The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-01-13
To the Editor of the Times.

i o the LQltOA VI the lines.
| notice In your paper of last week a
communication from Rev. christensen
in regard to moving pictures on SUNDAYS.
and especially an article in regard TO
closing the Gem Theatre on SUNDAY af-
ternoon. One part of the Rev. Gentle
mans article in your paper | will answer
and answer it clearly to his satisfaction.
refer to where he says:
| but, there is an agreement or an ar
rangement was entered into some time in
the past between the Theatres and F,
Well who is the other partya Were the
Churches considered in the matter of
this agreement?)
In answer to this will say that an un-
Outstanding or agreement as he calls it
was made between me and the picture
proprietors at that time that they should
not run on Sunday afternoons and this has
been adhered to right up to few weeks
ago, when one of the moving picture
shows opened up on Sunday afternoon,
and was by orders from me to the Chief
of Police, told to keep closed on Sunday
afternoon.
The Rev. Gentleman asks, were the
churches consulted in this arrangement.
Certainly not. Don't the Rev. Gentleman
know there is a Mayor and City Council
elected by the people to conduct the
affairs of the city government. What
business has the church with the City
government and why should they be con-
sidered any more than any others. The
Mayor and City council are endeavoring
to govern the city according to the best
wishes of the majority of voters, and not
for the small clique of narrow minded
people who cannot see any good outside
of their own particular church or society.
and who are continually and everlasting.
y trying to cause dissension among the
people for their own selfish interests.
The Rev. Gentleman asks, are there
greater agents for good in the city othe,
than the churches? Well that requires
some time and thought in looking over
the past and arriving at some conclusions
Of what the church has accomplished in
the past. For my part | can say | have
seen more practical Christianity carried
on outside of the church than there has
been inside the church. ! would refer
the Rev. Gentleman to the work our
great Fraternal societies have been doing
for years. in helping the needy and COM
forting the sick and distressed and pro-
viding for widows and orphans. That is
what call practical Christianity in its
highest form. The Rev. Gentleman says
give the church, too, chance, well as tar
as that is concerned what more chances
does he want. The people as rule sup
port the churches financially, and the
church has for 100 years all the chance
in the world to accomplish great good for
the masses of the people. but they have
failed to teach practical Christianity as
Christ taught it, and have been too much
taken up with dogmas and creeds and
and catering to power and influence OF
moneyed men, and they have simply
ignored the masses of the people. the
working men. They have lost sight OF
the fact that Christ himself was working
man. carpenter. man who preached
love and brotherhood of man and the
Fatherhood of God, not a God of Fear
and Wrath. Does the church here live
up to that teaching?
a poor boy goes wrong and some poor
unfortunate girl goes astray as have
seen a number of times in our city.
Does the Church as rule go after them
with the spirit of Christ in their heart and
take them under their shelter and en-
Courage and help them reform and assist
them to rise again. No have seen
Church members who would simply per-
secute them and in every way run them
down still further and ignore them entire
~ never holding out a helping hand to
'hem or giving them kind words and en-
couragement. Such things as these are
what is causing the failure of the church