Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-26
ABOUT BEING GOOD

DEING good used to be a solemn and bore
ID some business. 1t meant reading pious
books like Baxter's Saints Rest" and
Young's Might Thoughts" 1t involved
really worrying about ones soul and sitting
around the house all day Sunday, except for
a couple Of hours spent at church. 1t ex-
communicated all such pleasant diversions as
dancing theatres and playing casino.
In these latter days, however, goodness has
been popularized almost beyond recognition
While condemning the legitimate theatres In
Discriminatory as "leg shows" Billy Sun
day provides q form of religious entertain
ment closely akin to vaudeville, and quite as
diverting. AS one Of our most startling mod
ern phenomena in the goodness field, Sunday
might be expected to pull down some con-
siderable attention from the magazines. es-
pecially in view of his almost incredible sue
cess with the newspapers
Reference to Poole's Index, however, shows
that "Billy" Sunday has never broken into
the real magazine class at all He has
never got beyond the weeklies. According to
Poole's, BILLY" first appeared in. print with
a notice in Golfers in 1911. There was moth
ing more In 1912. but in 1918 he got another
notice in Golfers. Last year the outlook
gave him two notices. This month several
of the weelxlies are mentioning him, but 1t Is
interesting to see that the notices are all un-
favorable. or else ironical.
Togo. Wallace Irwin's Japanese schoolboy,
writes most amusngly of Sunday In Life a.;
We are ushered into that religious hail
amidst pipe-organ, playing 1IaI p,neargag Sa1 g
outburst SISTER Susies Saving Souls from
satan" Hon Rev. Bill hold up hymn book
with two-handed expression pecuhar 10 Hun
Tie Cobb.
uplo,, hall he preach "Hon. Devil are
in the box, Hon. World behind plate. Hon
Booze at first base We must worry. Hon
Rev, Billy Sunday are at bait with gospel to
do all necessary knocking Soak ,er in. Hon
Satan Ball first Maybe you fool them, but
very soonly 1 shall be enabled to analyZe
swung great swoop with book.) Another
hellish scorch got passed mel shan get you
vet Desperate Desmond. Old Safe can pltch
hrush league game but he got CLASSY arm
Sbariisteed leg and other deformites. Come
on YOU Devil" Gle make enlarged swing by
book) "Ah. fairish ball" CWtth those
words he commence running rampage
around pulpit, where he slide skilfully on
the seat of his stummick and touch hngers
to wood. Loudly cheers OF "Bully Tor blliy
from elsewhere)
port arising upiy and brushing dusts from
his frockaway coat, that are way Lor SIM
to Obtain d Son want no
shorty-sports to sing 'Ninety-and-Nine' so
they can save per cent on salvation.
"PerhapSly,' i narrdtet II Nouiu 70 hioiS
better 10 enforce sunday-closing law"
spealsing for Saint Louis, Reedy in his
Mirror takes whack CD
Rillv Sundays saltatorial religioning gets
columns and pages in the daily papers
rhousands OF priests and preachers are go
ing about their Masters business, soothing
aching hearts comforting the afflicted. visit
ing those in prison. and the newspapers have
nothing 10 say. Journalism today is the
great distorter of values. And there's much
Sf the essence OF the worst kind OF Journal-
ism in the billy Sunday brand OF religion.
Ignorant and self-intodcated
The New Republic disposes of "Bnly"
briefly and summarily (O'
The minister who has got over his abstract
notion of sin Is incapable OF Billy Sunday
anthusiasm II sBilly' Sunday were not
profoundly ignorant, self-intoxieated man,
he would distribute birthstone and hre less
lavishly.
Town Topics selzes the opportunity for
Ainging eharaeteristieally New York ieer
at Philadelphia CDi
,.Rilys' sunday Is undecided to accept the
inyitation OF 500 silly ministers to come here
and blackRuard New York. Wise "Bnly'l
ne knows that II he came here he would be
Sound out and that It Is safer for him 10
T5,,t this does not excuse the $50 ministers
No sort OF entertainment that can be de-
vised by the most energetic ana inventive
brain hits aacrosanct Philadelphia like Z
good old rousing religious revival 1t
sraoothes down the pFlcking conscieucas OK
warmed over ana experience The thrill OF
Thsre d asesalonalian Of anothar type e