Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-06-18
MINISTER OBJECTS TO
sunday CHAUTAUQUA
Rev. AvisOn Would Do Away
With These or Have Them
Made Free

at is for you to do as you please.
l have no disposition to interfere with
the action of the members of my church
as to what they do in regard to the
ehautauqua this summer Either the
Ministerial Union is wrong or the Chau-
tauqua is wrong. Both cannot be sus-
tanned. +"
With these final remarks the Rev
r. N. AvisOn closed his sermon Sunday
morning in discussing the chautauqua
and the commercialized Sabbath. - The
Ministerial Union of Salem has gone
on record as opposed to a number of
the chautauqua being given Sunday
evening for which there would be a
charge, and those in charge of the chau
itauqua had made the statement that a
contract had been entered into with
| Ellison White which included a Sun
day evening program and that the con
tract would be carried out.
In reviewing the present tendency to
not observe the Sabbath, Mr.. Avison
spoke of the difficulties business men
have in keeping away from their places
of business Sunday mornings and re-
ferred to the fact that great corpora
! tions pay no attention whatever to the
observance of Sunday.
Besides the moving pictures, ball
parks and Sunday concerts in the large
cities, he felt other things were en-
croaching upon the Sabbath and the
latest was the chautauqua.
| In reviewing the history of the sal
lem chautauqua and the part taken
by the ministers of the city, he said
that, when first proposed several years
ago, the ministers were heartily In ac-
cord with the movement, but that II
supported, there should be certain con-
ditions changed. These referred to sun
day evening entertainments. Having
had definite promises that the matter
would be adjusted, the ministers sup
ported the chautauqua the first year
The next season they had the same
promises, but still there continued the
Sunday entertainments. And the next
season it was the same. 4
In a conference between several or
the ministers and Mr.. Ellison the state
ment was made by Mr.. Ellison that
chautauqua could not be run on basis
asked by the churches, and that Sun
day evening entertainments were nee
essary from business standpoint.
In February of this year the MINIS
terial Union addressed a letter to the
local chautauqua managers and also
one to Ellison White of Portland asking
for q six day ehautauqua, excluding
the Sunday entertainment, but that IL
the contract called for a Sunday mum
Der, that the program be such as 10
protect the principals for which the day
stands. The Ministerial Union IN TINS
communication also asked that should
Sunday evening program be gwen,
that it be free to the public, the same
as any church service
To this letter, the local managers Oh
the chautauqua, through the secretary
Ernest r. Ringo, replied IN courteous
letter that they were under contract
and were obliged to fulfill their agree
ment. The Ellison White people paid no
attention TO the letter written them
by the ministers.
Mr.. Avison thought he could not con-
e;stently saw to his church members
that it would be all right to go to a
Maid Sunday evening chautauqua show
and then take the stand they could not
go to a hall game or any other paid en-
fertainment given on Sunday, elf q
sunday program is necessary, make 1t
as free as the churches, Mr.. Avison
said. "The only law we had in the
state of Oregon recognizing the Sap,
bath, was repealed at the last election
The general stand taken by Mr. Ayl-
son. which represents all the ministers
of the city excepting one, is that IN
making contract with Ellison White,
it should be six day program and no
entertainments on Sunday. But that IL
a Sunday program is necessary on ae-
count of the contract, there should be
no admission charge.
The management of the coming chau-
tauqua, to open here Sunday evening,
July Is, is in charge of representative
business men who last year entered INTO
a contract with the Ellison White
Chautauqua system and guaranteed the
amount necessary, $1,000. These nusl-
nass and professional men will have
charge of the business affairs Of the
chautauqua.