The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-19
WOULD HAVE CITY
 GIVE FREE MOVIES

To the Editor of The Age-Herald: In his striking sermon on last Sunday
 Dr. Barnwell comes out for the munich palization of the movies, in view of the entrenched haunts of vice he finds in the city. His sermon has but little to
 say about the civil Sabbath the question
 now so much discussed; but he sets forth at great length the ecclesiastical sabba- tarianism, which he thinks would suit
 best his own and his peoples tastes do not think we ought to take issue in
 how we shall spend Sunday, since each
 cult would wish to do this according to
 its own peculiar whim or belief; and in
 this land of religious freedom the con-
 stitution permits each one to worship
 God, or not, according to the dictates of
 his own conscience. The only question
 involved in the American civil Sabbath
 is whether we shall have any Sabbath
 tc spend; and when this has been se-
 cured to as many as possible the law
 has done all that 1t can do.
 One would think from some deliverances that we can pass sabbatarian laws in this country; but the constitution forbids any. legislation as to how you shall spend the Sabbath and no ''blues" or any other colored laws can ever be passed regu- lating how each shall spend his own Sab- bath So all this discussion of '1egalism for the observance of the day. is taking thought for the impossible The purpose of the old law, and yet more of the new one, is to give the people a Sabbath to enjoy according to their several desires, to put dies non in the contractual world of business at their service for the cul . x~s e.. and there is not a word in either of them about any ecclesiastical sabbatarianism of any kind.
 But the preacher calls our attention to situation, which he sees, that is de- serving of serious thought, especially by
 the commission. This situation is well
 set forth in the following quotations taken
 from his notable deliverance:
 'IIctels of questionable character are opening wide their doors; gambling hells
 are running on the third floor back; the
 doors of Inspeakable vice are swireing
 wide: there are thousands with the doors
 of illegitinate pleasure swinging wide
 before thern'
 This situation is set forth at r~,.oator
 detail in other and longer passages iii
 his discourse. The preacher doubtless has
 made investigation of the conditions about
 which he speaks; and his findings, thus
 made public. deserve the immediate at
 tention of the commission. He is cer-
 tainly right in his contention that no ecclesiastical sabbatarianism can deal
 with such a situation of vice entrenched;
 but it may be doubted whether the rem
 edy he proposes will do. so either. He proposes the munfcipa1ization of the
 movies and concerts on Sunday as a rem edy for these conditions; and thinks these wolild do for us what our police power cannot accomplish. If I could only think it. ~srr1.A T l. E,x~ such movies at the expense of the city not. only on Sunday, but on every day; for it would be much less expensive to operate movies than to maintain a police force sufficient to abate the conditions Ee points out. But will the opening oe the movies on Sunday either as is now done in the special grant to them in the law, or by municipal ownership and oper ation, as is proposed by Dr. Barnwell, effect this end? Will not the operation l of movies in either way draw the youths of our city but the more to the down. town section segregated for the commerce 1 in vice; and thus become a decoy for these vampires of vice? Since it seems that the present commissioner of public safety has determined to run the town on the "open town police policy'' ac- cording to conditions as observed by Dr. Barnwell. is it safe to draw so many peo- ple, as it is assumed the movies will do, into the section of town where vice lies l thus in ambush?
 I cannot see how the preachment, tat tend the movies and thou shalt be saved" can be quite wholesome for the youth of our city, when such movies are neigh i hors tc vice lying in wait. But, since I so many good and thoughtful people be- 1 lieve iE salvation through movies, we | might try it this spring and summer in Capitol park giving concert in the afternoon and a movie at night, both l at the expense of the city and free to
 cur people demanding salvation from the | hitherto blue Sundays under the old laws. I am sure the movie merchants who have for these years believed so steadfastly in the salvation of society through the sanctifying influence of the photo, would approve this establishing of the move-cultus by the city: and the newspaper zealous also in this new re- ligion of movie salvation, might feature it up and fetch the people to the saving | influence of the screen. Several of our l leading citizens have recently confessed faith in this new cult of the movies as a way to social salvation, including some | Of the commission, if we may trust the reporters from the city hall We need not wait for the new auditorium, lest many he lost the while: for the park is well suited to the purpose during the sum mer time.
 | Anent MT. Abernathys communication would refer any who may wish to verify the correctness of my statements to the minutes of the Pastors union. or to any pastor who has been in attendance during the past few years; and the mortgage on MT, Barber is attested to me by Mr. Barber through whom it was made ac-
 cording to his own representations. and