Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-02-29
.EVANGELISIIC
CAMPAIGN ENDS
Dr.. Gordon Delivers Remarkable Ad-
dress at Congregational Church
On Question Of Asnuse-
ments.
A sME AND SANE DISCOURSE.
4 Nan is not Religious Because He
Does Not do Any Line Of
Particular Things.

| A remarkable address on the ques-
Ition of amusements had remark
able hearing and produced a remark
able effect at the closing meeting OF
the Gordon campaign Friday night
at the Congregational church. Play
ling cards, the social dance, the the
alter and that strangely popular
dame, my Lady Nicotine, were ex-
amined by Dr.. Gordon as to their
fright to their place in current pub
Tic life. The discourse carried with
lit the assent of the large concourse
of people Seldom has any building
been more packed with humanity
than was the Congregational church
Ito hear this closing address. Dr..
Gordon is clever as Socrates himself
lin the use of the mark of interroga-
ton. "Is it wrong?" he asks, and
Immediately his question becomes a
high challenge all along the line of
the question to be discussed.
Safety first was the real text
of Dr.. Gordon's discourse, and the
book Of human experience furnished
argument and illustration vivid and
pointed. The appeal was to the
young. But instead of the usual in
sipid litter among the young when
these questions are handled by the
average evangelist, a solemn hush
was on young and old from the be-
ginning to the end of the discourse.
This hush was broken only at those
rare spots in the address when wit
and humor rippled the congregation
with laughter that eased the tense
situation but did not dissipate the
Impression. DR.. Gordon has demon
strated that it is not necessary to be
a clown to get hearing in Webster
City. nor to sacrifice the interests of
the head to gain hearing at the
door of the heart.
DR.. Gordon's genius for correct,
analysis and for the true proportions
of things was manifest at the begin
ming of his discourse when he de-
clared that the questions at issue
were not the great or fundamental
things Of. religion or morals He
deprecated the practice of the aver
age evangelist which makes these
questions the fundamental divide be-
tween religion and irreligion. Life
cannot be built on negatives. declar-
ed the speaker. A man is not relig-
ious because he does not do any line
of particular things. If he is relig-
ious at all it is because he "does'
and sis" certain other things which
are positive in character. While it
may be true; that the present age
seems to be on one vast joy ride, it
is not the waves of pleasure outside
the church but Grass covetousness
within the church that is the su-
preme hindrance to the progress of
religion in the community. No fin
er or more scathing rebuke to stingi-
ness OF wealth in the church was ev-
er heard in Webster City. 1t is not
rules life needs but principles. Bind
ing man to rule makes him phar
isee, but the putting of principle in
to his life sends him forth to be a
living Christian. The address set
forth certain broad principles which
raised the controyerted questions. of
amusement above the possibility of
bubble and gave to young and old
alike compass and chart for a rea-
sonable course through life.
On the question of cards, the Win
nipeg trumpet gave no uncertain