The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-07-29
When the Men Got in Line


When the Men Got in Line
| As an object-lesson to the public
that the Sunday school is ION the
job there is nothing quite like a
Sunday schools Mems Parade. The
planned for parade would have been
held rain or shine, and the demon
by a determined march through
stormy weather would have borne
a great testimony; nevertheless a
; sunshiny day was eagerly hoped for.
} Lowering clouds, rain, and even
thunder were the early morning signs
! of the day. A change in the weather
, was prayed for. And the change
came. The afternoon brought clear
sky and brilliant sunshine; even the
pavements were dry.
Mounted police led the procession;
then came International Adult Super
intendent w. c. Pearce on horseback,
with other Sunday school leaders,
automobiles of leaders, some of the
state militia, a mounted brass band,
and then the real thing: the rank and
: file of Sunday school men, on foot.
That business like looking man in
a sack coat and straw hat is the ex-
Moderator Of the Presbyterian Gen
eral Assembly, North,-John limo
thy Stone, marching with the splen-
did men whom he so manfully loves
in the wonderful Fourth Church of
his near lake front.
Glass after class sweeps by; or
ganization after organization. What
cheers they getl Onward Christian
Soldiers is the almost invariable
marching hymn. 1t thrills one as no
mere military spectacle could ever
do; and one thinks, with misty eyes,
of that Great Review that is going
TO take place, some day, overhead.
The signs AID banners that the
men carried were eagerly read by
the watching crowds.
"A company of men bearing aloft a
sign reading:
Mr.. Sunday school: Booze I'm
dertaker," and below the line: 1--WE
Will Bury the Booze" appeared.
Following this sign several men
were carrying on a stretcher dunn
my figure of man, wildly grotes-
que, with cask as his stomach, and
overhead the words 1.-The Bier that
Will Make Milwaukee Famous" II
was just glimpse of the end of the
finish fight upon which the Sunday
schools have enthusiastically entered
Just after sign reading where
- Men Go, Boys Will Follow" there
trudged two small boys, waving theil
own pennants. That is one of the
mighty blessings of this moderr
mems movement in the Sunday
school. When men say to the boys
Come" instead of &C. there is lit
tie trouble about getting the boys
and holding them. Tt is yiriIe
splendid movement; Mr.. Pearc,
pointed out that we have today, a
the lowest possible estimate, 5000,
900 men in the Sunday school. TIL,
adult class movement started in tn
international Association only min
years ago,-"a pretty lively Junior,
said Mr.. Pearce. 1.-The men seen
to lead the women at present. il
numbers, but the women are comint
up splendidly. During the min
years before the formal introduction
of the adult class work, the figure
of Sunday school memberships in tn
international field showed an in
crease of about one million. In tn
nine years following, an increase O
more than four million has bee
made" While, as Mr. Pearce stat
ed, this increase is not all due to tn
adult additions, it is nevertheless
partly or largely as a result. An
that Sunday school men have to b
reckoned with outside the walls c
the school is shown from the remar
quoted from a saloonkeeper in
Canadian liquor fight, who said, il
terspersing his words with profan
ty: I'VE could handle every bunc
of men except that Bible class 10
We couldn't do a thing with them.
''The mighty engine of the Int
national Sunday School Association
with full steam on, is headed straigl
for the liquor traffic of this nation
And the liquor traffic might as we
get out of the way"
From an Arizona Sunday scho
Superintendent:
'fOur town has had the reputatio
of being one of the worst in the stat
Previous to the organization of I'll
.a Sunday school three years ago, Sc