The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-21
The Card Table, the Immodest
Dance and the Vicious in
Theatricals Scored.
COUNTRY FLOODED
WITH VILE DRAMA
Burning Message, Fire-Tip-
ped, Full Of Spiritual Vim,
Aimed at Insidious Social
Evils.

No sermon of all those which have
been go blessed of God in the sal
walton OF souls through the instru-
mentality of Billy Sunday has made q
more profound impression than his
vigorous exposition on amusements.
Billy Sunday Is q ball player, a de-
voice OF clean sports. but he goes
for amusements which he believes
have a tendency to degrade and to
drag down In a manner that makes
people think.
The card table, the indecent dance.
immoral theatricAls get what La COM
ing to them in American no man or
woman need misunderstood.
On this Sunday morning 1t makes
reading we'll worth while. Here 1t is:
Subject: sAmusements-"
Galatians, vi. Z: BE not deceived
fthat lis. don't let the devil deceive
you). God is not Knocked. for whatso-
ever a man soweth. that shall he also
reap
"If you SOW saloons you will reap
drunkards. If you sow cards you VIII
reap gamblers. II you sow dance halls
you will reap shame. You ought to. II
you vote for the dirty, rotten saloon
YOU. boy ought to be drunkard. You
ought TO De pdi0 III YouA oTH wan
IT know OF no more suitable text in
the Bible for the topic that / have
in hand, and by the presence OF such
vast audience and by the expectanf
look upon your faces. ] am sur hat
you won't expect me to utter one word
in defense OF the amusement PROPOSE
ton. And yet II there II no harm In II
1 should be the champion Of 1t and
nor the bitter enemy against IT. Not
oil are bad. / wouldn't say that. but
most of them arc You know how few
are good and so do !.
Skill Of the Devil.
But the energetic skill OF the devil
has desied the truth by such mastery
power that IL is to be defeated there
Is but one or two alternatives open to
the man who assau Its the hell-soaked
institutions with grit and courage.
One OF two alternatives. He can con-
sumo his energy and time talking
about the minor usages or the possible
limits one might go. or he can peel and
bark away and show the thing fun OF
worm holes and run the risk OF losing
his fair reputation.
II have a message which burns its
way into your soul and to my heart.
My words may be strong: but X they
are. you must remember they are
blood-red with conviction With the
cry of lost souls ringing In my ears. I
oanno, remain still. II ! can save one
from going to he'll, I consider myself
well paid for all the vituperation and
maiediction that you can hurl against
me. because rub it into your pet skin.
Judged in court Of human desire,
might be condemned by everybody
that wants to do 1t: but judged in the
court of human conscience and need,
l. will receive universal verdict Of
approval.
we always associate in our minds
certain usements-theater, cards
and dance. While some will champion
and indorse. some other win condemn
Some who will play cards will seek
To justify that and condemn the thea
ter, and those who fall by their own
sinking rottenness. / 40 not con-
denim the theater as an institution, but
/ do condemn the way II In run. It Is
hcllish. And you church members are
responsible for 1t. II church MEM
bers world stop patronizing the thea
tiers, they would either clean up or
rot. Ii every man with his name on
a church roll would vote against the
saloons. We wouldn't have them. 1t
Is up to the church. In my opinion.
the theater liz Of such doubtful cha rae
ter that II has been reiegated to the
class Of forbidden amusements. You
know that the theater had its begin
ming with the handmade OF religion
1t produced SO much fuss and trouble
that they were compelled to drop It.
Unless the theater IL redeemed. It will
fall by Its own vileness
We are flooded With vile drama
that mocks and SCOTS at the sacred
Tess OF marriage.
But the theaters are being displaced
by the immoral picture shows There
SIC 100000 a day crowded into Is 900
dirty picture show houses In the land.
One hundred million dollars have been
expended In making films for you to
watch. Bishop Farley. now cardinal.
says he was right when he delivered
CT today Is worse than II was in paR-
anism.' There are shows no man will
take a decent woman to see. He says
the managers are to blame; but IL
they put on a decent show they would
starve 20 death. The managers say the
public wants these immoral shows.
Just let the press say that 4 certain
show Is IMMORAL and the manager will
chuckle to himself, for he knows 1t IL
an advertisement which will bring
the public Hooking to the doors
Theatcr Not Teacher.
The theater Is not . teacher. II In
not intended to be educational, but b
Is intended for entertainment Efforts
have been made to reform the stage.
but it has always gone downward, and,
like the water, seeks its own level
There have been spasmodic REVEALS,
but today the majority of theaters al
low any show that will bring money
TO be played ut the theaters. / would
hang my head in shame, but I have
the backing Of all the gudly men who
IRE trying to elevate morals.
I'VE could shut up the thcatcrs and
you wouldn't miss them In forty -eight
hours. You wouldn't stand up and
defend a thing because there's lots OF
money IN 1t, would you?
The legitimate drama can't live. A
Shakespearean show can't last for q
month. The people will not attend Il.
but let God-forsaken leg show start
across the street, and II win be packed
to the roofs. It's the spectacular that
appeals TODAY. Take the leg show and
the spectacular from the stage ana
the theater would 60 to rot. You 20
to see q musical comedy and you win
see girls that haven't enouKht clothes
on to nag sandcar. and then they try
TO hide behind art. That's why the
managers ~ the public " 20 baA1hes