Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-18

The dance as the hotbed Of I'M
mortality, the theatre as based on
a groundwork of scouldrelisnI,
mans infdelity and the cunning Of
the rogue, cards as society's contri-
button to drag people down to per
dition were scathingly denoupced
by Rev. Mr.. Sunday last evening in
his sermon on "Amusemepts." In
part he said:
I do not condemn the theatre as
an institution. 1 never have con-
demned the theatre as an institu-
ton. l do condemn the saloon as
an institution. say it has no right
to exist on earth.s
/ never condemn good things. /
only condemn what even the people
who are respectable in the the
atrical profession condemn them
selves. l condemn the rottenness
everywhere 1t Is. 1t makes no diff
ference whether it's in the pew
or pulpit, or behind the footlights,
the parquet or boxes.
We associated certain amuse-
ments-the theatre, cards and the
dance. While some would con-
denim something else, and vice
versa. Yet the theatres are the
most condemned. To most peopia,
things that are forbidden, amuse,
and there is reason back of all
this. People are not simply crazy
and fanatic, there is reason back
of it.
The theatre had it's beginning in
the church, and in the first place,
it was intended for a handmaiden
Of religion. But from the very be-
ginning It was a source Of worry
and of harm, and little by little,
they were forced to denounce it,
and at last for their own protec-
ton, to repudiate it.
Spasmodic efforts have been and
still are being made, and I presume
will be made to reform IT, oy
those who want to see 1t a hand
maiden of something that could be
a benefit to the people. But 1t seems
to have ever gtavitated downward,
and the so-called advanced school
of drama in our day, seems to have
deIuged the United States with the
obscene drama that SCOTS at merit
and demonetiZes truth.
Crude Dramas Lead.
Crude melodrama and comedies
and sentimental and literary clap
trap extravaganza, which are moth
ing more or less than the old-fash-
Toned drama,-they are, the of1er-
ings from the average stage or to-
day. You know it is the spectacu-
lar that seems to attract You take
the leg shows off and most OF them
will go into bankruptcy. That
seems to be the thing that at
tracts all over.
Now, somebody said: Don't you
believe in amusements? You never
looked into the face of anybody
who believes more in amusements
than do. But 1 believe they should
be recreative and that the relaxa-
ton from their Indulgence should
be harmless, and I believe that no
amusements should be injurious,
either mentally or physically or
morally to the one who INDUCED
or the one who might be inspired
to indulge in similar things.
SOHlG Oh6 says " AAAI o~1AAS ~
you like to play?
Well, I like to play baseball; l
am a headliner in that l ike to
play golf; 1 think it's a peach OF
game. I think bowling is fine.
Lawn tennis-I don't like it very
we'll; it's too sissified for me. Mind
you it's a dandy game, but II
doesn't happen to suit my style,
that's all. l like basketball AMI
handball and I like checkers, al
though I am not much of player
I like chess. although I am not
very good player; l haven't the
patience to sit down and ravel it all
out.
Gamblers Learn in Homes.
--Nine-tenths of the gamblers Of
this Country today were taught to
play in their own home and eight
out of ten were taught to play in
the homes of protesting Christian
people.
About the saddest people I meet
as 1 go up and down the land are
mothers whose boys are gamblers.
or wives whose husbands gamble.
I don't Say that everybody that
plays cards wiH be a gambler. but
7 say nobody will ever become a