Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-05-07
Best Way to Keep Young
From Mischief Is to Keep
Minds Well Occupied.
SORRELLS ON ISSUE
Attorney Believes Ministers Err In
Opposing Operation Of Movies Sum
day Afternoons and Sunday Base
ball, Giving Reasons.

The purpose impelling the approval
by the council of the suggestion tha'
the moving picture theatres be per-
mitted to operate Sunday afternoons
in the good that may be accomplish
ed by the acceptance OF the plan are
ably discussed by Attorney W. b.
Sorrells in the following:
Editor Graphic:-
81 do not favor the Sunday opera
ton of moving pictures, because a
per cent of the proceeds will go to
the United Charities" To my mind
that is reasoning devoid of reason.
favor them because am assured 'tha!'
moving pictures will afford an enter
tainment and diversion for our boys
that will be elevating instead OF de-
grading. 1t is an immoral thing TO
show on the canvas the story OF
Joseph, the trials of Moses, and other
great events of a religious nature:
With due Difference to those who de-
vote their time to exhortlng the
young to desert the ways OF evil ana
pursue the paths of right by word OF
mouth, it cannot be gainsaid that the
most effective way of impress1ng a
moral lesson is to visualize and OBJ
jectify it. The breaches are accompl-
fishing an immense good, God bless
them: but it is "a difficult task 10
make the youth absorb the lessons
that are taught and emulate the en-
amples that are set. In other words,
the hold on the boys is not as binding
as it should be, nor, in my opinion as
strong as it could be. There is the
tendency to make the church the
social center, but at present it is
mere tendency; and there is an
urgent demand for something supple
mental to 1t. =.
Bear in mid that. as the proposition
hasA been submitted, there will be no
conflict between attendance at churen
and attendance at the educational anu
elevating moving picture shows and
loafing ON the street, or tremendous
" worse pursuits. l am vigorously
in favor of putting in the way Of the
10y Of this city such things as Will
tend to mould his character proper
". and consequently elevate him,
rather than to suffer them to remain
under the influence of things that
will tend to debauch him.
We know the boys we'll enough TO
be certain that he is inclined to fol
low his own, impulse during the rev
hours Of inactivity on Sunday after
noon. Unless there is something to
direct that impulse, it is a poor guide
The boy will relentlessly search Tor
amusement. Don't you know 1t:
Where can he find 1.-THE kind that
affords him pleasing diversion
There is merely the alternative OF re-
naming at home or loafing on the
streets; and the crowd OF boys VINO
take to the latter course are too
numerous to indicate that they can
ever he induced to do the former.
Gentlemen, you are offering the boy
the church and its good influence
but unfortunately all the boys are not
taking advantage of that offer. Your
preaching, sad to say, is not effective
in bringing them all within that
atmosphere of lofty thoughts and
ideals. And conceding that they are
under your influence for a brlel
period of time on Sunday, 1t cannot
be presumed that the boy retains the
stimulus and Inspiration as readily
as those of more mature minds. why
are we blind to that fact, or bllnd
to the fact that the boy needs con-
tinuous occupation and heaithful
amusement of some kind? | wish to
ask you gentlemen OF the cloth wha'
YOU propose to do with the boys al
ter they leave the church, and, also
there are not too many leaving the
church since there are only TOO rev
who enter it. You are doing all you
can to stimulate the boy to upright
living and worthy achievement; hence
l can say nothing In the spirit OF
criticism Of your deeds. But l can
and do ask y~< why you VIII not
permit us to help you il your good
work, by endeavoring to take care OF
the bow after the church service Is
concluded.
The course of life that a boy treads
is beset on all sides with tempta-
lions and dangers. He is constantly
thrown in the way of baneful lnflu-
ences and wrong-doinS, and THESE
are, il the nature OF Things, the
easiest to follow. Ruin and damna-
ton Turk on every hand Hence | an
rather astounded that YOU gentlemeh
should adopt the attitude you have
and take JUNCTION with me when ! am
sincerely endeavoring to substitute
for the boy an elevatiag occupation
in the place of a degrading one
Surely, gentlemen, it must be under
a mistaken idea of your duty tina
suggests to you to accept the views
you entertain in this matter
must make recourse to that broml
die and trite expression, that I'VE
are facing conditions and no
theories" Tic many of our boys-ant
there will always be too many, IL ther'
be only one-are going astray. Doe:
the boy whom you see loafing on thu
streets come to your church, or t.
yours, or yours? More than likel,
he is associating with the hundreds o
Others who find nothing to do on Sun
day. Boys are of very inventive turf
OF mind wllel they have nothing Z
do, and their inventions are not like