Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-15
Led by Curiosity to Attend
Meeting in the Taberna-
Gle, He Admits Evange-
lists Sincerity - Eccen-
tricities of Temperament
Saloonkeeper Surprised to Hear
Himself Classed With Grim
inals, But Gratified by Cor
dial Reception Given Him by
Critic of His Business.
BY WALTER H. FENLEY
lsaloonkeepcr and Vice President New Jersey
I,iouor Deaiersl

Liquor Dealers.)
inspired by curiosity, I journeyed to
the Sunday tabernacle to hear the famous
baseball evangelist preach on the evils
of the liquor traffic
had heard many discussions in my
place of business regarding the evangel-
ist and l must admit that he was looked
upon favorably by even number of the
so-called drinking class. Others criti-
clsed him for attempting to corner the
money market of religion and for lack
of sincerity / myself was a trifle skep-
teal in regard to the latter.
So far as his sermon itself was con-
cerned, Sunday used all the arguments
of the temperance advocates since the
time of Adam, with little attention, here
and there. His statistics would do credit
to Hobson, and when he saw that
these were getting monotonous he skill
fully injected little humor, which
brought forth ripples of laughter.
AS the large crowd filed out of the
building after the services it was evident
from some remarks that many were dis
appointed because the evangelist did not
inject enough acrobatic stunts, for which
he Is noted. into his sermon.
ever met.
While I expected to hear the liquor
business criticised. l was rather sur
prlsed to learn that all liquor dealers
are criminals and wondered why the Gov
ernmcnt discrimlnates in its treatment
of criminals or why it protects and
legalizes one form of criminality and
Furnishes others. If what Mr. Sunday
says is true-that the men engaged in
the liquor business are crlminals-why
does the Government continue as partners
in this criminality and receive $3.50 O0O,O0)
annually as its share of the receipts?
Why doesn't IL close out the business,
compensate the criminal partners and de-
rive its necessary revenue from some
other source, such as increased rents on
real estate and water and additional
tariff on food products?
But still believe that the liquor busi-
ness does not make the man. any more
than the profession of theology makes
the man. There are some ministers of
the Gospel as well as saloonkeepers who
are far from what they should be NOR
ally According to an article which
read recently, there are more ministers
serving sentences in the prisons of Ala
bama than there are bartenders.
After hearing his sermon, | sent Mr..
Sunday a letter requesting a personal in
terview and I had the pleasure and honor
of meeting him. When | arrived at his
home, 1911 Spring Garden street, l was
ushered upstairs to the front room,
where the evangelist was resting in bed.
He sat up and greeted me cordially. and
must say, after our little tete-a-tete.
that he is one of the finest men I have
1 might also state that Mr.. Sunday has
often been misquOted by newspaper men
who trend toward sensationalism. l can
safely say that the evangelist holds no
personal animoslty against any liquor
manor anybody else for that matter
and that when he breaches the so-called
booze sermons" he attacks the busi-
ness and not personalities.
was of the opinion that Mr.. Sundays
most caustlc critics are those who have
neither seen him nor met him personally.
1t doesn't seem possible that anybody
who has had the pleasure of meeting him
could do other than admire him.