Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-07-04
Maracaibo. Venezuela
Editor Herald /;
June 18th, 1919.

June 18th, 1919.
Editor Herald
Will you permit an erstwhie nov
ice, long since relegated to a jungle
limbo, and thus without authority to
speak. to break a protracted, lazy
silence, and for the moment, in
emerging from a tropical trance. eX-
press his apprec alton of the new
HERALD? When the wide band of
the Equator swathes you in its gen
tie wrappings, ambition is all too
well confined; energy Rip Van Win
kles constantly; and poor old ex-
preston, succumbing to the power of
suggestion, seeks like level of pro-
found and lethargic inertia.
Anyway, all Of you are to be con-
graduated on the civic spirit which
prompted the combination Of the
two papers One we'll nurtured tree
is now growing where two ill-fed
plants previously struggled yainly
TOT SustenanCe.
What a good example YOU have set
for the churches and the movies.
The fat surely seems to be in the
fire. In that alteration. your Civic
Tribune, in leaning towards the Gin
eomatograph, did well to interpret
the spirit of the times Alright. 1t is
far cry from customs half CEN
fury old to the new day now break
ing, and there is much to be said for
the attitude of Bishop Burgess of
New York in commenting on the in
eeption of Sunday baseball in that
great city, when he held that we must
cease looking backward so years and
that the church, if it is to exist and
junction, should prepare to enter the
new era in the spirit of the times.
Continuing, he said, The church is
to be tried. If these buildings of
God are left unused save by a few
old women and children, then the
socialist will order teen taxed as an
remembrance to the citys growth.
and the socialist will be right"
THE church must accept the chal-
ienge and pick up the steel gaunt-
let. 1t must show it has a part to
play in the national development.
Mighty changes have come in mems
estimate of religion through the ex-
Igencies of war which brought into
bold relief the stern realities of life.
None the less. men have been yearn-
ing and waiting and praying that
they might hear the voice of the
Sen of God and live"
is there not, then. an analogy that
san be logically and profitably drawn
between New York's Sunday amuse-
ment problem and that of Pullman?
am not an enemy of the church
quite the contrary; neither am |
converted movie" fan Surely the
church must take stronger ground.
Pews Will not and can not be filled
by the eXpedient of abolishing the
moving picture or the athletic game.
Rather is it to be supposed that by
picking up the gauntlet and meet
ing the problem in the spirit of the
Tune, !, e., combination or fusion
With the desires of people every
where, the church in appropriating
the picture sermon, or the sermon
by deeds we'll done, in place of the
purely spoken and often dogmatic
one will find that it can not only
lead tens of thousands of men to re-
lielous waters, but tlat those being
led, viii of their cwn accord drink
deeply and happily thereof
The question undoubtedly goes
deeper than an argument about the
average man, his lack OF pleasure We
hicles and his (therefore) inability
to enjoy the blessings of life, al
though these too have their relatiya
Importance Should the average
man possess his super-six. he would
get TO church much less often than
he does without it. 1t is a question
IN my mind then. whether the aver
age church leader would condemn
man any quicker for an apathy TO-
wards the church, due TO his movie >
II ing propensities, than he would
should this apathy arise from his
ohsession in touring the countryside,
leaving him no time to attend the
sunday sermon or the Wednesday
aight prayer meeting
Providing the pictures are clean
ana educational, there is just as
much to be said for them (and IN
some cases more) than there is for