New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-23
Sunday Leads $500 to Trail;
Sets New Record for Converts
Slackers and Immodest Women
Targets in Sundays Sermons
Drinkers and Backsliders in General Scored; America
Too Lazy Evangelist Shouts, Urging Need
for Men Who VIII Die

Of YOU will give me your hand ana
promise to be that sort OF CHRIS
tian?"
He lifted the little trapdoor in his
platform and stepped down upon the
lower steps and began the task OF
humping the arms of the seemingly
endless streams of men and women
who were pouring from the four saw
dust paths that led to the altar.
Starts Handshaking
One OF the surprises Of the evan
Celist's evening sermon was ms suS-
gestion that an epidemic OF some death-
dealing malady might be highly, deslr-
able as a means of bringing ABOUT
wave of genuine religion.
"I'ye Sometimes thought, almost,
that it might be a godsend to many a
community if it could only be swept
bv Asiatic cholera, typhoid fever or
pneumonia or scarlet fever just after
a good revival and before the people
had a chance TO slide back he said.
Some stationary engineers were
hired to break a railroad engineers
strike. and one Of them got on loco
motive to take it into the roundhouse'
He didn't know much about locomo-
tive engine, so he ran her in and dldn t
know how TO stop her. and nearly sent
her through the wall. But he knew
how TO reverse her, and did. Out went
the engine again. and had nearly
wrecked a turntable when he sent her
back the other way, and there she
went back and forth.
"'Why didn't you stop her when you
get her in? ?" another man shouted.
"'Why the devil didn't you shut the
door when ! got her in?' was the an
swer.
"The second class Of backsliders is
the class that started soberly and seri-
ouslv. but not seriously enough. They
do not make a complete surrender.
"a friend Of mine holding a meeting
asked how many who were present had
been Christians but were now back
sliders. Finally forty fessed up. Then
he asked them for the reasons for their
falling away.
Attacks Backsliders
"Finally a man got up and said he
backsld through believing that he
could be Christian and keep his store
open on Sundays.
"A young lady arose and said that
she backslid because of cards. A friend
had given a card party, and she had 10
give one in reciprocity. She SAID she
had invited a young man TO attend, put
that he didn't know what kind Of
party il was to be. He came, but when
he found out what it was he said he
was sorry. but he must go, for he could
not stay there.
"T admired him for his loyalty to
his religion; he made me feel that /
wasn't worthy TO have my name as
church member the young lady said.
another man stood up and said: !
bsckslid when | voted for the saloon
You bet he did, or he would not have
voted for the dirty, rotten bunch. why
he backslid before he voted that ticket,
or he wouldn't have voted it,
"a young lady said: 4 thought
could Be a member of the Church and
dance Sure she could. You can be
member Of the church and a burg
lar. too, but not a member Of the
body Of Christ. She said: 4 attended
dance and found my desire to pray
diminishing ! attended another and
found my desire to pray had be
come nebulous. And then she said,
my desire to pray disappeared ] tell
you. never saw drinking, dancing,
card playing Christian who amounted
to anything go
"Some people" said Mr.. Sunday with
his famous grin. "have the hoof and
mouth disease-they run around and
talk about their neighbors."
There will be no public activities Of
any kind in connection with the Sun
day campaign in this city to-day.