Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-02-28
SUNDAY CLOSING
4 MORAL QUESTION
Preachers DON'T Claim
Shows Are In-
moral.
SOME ARE AGAINST IT
Are Trying to Interfere
With Religious Free
dom Of People.

though th" various protestant miN-
sage OF the drastic Sunday closing
bill THAI has reached the senate CAL
ondar deny that the purpose Of the
Siu IS 70 force people 90 attend
church, they noS evade the propo.
slton mat solely IL moral question b.
tnv Owed.
~ a public hearing an 4he bin hore
few nights ago not single preacher
who spoke In favor Of the bin
charged that the theatres and picture
shows We're immoral On the other
hand many az them claimed that the
shows wOulb dU an Increased bust
ness during The wceS lS they were to
close on Sundays.
Religious IcgisiafiOno
Rev. II. Il. Martin, a prominent
minister III IA" seventh Day Adventist
church. made "A bitter attack upon the
b!Ii. on the ground that II was "ye-
Ilglous legislation and broad step
toward th: union ot church and
state
II m" theatre is bad upon sun
daNs" said the Adventist, ~ ~ also
bad upon Monday and every other
day IN the week. II there Is evil IN
the theatre why not do away with Il
altogether? The theatre does not
compel people to attend ", as some
%: the churches sC"'. - .r. The peo-
pie a.; my church ~ not believe IN
theatres and consequently io not At
tend them. But they 10 not oppose
IA" ta'a'r" IL put - "u' "r business"
SUNDAY laws. saii another
speaker. 'dt' !.;c''N opposed to the
liberty ut u !ro.-roIn people. Such
measure ~ 'NIs, which seek to com. !
uv. men Jnd women to go to church, !
is what Is driving the great masses
away from the church"
A Benefit to Church.
/. a. Mills. representing the theatre !
mcns declared and proved by logical !
argument. that the theatres are an /.
influence for good and benefit |
rather than n deriment to the churdh. !
If Il Is the states mission 10 re. |
form people through compulsory |.
laws" asked Mills. 'why then does 7
not the state strike at some OF the |
evils? What abou; the !
public places OF prostitution? Why |
are then not closed?"
Mills asked this pertinent quese
ton:
"if the theatres are closed on Sum ,
days where will the young men and |
the young women of this state spend |
their time. Very little Ot II would be |
spent I'm churches. | am sure. Where. |
then, would they go? Let every !
mother and every father determine |
this proposition. Would they rather |
hay" their son ar daughter sitting IN |
the mids; of a thousand persons in ,
a well-r,sulated. doceutly.conducted |
chow house, On sunday afternoon, or .
woUld they rather have them out ,
seeking pleasure III other channcls!" ,
I, Labo.lnc Man's bay.
Nh" lahorins man has no other day .
~ the week for recreation except sun
day. declared =. &. Xeigler. former ,
president of the Oklahoma state
Federation of Labor.
SUNDAY" he said. "is the only day !
upon which IN" average worker can .
attend q theatre. II the state would .
enact laws that wOuld shorten his .
hours al work and better hts living
he might feel differently
upon this sUhi'c; hut under existing
laws and conditions the aNofag" lab.
"'iuG man T. ung'torahiy opposed 10
'1" closing oi theatres upon sundays"
state Representative" 7. ~. McLc.
more. former preacher, declared
that N" hill was prompted hN NJ.
terror motive" "r the part al the min.
.s''rs wh" wor" Advocating II.
TN" preachers" said McLomorc.
"aic l"ok'uI ~ /, from II pccuHiary
siIndVo.nt. the same ~ the theatre
man. II this hi, - passed u provides
thtt picture I'uws CnA be operated
only ~ churche. on sunday. /; IL IA.
tended t. .ncrcas, the church attend
iu,c. The bigger the attendance the
NOR" prosperous viii the minister be-
come. II Is purely an economic prop.
osi'.pr."
Would Close Theatres.
ono theatre man declared that he
Nid statistics to prove that tho bill,
Il Il should become law, would put
Vo-thlrds OF the theatres in okla.
homa out of business. They depend
upon 'he receipts during the week
1Uss - pay the expenses. he said.
tri their profits come solely out Of
he sunday performances. Thousands
& persons would be thrown into bauk-
,uutcy by the operation of such Il law
he .aid. 1
In a sermon ~ the Unitarian church
here las; sunday, the pastor. Rev.
l.reEce !. Harris. denounced the pro-
posed Law IN no uncertain terms.
"Iihn work of the church today"
hr said. zig IN harmony with the
theatre md all amusements: what Is
bad On sunday IS just Us bad ON any
Dthcr day and what is lit on a wecks
day T. ~ On Sunday. The church
,ar stand without legislative sup.
port. N q cannot the divinenoss of its
mission is doubtful. We do. want
A tHuai sunday. ~, yCauf "A Sunday ]