The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-21
MINISTER'S DEBATE SHO WIS LOCAL CHURCHES
NOT PRESENTING so LID FRONT FOR SUNDAY

Protestant churches of Richmond
are not unitedly in favor of a Billy
Sunday campaign in Richmond during
the spring of 1922.
For the second time since the or
ganization of the campaign council,
composed of the pastor and two lay
men from each of Is local churches,
the Sunday movement for Richmond
has neared defeat. The most recent
chapter in the movement was written
Tuesday night at a meeting at the
Y. M. c. A.
Discussion arising from objections
to certain reported utterances made
by Mr. Sunday in Indianapolis last
spring, and expressed feeling against
the Sunday methods, occupied the
council until nearly IL o'clock.
The request which threw the meet
ing into one of long debate was made
by the Rev. C. w. Woodman, speaking
| for the West Richmond Friends con-
gregation. Mr.. Woodman asked that
in view of the reported denunciation
made against conscientious DIRECTORS,
| by Billy" Sunday in his Indianapolis
| speech, that the council obtain person
ally from Mr.. Sunday a statement
/ that he would not discuss such mat
tiers during his campaign here.
1t was said that Mr.. Sunday called
the conscientious DIRECTORS too low
{, down~for him to spit upon in H,
and that he also said that "the bodies
of the DIRECTORS were so rotten that
if they were thrown into the ocean
| they would poison the fish"
/ Defend Statements
/ Many of the members present at the
meeting arose to defend Mr. Sundays
alleged statements, declaring thai
| they did not believe he included the
true Quaker objector when he made
the alleged assertions. E. Howard
Brown, pastor of the East Main stree
Friends church, said that the reported
| statements did not fit him or his con
gregation, and that his constituency
were heartily in favor of the Sunda!
campaign in Richmond.
1t also was pointed out that Andrew
Mitchell, pastor of South Eighth stree
Friends church, had been in favor o
the Sunday campaign, and a repre-
sentative of Whitewater Friend
church stated that the congregation
/; he represented was favorable to tn,
> proposed movement
DR.. w MCLEAN Work, pastor of tn,
Reid Memorial United Presbyterian
church, the Rev. F. A. Dressed, paste
) of the First English Lutheran church
: and the Rev. H. j. Sarkiss, pastor o
: the Second Presbyterian church, ez
I pressed themselves willing to cooper
ate in the movement, but said tha
7 they were not representing churche
: enthusiastically in favor of the cam
, paign.
5 Urge Sunday Informed
Both DR.. Work and his lay repre-
sentative, Rutherford Jones, urget
that Mr.. Sunday be not kept in tn
: dark concerning the local attitude tc
ward his campaign. They said that
, after Mr.. Sunday had been told O
? the existing conditions, he still wishet
! to come, then there was nothing NOR
to be said. They would do all il
. their power to make the campaign
= success. they said.
: A brief review of the events whic
5 have led to the present conditions wa
offered. The evangelistic committe
: of the Ministerial association, whic
: first invited Mr.. Sunday to conside
j Richmond as field for work, reporte
/ the steps taken from time to time
3 bringing the progress of the campaig
). to the present point. 1t was state
/, that with but one or two exception
Q the Ministerial association voted t
= have Billy" Sunday here, when tn
i matter was first suggested.
/ Later, however, new situatio
i arose. The committee reported tina
as strong bids were being made fo
Sundays services by at least tw
other Indiana cities, Mr.. Sunda
wished that a portion of the locs
2 campaign funds be raised before b
came here. When the respective pa
f tors voted for Mr.. Sundays campaig
!. in Richmond after comforting wit
; their church boards, this condition ha
+ not been suggested. it was said Sc,
n eral pastors urged that in fairness I
V ldheir constituencies they be permitte
to go before their boards again an