Religion For ward Movemena. Nearly 1900 men were ward Movement. Nearly 1900 men were to the doors with men standing in the aisles.
 The Rev. W. F. Biederwolf was on the programme as the speaker of the afternoon and this fact alone was suf- ficient to draw an enormous crowd of tho working men of the city. Dr. Bied- erwolf spoke on "The Square Man" and brought home forcibly the fact that the Beverage working and business man Is not living the life that God intends him to live. A speaker of rare ability, Dr. Biederwolf held the immense crowd of men spellbound and many of the rough laborers and more polished bus
 mess men sat throughout the services with tears streaming down their faces.
 No greater tribute to the ability and sincerity of .he speaker could be paid l than the response he received when I he called on all those who were willing to dedicate their lives to the service
 of Christ, to hold up their hands. Prac-
 tically every man in the vast audience
 responded to his call
 l pr. Biederwof was especially earnest I in assailing the evils of gambling and
 unclean living. You men call it mur- der when a man is deliberately shot down by another man." he said. You
 cali it duellng when two men get to- gether and agree to shoot at each other until dpe or both of them is dead,
 but the N2nly difference between the two
 cases is fpat in the first case there was
 one murderer and in the second there l were two. %-
 | You men call 1t robbery when a man | is stopped in an alley and forced to give up his possessions at the point of gun, or call 1t gambling when a group of mon get together and agree | to give up their money at a game of
 cards or with dice, and yet the only difference in the two cases Is that in the first there was one robber. while
 in the second there was a group of | robbers.
 There is nothing more contemptible, | mean or low down than a man who l leads q life of shame and disgrace, and 1 thenyon his deathbed whines at the feet | of Christ and says that he knows he has done wrong. Quit gambling men, before 1t is too late. You owe 1t to l God, to your wife and to your chil- l dren.'
 | Do not think that God will rot l forgive you. Make up your mind to lead | a better life and He will help you and make you win out. Try to do better and l I tl,ot affn,. xtfiiI nnf 10 | wasted. l remember the case of beau 1 tiful young girl in Kentucky who married | a man who did not believe in God or the I church. This girl would ask her hus- l band to go to church with her every Sun | day morning and he would refuse. Finally one day he curs3d her and the church of | God But she did not give up. The very | next Sunday when she prepared for church she found her husband waiting ] for her. ready to go along, and at the service he repented of his sins and was
 taken itno the church. I tell you that you | can be saved" Gfe 1 When pr. Biederwolf asked all those who had been helped by his speech and who would try to lead a better life on ac- l count of 1t to stand up, every man in | the theatre rose to his feet. At the con
 clusion of the address the entire audience | pushed forward to grasp the speaker 8 1 hand and 1t was some time before the 1 vast crowd left the theatre. | "The greatest speech ever heard in Br-
 mlngham," was the unanimous opinion of | pr. Biederwolf's address. As a result of | the unbounded enthusiasm aroused 1t was I decided to attempt to have Dr.. Biederwolf | return to this city in the fall and carry | on the work that the campaign has start | ed. When the question was put to Dr. | Biederwolf he said, "1m willing" It is
 very likely that he will return in few | months.
 | the city today, the work will be carried
 on by the local organization of the Men | and Religion Forward Movement and | their numbers will no doubt be doubled as | the result of the work of the specialists I for the past week.
 l The meetings in the different districts | were held last night and each of the | specialists attended one of the meetings l They made farewell addresses and left a
 last word of advice and instruction with | the many men who have been aroused by l their stirring speeches. l Yesterday morning each of the experts | visited the larger Bible classes In the city | churches and addressed the members l It is estimated that there have been l about 400 converts as result of the cam paign, and the benefit received by the ] general public is considered unbounded. I Hundreds of men attended the different meetings of the week and not only the | workingman, but the pastor was stirred 1 by the remarks and recommendations oi the experts.
 The board of specialists will conduct a campaign in Charleston, s. C., this week and most of them left for that place late
 last night or early this morning.