Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-09-15
A Crusader Who Has The Courage OF
His Convictions.

Rev. Robert B. Nelson, the new rec
tor Of Christ Protestant Episcopal
Church of Winchester, was an athlete
and played on the baseball and foot
ball teams at the University. During
the World War Mr.. Nelson entered the
United States Army as a chaplain.
IL wasn't his fault that he didn't get
to France. The reason he didn't was
that his work among the men at Camp
Lee was regarded, by the higher rank
ing officers of the army, as more val
liable to the morale and discipline OF
the A. E. F. than if he had been sent
overseas.
The foregoing is recorded for the
purpose Of showing that Mr.. Nelson
known in his college days and still
known as Bob" Nelson's a real man
with punch in him. And along with
that punch he has the Bob" Nelson
smile and the Bob" Nelson handshake
that probably have never been, in their
own peculiar way, duplicated. He as
sumed his duties as rector OF Christ
Church just month ago, and in that
time he has made fine impression, not
only upon the members of Christ
Church, but upon the general public of
Winchester as well.
Having thus introduced him TO pur
readers, so to speak, we will proceed
to tell what he did last Sunday. From
the pulpit of Christ Church he struck
what we believe will be a telling blow
at evils that ex;s. in this country TO-
day. Having been a student of the
ology, and of other subjects probably
too deep for the newspaper mind, he
has, of course, certain theories, but
he is also a man of action, and he was
right up in the front line of action on
Sunday.
The detectives of the Rev. Mr.. Mel
sons attack were modern dancing and
gambling He said that they were
both wrong; that they were degrading
to bodies and souls; that they were
"recreations" not intended by the Lord
for His children to indulge in; he said
that recreations that were clean and that
built up the body we're also bound to
build up the soul; he referred to drink
Ing and said that anything that in
Jured the body was also injuring the
soul.
Gambling will probably go on as
long as the world exists. 1t would
appear that the love Of cai, is an in
herent evil of the human race: the
use OF stimulants is very probably in
the same class; one, it would appear
from history, is as firmly implanted as
the other. Both may be controlled
IN certain countries and in certain
communities, but in the far confines
OF the globe-where law and respect
and love of country are unknown
they Will continue to flourish.
Mr.. Nelson, however, made his
strongest plea on the subject OF re-
form of the modern dance. And when
ne talked on this subject he knew ex-
actiy OF what he was talking. During
the month that he has been here and
on numerous occasions before coming
10 Winchester, he has attended several
so-called modern" dances in this and
other places. And when he says that
the style of dancing that is in vogue
tnese days is wrong, he is, in orr
opinion, bsolutely right. Gambling
and drinking may not be stopped, here
or anywhere else-no matter how MANY
laws are put on the statute books-but
we believe that society, meaning the
average father or mother-the real
conservative people that make up the
population of this great nation-is not
willing to see America turned into q
ree!ing Roman orgy; that society is
NOT willing to see the manhood and the
womanhood of this nation degraded and
DETAINED; that the fathers and mo,bers
or the United States are not going TO
allow their children to take part in q
pubic hugging-match staged to music
that sounds only like the savage tom
toms and that only lures to evil.
No, we believe that the old regime
VIII come again, and that the stately
oid-fashioned dances are coming back
III America; when waltzes like the
Beautiful Blue Danube" we're plaved
"hen what is called "jazz music" was
unknown; when the "toddle" was
thing undreamed of; when it was un-
necessary for ministers of the eospeI