Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-05-09

MINISTER'S VIEW
 SUNDAY MOVIES
Theatre Managers Not Pro- jecting Uplift Campaign,
 Says Rev. Sage.

How the ministers view the sug- gestion that moving picture theatres should be permitted to operate on Sunday is presented in the following: Editor Graphic:-
 Since my good friend, Alderman Sorrells. has seen fit to deliver a somewhat lengthy lecture to the min isters of the city through the columns of The Graphic, l must ask space for brief reply.
 Tt is somewhat surprising that one possessing the trained legal mind of Bro. Sorrells should shoot so far wide of the mark as he has done in the communication under review. The question under discussion is not the moral and religious training of the but the operation of the movies" on Sunday afternoons. The Honorable Mayor and City Council did not ask us as an association of ministers to help them devise some plan to further the moral and social interests of the young men of the city; they asked us, to say whether or not we approved of the operation of moving picture shows on Sunday afternoons. It was not represented to us that the mana gers of these shows were projecting campaign of moral and religious ed ucation for the uplifting of the young men of the town, but rather that they were seeking to respond to a more or less popular demand for Sunday amusements and, incidentally, to gather in few more shekels for the management of the shows. AS we saw the matter it was simply proposi- tion to carry on a purely business en- terprise on the Sababth. I speak candidly when I say that, without ex- ception, the preachers were surprised that they should be asked to pass judgment on what seemed to them such an elementary question in re- ligious and moral ethics. From moral standpoint we cannot see any difference between operating a pie ture show on Sunday to make money and operating a dry goods store on Sunday for the same purpose.
 It does not change the moral phase of the matter to say that other things are tolerated on Sunday, in our city, which are more objectionable than the picture shows would be. We are perfectly free to admit this, but we wish to emphasize the fact that these l things are not done with our consent and approval.
 We are not unmindful of the fact that the moving pictures may be, and often times are, used to teach great moral lessons There are vast possi- l in, hn nio lures, and if Alderman Sorrells and others who may be interested in the 1 Sunday pictures purely from a moral and religious standpoint, wish to try the experiment of Sunday afternG2n pictures for the moral betterment of our young men, and older ones as we'll, let us provide fund to pay the actual operating expenses and throw | the doors open to all who will come. Let those who are so minded make a voluntary offering to help pay the ex- penses and if there should be defi- cit this will readily be met by public spirited citizens. I do not believe, however, that the exhibition of Bible, and other religious, pictures on Sun day afternoons, whether admission is | free or paid, would prove the moral panacea which Bro. Sorrells so con- fidently expects to find from this source. It may be that these young men who are not drawn to the churches would spend their Sunday afternoons looking at Bible pictures but if they should some of us would be most agreeably surprised.
 | "In conclusion I beg to remind my good friend that the indifference of these young men to the influence of the preachers, which he so sincerely laments, will not be lessened by seek ing to make them believe that these same preachers are lot of unreason- able and puritanic tyrants who are endeavoring to deprive the people of innocent and helpful privileges; or that they are a set of belated moral ists who are trying to force upon the people of this progressive age the out worn precepts of a former time.
 I've are with you, Bro. Sorrells, in your desire to help the boys, but we do not believe we will help them by teaching them to disregard the sancti- 1 ty of the holy Sabbath and the author l ity of Gods holy law.
 "J. A. SAGE"