The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-02
About Billy Sunday
The Newspapers and MIR. Sunday.

The close OF the fourth week of the s'sy
Sunday campaign finds ii more emphaticaly
than the uppermost subject Of discussion
II is not surprising that this condition should
prevail among his earnest supporters and his
bitter opponents but 1t exists everywhere The
subject pervades the conversation of Offices.
clubs. street cars factories. stores.
Indeed the revival holds the public interest
in Philadelphia the did during its early
progress and frequently occupies more space
IN the daily newspapers
This by means implies that the enterprise
commands universal approval. Tremendously
those at enmty with Mr. Sunday for business
reasons and those who eject and condemn all
Christian teaching, nut those who interpret
Christianity literally. in the light Of reason
'ather than faith. even among thes, critics
however, the evangelist is a figure of the keen
est interest
Nor is the condition peculiar To Phila deiphia.
1t is to be observed in scores Of communities
in nearby states, and echoes Of II are heard
from the most distant parts OF the country
II would b. more remarkable, perhaps, If
me extraordinary movement should not attract
the widest attention. There have been several
notable religious reyivals during the last CEN
:ary but noe cf them approached in magnitude
that which twice day crowds the vast Ia ber-
nace and puts audiences of fifteen and twenty
thousand persons under tho sway Of this
strangely gifted preacher.
A condition striking naturally causes both
friendly and hostile observers TO frame OK
plantations for It. Aside from tho theory OF the
sincere enthusiasts who proclaim that is it sim
ply a manifestation Of supernatural power, there
two main solutions offered.
A large class holds that the results are due
TO combination of human agencies. They
believe that there is evidence Of divine iHePifa-
ton but tina. the achievements depend very
largely upon the evancelsts magnetism, backed
ny efficient orgs nization and scientific co-opers-
ton.
Another theory. persistently and somewhat
aegressiveIv exploited Is that the whole up-
heaval has beer product of sltillful newspaper
rublcity-that Mr. sunday is merely ex-
ceptionally clever fakcf. whose success Is the
creation of adroit advertising through the
medium OF sensational newspaper stories. This
Is the view We intend to discuss
OF course, candid consideration of the
question is possible without conceding that were
it not fer adequate Newspaper publicity such
great meetings would he under way; also. If we
had no newspapers we would have no great
stories. trolley cars, no knitting together OF
a far-hung community into great city. In
this sense the newspapers have been indispen-
"a bile in creating the Sunday campaign.
But the charge of his opponents goes some
what deeper. They assert that the newspa pers
have put the power OF publicity behind specta-
cular mountebank. and that this alone has pro-
duced the results Of deluded throngs and wide
spread religious excitement.
The effort explain Mr.. Sunday as a faker
purveyor of sensationalism, will not stand the
test Of exam-naton. a faker might capture
prominent newspaper space for 2 day. or even