The Washington times., 1915-01-04
SUNDAY LEADS $4,000
IN SALUTE TO GOD"
Vast Philadelphia Congregation
Hears Evangelist Denounce
Sins OF Society.

= PHlLADELJ TIA, Jan. 4.--"Let's give
God Chaut4uqua salute!"
/ And then Billy Sunday. with one foot
'on a chair and the other on his pulpit,
leaped up. stood astride his Bible. and
waving his handkerchiefs. led the multi
tude In singing the chorus of THE Eat
tie Hymn of the Republic"
With one accord the vast congregation
the largest ever assembled for a relig-
ious purpose in Philadelphia--blossom
ed into vast sea Of waving handker-
chiefs, and with Il mighty volume there
rolled forth the chorus:
Glory! Glory! Hailelu,ah!
Glory! Glory! Ha.lelujah!
Our God Is marching on!
This scene marked the climax Of yes
terGay afternoons great meeting at
Billy Sundays tabernacle. Already staid,
conservative Philadelphia has begun to
size up Billy Sunday. the man.
Yesterday he denounced the sins Of
Phila e.phia, he denounced society. he
assailed and ridiculed society girls. and
while lampooning them said, III a man
should kiss one Of them he would be In
danger of dying Of painters collie"
Audience of Average Citizens.
He supplemented his keen, cutting epi-
grams by the continuous action and
curious gestures which have made him
famous. He pranced and bounded. ca
vorted and pounded. jumped and stamp
ed all over the platform, sometimes
climbing to the top Of his pulpit, again
plunging into the midst Of the auditors
in the front rows
These crowds were not the rabble, the
froth Of a great city's efrervescing life.
They were the representative people Of
Philadelphia The head Of the University
e Pennsylvania was there. High c!ty
officials were there. Presidents Of banks
were there. Social leaders were there.
were there. An uncounted host of aver
age citizens, in their Sunday clothes,
looked up eagerly and alert toward the
restless. terse and startling preacher.
sermon, quite as il this were st. Louis
adelphia
1t was one more miracle Of American
democracy. The people met to see and
hear a. man born in a log cabin trained
in professional baseball. converted in a
rescue mission, and now called the most
potent single personality in America to-
day.
With the quick. sure sense Of Ameri-
cans they took the mans measure-and
Yielded themselves to his leadership.
Congregation and preacher quickly be-
Sundays pulpit phraseolosy was so
plain az to be shocking-except that no.
body seemed shocked. His personality
breathed from every word and gesture.
bodies no modern discovery or cult or
Interpretation. He himself says he Is
rs.h,I aH oid.fashionsd preacher OF the old
II church people -gasped over some
ev1nReliSt'S
morning or afternoon, they were fairly
knocked breathless at night. For Billy
then opened wide the throttle and went
array Of phrases. Which no proper
Fhiladelphian Is supposed to know,
was erupted upon last nights eonsre-
cation. Apparently. Sunday deliberate
picturesque and unconventional verb,-
age. There was almost a note Of de-
Aance or bravado In the way he said
ths things supposed to startle or shock.
sssd .tter tho mestins. so'@ II peSSi en;oysd
every instant OF it,
Society women who coddle poodle
dogs In their arms and smoke ciga-
rettes. young folk prone to bill and coo
preachers and slaves Of alcohol-al
experienced samples Of Sundays broad
IT wore the wife OF some OF you
'I'd refuse to clean your old spittoons.
7 say let every hog clean his own
trough"
Tabernacle Inadequate.
Tho tabernacle proved quite made
Suate. While at the morning AMI
afternoon services zach seat was all
ed, q sospel-bent mob swept down up
on Nineteenth and Vine streets In the
evening. A full half hour before the
former ball player mounted to the
pulpit every seat WAS filled. every inch
Of standing room was occupied, and
the police and us1ers were battling
with late comers 70: whom there was
Those to whom al o7niasion was deni.
ed did lot turn away. Instead, they
held impromptu meetings. content to
iistcn t. the music which the vast
choir sent echoins to them. During
that ina fully 10000 were denied admis:
sion to the tabernacle.
That the audience was practically
worked into a religious frenzy by Sun
tions. which for the day totaled more
than $1,000. This money will be used
to defray current expenses. When
these have been covered there will be
no more so!lections' lens o. .
will there DO on any Monday during the
ten weeks campaign. Sunday throws
himself 80 completely Into tho work
Of preaching that when he has COM
pleted three strenuous sermons. in one
day he hnds 1t a physical !mpossibility
TO preach again on the following day,
and consequently he rests.
How he felt yesterday. however. may
be judged from q little remark which
he made when commenting on his re-
oept:on:
III President Wilson should phone
me tomorrow, IN change jobs with
Nou. BILL I'd nhOne hack on the In