Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-21
Special Canvasser for Christian
ity on Satanic Circuit Pulls Up
Stakes in Philadelphia.
CONVERTS COME FROM AFFAIR
Individual Opinions Aside, He
Has Stirred Quaker City to It's
Deepest Depths.
ny HENRY w. FRANCIS.
Copyright. 1915, by Public Ledger
Company


stakes In Philadelphia tonight, after
what he describes az the Sim -dandicst'
campaign OF his career For eleven
weeks. on an average of thirteen times
a week, he mas appeared before au-
hiences so large that tho pine plank
walls OF his monster tabernacle bulEed
against the wcight-audiences larger
than Woodrow Wilson. Theodore
Roosevelt or any other American no.
table ever drew.
For eleven weeks Sundays name and
work have been on every tongue, his
sermons in every newspaper. his pic
lures on every billboard. He is the
rage. His fame has travelled TO OBJ
scure parts OF the state of Pennsyl
vania and brought him converts from
afar tho marvel OF his verbal gymnas-
tics has spread throughout the world.
and scores of cities are now wranEling
among themselves over which shall be
the next to be revived by him To-
day he Will deliver his final attack on
fScclzcbuh i'm the City Of Erotherly
Love with two OF his most forceful
sermons. take M his free Will" coll
lection. close the campaign with Il
hang. pack his trunk, and beat IL for
Winona, IND"
Philadelphia will miss him. for he
has been nj least a diversion. IL not
means OF grace. topic for kitchen
conversation and society small talk, or
a base upon which to reset an old
aneCdo,c. His acrohat.c evangelism
has supplied n target nj which to shoot,
If not goal to which TO aspire. IL
his converts languish aud h:s terch-
ngs arc forgotten. IT is safe to say
Billy Sunday will remain in the popu-
lar memory for years to come. as a
result OF his picturesque methods, IL
not because OF his accomplishments.
what Ins He Donct
What has he accomplished? To
stand on Broad Street. Philadelphia,
and put that question audibly to the
man in the street would he to invite
u dispute and the police reserves. Dis
cussing the question in impersonal
typo and from a distance at least does
not involve the latter. At first Phila-
dclphia rs whole WAS Indifferent to
sunday and his salvation scheme"
philadelphia isn't Muscatine nor
wilkes Barre" said the scrapple eater,
In effect, and Sunday won't have that
small town intensity and cohesion to
bank on. His ludicrous stunts can't
get by in town that's on Glass a
vaudeville circuit. His methods will
have 10 be changed II he Is to succeed
at all" To-day very few are neutral
in their attitude toward Sundays bat
tic with the forces OF evil It's hard
10 remain indifferent, for the fiery
puipiteer promotes such an emphatic
form of theology that IT must either
he accepted or refused. IT can't be
taken tentatively; any one who would
consider II Will accept e. That's the
c., I,.
en- right off the bat"
SO Sunday has his acrid critics and
saccarine supporters among the local
religionists. the former reviling him az
IN apostle OF superstition and ignor-
ance and claiming he has set the city
back a decade In its spiritual develop
ment. and the latter seeing Philadel-
phla golden and glorious in God"
While looki.se' through the halo they've
placed AROUND Bily's, well-inassngcd
brow And while thcy go 10 tho mat
on Primitive VS. Advanced Theology"
and Ma" sunday and the rest OF the
sunday party are trying to find boxes
IN which 10 pack the raincoats. bicycles,
shotguns. patent eggheaters and Amer
lean fngs, which comprise about n hun
dredth part OF the variety OF gifts
which have been bestowed upon tho
evangeiis. and his aides. Philadelphia
ia wondering what good has Sunday
done. what tangible benefits has he
conferred upon the city. and has Il
anything concrete ana material in re-
turn for the wealth which il has
showered upon the rtvlvalist"
Sundays TansibiIi3,.
The question was put 20 SUNDAY him
self What do you believe YOU have
he 10 ,f H.; o,
was asked Can you give one tanri-
bic instance OF a benent conferred?
IL Is realized that such evidence could
not be abundant. hut some cases In
point may have come 10 your notice"
The benefits OF Christ's own teach
ms were not considered tangible when
they cruc!fed Him" he replied Re
ligion IS matter OF faith and not OF
doubling Thornasses. who come along
with their geometry books and poking
fingers and want TO show that Jesus
died for them. They're ali from Mis-
sourl.
Well. you can't be from Missouri and
say, Show mo 20 Jesus. There's PROC,
everywhere tina. Jesus died 10 save the
world. Compare tho lives OF a Chris
t!an and one OF the devils suckers
Isn't that tangible evidence enough o,
what christ is and what HIS Word
means? should say the number OF
souls whom He has saved In Philadei.
phia would be tangible evidence enough
! OF His wonderful workings there"
That IS Billy. answer 20 all reouss,.
for figures and details. He hasn't auv
he mover bothered with them. Hs tus,
ratses the spiritual level OF the com
munity In the ;nass. but he doesn,
bother 10 ind out what effect this has
He hasn't time, nor has ne tina deeirc
Whether there was a decrease In limo,
consumption in Pittsburgh after hi.
campaign. he SAYS, !snt his business
He hopes there waH. ana he believe!
God VIII look out FOR that end Wcr,
there fewer names In the Scranton. pa
police biotters after ne was there? u,
should worry. He knows he not g,
many converts, and that means ths
the grace OF Jesus Christ is Al vork