Omaha daily bee., 1915-08-13


Il withdrew from the committee o. a
hundred quietly. without fuss or public
ity. / thought that my letter covered
the ground. Jnnumerahie calls, however.
thls morning indicates that some am
plification IL demanded. and l am as
sured that II IL In the public interest that
a more detailed publsc statement should
be made. .
ut all comes TO this: do not know
OF any consideration In the world which
would induce me to become a party 10
the buffoonery and blasphemy of
Billy Sunday mission.
The justification OF this language Is
10 DO found In the reports Of the San
Francisco press. IL a person has not
read them. and has not read reports Of
similar performances elsewhere. he
cannot understand my feelings. I would
rather be put upon the firing line some-
where in the nelghborhood OF Warsaw
than pledge myself to belief in the
verbal inspiration Of the daiiy papers
But unless the press men and women OF
this city are lying, unless they have en-
tered into an agreement 10 lie unani-
mously and heartily then Or. Sunday
stands condemned. II I had not with
drawn from the committee. should feel
that I share and deserve to share in the
condemnation.
Cleopatra was a fIat-nosed wench
who sailed up the Nile clothed only in
sunshine and climate'-iet Il be adj
mitted that I have not secured from DIT.
Sunday OF from Bishop Hughes or from
DR.. II. II. Bell guarantee that DR.. sun
day said this IN precisely thosn words.
But nobody has denied ti-neither Or.
Sunday nor the person described by the
newspapers as HE official press agent,
nor DR.. Bell. nor anybody else.
Il have FOR moro than year system
aticaiiy accumulated from the SECULAR and
religious press reports OF DIT Sundays
speeches. and this quotation agrees with
a vast number Of others which ! have
before me at this moment. Uniess II ID
alleged that the Chronieie reporter In
vented this sentence. and did II so well
that Dr. Sunday himself could not better
initiate his own style. am content e
make my appeal to the coed sense Of the
religious community upon the ground Of
such an utteNnoe.
Let us use plain and honest speech. ]
do not know whether Cleopatra ever sat
naked IN a boat and caused herself e
be rowed up tho river Nile. Assuminf
that DR. Sundays historscai reading Il
wider than my own, OF that this incident
Impressed itself more deeply upon his
nnernofy than on mine-as Il probably
would co~ethen Il Is conceivable thai
there might at some time be some rea-
son for stating the fact. though It ID
difficult 20 imagine the relevancy OF Il
TO tho gospel message. Yet l take ms
stand hero; that nothing on Gods earth
can Justify Ia a sermon the leering sug.
gestiyeness Of Dr. sundays phrases.
There can beNonly ons object In stat
ing the faet--if Il Ia a fact-in that way
And the object is-dirt.
Mothers who are trying 10 bring M
their boys TO think pure thoughts an,
speak pure words. and fathers who hav'
daughters OF their own at home ma,
answer whether any purpose can b,
served by this sort OF talk IN sermon
whether the preacher wished 20 serve an,
purpose beyond that OF causing a broa,
grin among the delighted perspirsng boys
and litter and gigele among the girls
And parents may very well ponde
th.s quotation.
''Piizte WAS a llck-s plttie. iow-dour
free-luneh, hog-pouehed. plabIe, plastic
ward-heeling, Whieky-eoaked graft poll
tician OF his day"