Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-29
ETHICS OF PLAY SUPPLY SUBJECT FOR
INTERESTING DISCOURSE SUNDAY.
Special Topic Preached Upon by Pastor Of the First
Congregational Church; Baseball Teams Guests
at the Service.

'ervice.
work. It 10 q duty owed self and ones
family to force ourselves into play Of
some sort. But wish to speak Of q
larger providing OF play. "
The sunday Dali Game.
You doubtless expect somewhere In
this discussion q mention Of Sunday
baseball. We are here this morning to
speak the good and not the evil OF
play. I might elaborate my own per.
sonal belief that no man can be really
strong and take no account OF his soul,
that the soul 10 developed best through
worship, and that the Sabbath was d.
vinely Instituted for the supreme pur.
pose Of worship. But We are here At
this particular occasion to give posi-.
tive rather than negative suggestion,
One thing 10 perfectly certain, there
is no cleaner pastime than the modern
practice OF the great American game.
The gambler, booScr and bruixer were
never so tabooed BY management and
patrons. The need 10 to cooperate
| beneficially with An institution that
has come to stay.
! 1t is some exhibition OF principle TO
say, Il will not patronize the game be.
cause OF Sunday baseball" It accom-
plishes little. Two arguments are ad-
vanced for Sunday ball. Sunday 10 the
day Of largest gate receipts, without
which the team could not be sup.
ported. The masses OF people cannot
J; go to see 1t on any other day. Tho Of
fective action is to somehow take
away those two arguments. To do 30,
one might better say, II will work for
patronage that will take away any
seeming need for Sunday ball. Better
still! We have q Wholesale and Retail
Merchants association, believe.
i Through 1t good people might secure
other opportunity for the masses to 80
/, to the game, viz: half-holiday during
the week. That only means catching up
with the times, doing what other cities
are increasingly doing. This giving op-
portunity for needful recreation during
| the summer months does not else.
where lessen profits, or injure the
quality Of services received at the
hands OF appreciative employees. am
rather inclined to think that managers
and players would welcome such
safeguarding Of their Sabbath rights.
The Swimming Pool.
May I make another practical sug.
gestion? Just now play has to do with
the ever popular swimming hole"
i Other cities do. Why should not OF.
tumwa maintain public bath on the
river front in connection with the
!, little park just across the bridge? II
would make for morality and godliness
It is considered 4 wise investment Il
one takes the view Of an eastern flrm
employing hundreds OF men. They put
in baths and swimming pool for en-
ployes. More still, every man tAkinl
q bath registers and ID credited with
| fifteen cents for doing It. Tho manage
ment considers that baths repay them
in dollar and cent efficiency on the
pat OF their employees. Here 10 . sug
gestion for our park commissioners
/ Better yet, our large manufacturing
concerns might easily, and with profit
to themselves, subsidise such an instt
tuition.
Let US return to our main discussion
Play Is an appropriate subject for con
sideration this morning because Of
J good ethics displayed. You never saw
I It thus? Did you ever lonk ~ seAf 1At
me give 1t as I see 1t from the side
lines-three or four points where the
ethics of play are those of life a. 4
whole. rs
Team Play Mentioned.
4 How often we hear that term team
play" The paper mentioned 1t tht
other day as reason for our Leadership
In the local baseball league. What II
team play? Al see 1t, 1t is nine men
playing as one. 1t means every mar
playing his position but all together
playing as q team. The unit Is moi
I, the individual, but the team. 1t II
merging the good of one into the com
mon good Of all.
Then team play" Ia. universal ant
modern trend. A letter on my desl
puts 1t this way: Man 10 longer pad
dies his own canoe but is member o
. crew navigating large vessel
Fighting Is not done single handed bu
in companies and regiments. Thu
actor plays his part. But his word'
rust fit into the drama as whole
/ Look into the world Of business. Wha
is this universal move of big bus
Z mess" toward consolidation and CO
4 operation for larger efficiency? It \
but developing team play" Tha
dev elopment is imperfect as yet. Bust
ness interests are practicing team pla,
too much for their own selfish ends
They refuse to recognize 4 third part!
to the game, without whose patronaS'
aud support business cannot 60 on q
! all. There II much noise on the sid
lines. Players, and even umptres, ar
in hot water. From the bleachers thu
patrons OF the game are loudly assert
ing their rights. Enter the realm Q
sociological and philanthropic on
\ deavor. What means the ideal term
brotherhood? A perfected "tean
! play" It means all men working 10
the common good; not the selfish ind
|yidual good, but that OF society. Maj
i cannot live for or by himself alone
4 Through very necessity Of the case hi
4 own good Is involved In the common
II - - a. la