The Omaha Sunday
Bee
PART TWO
EDITORIAL
PAGES OSE TO TTN
PART TWO
SOCIETY
PAGES ONE TO TEN
VOL. XLV-NO. 13.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORXINO, SITTEMBKlt 12, 10i:.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
71 TO PTl
II EM.
V.
ill
17
Eiqiet ? f Comment -Iry
"Pa" Eourke, Our Base Ball Magnate:
I HAVE known 'Billy Sunday for over thirty
years, probably about as long as anybody In
Omaha, and I am firmly convinced that his
sincerity li real, and not a sham, as his op
ponents so often assert. I have never seen
him conduct a revival or heard Mm preach a ser
mon, although I Intend t. do so during his Omaha
engagement; but my personal acquaintance with
him has led ma to believe that 'Billy' Sunday is
one of the really Blncere religious workers in the
country today. .
"In 1S84 I met Sunday first I was playing on
the Columbus team of the American association
and he was playing with the Chicago Nationals.
We played several exhibition games then. Sunday
was alwaya a willing and conscientious worker on
the ball field, and it only stands to reason that
he should be so In his present endeavor. He was
a pretty good ball player, too, although not quite
what he has been cracked up to have been. He
was a good fielder and a good base runner, but
only an ordinary hitter.
"There may be some of us who do not regard
ivllglon in the same light Sunday does and we
may not approve of his methods, but I wish to
emphasize again that I unhesitatingly believe that
lack of sincerity,, an accusation so often hurled
against him by his enemies, is not one of his shortcomings."
Miss Nellie Magee, City Mission: .
"Sunday is preaching to the masses of people,
and bringing them to Christ, something which the
churches are falling to do. When he is doing good .
and Is accomplishing what others are unable to do,
should his methods be criticised? I think not.
"Some things which he says are shocking to
nany persons and many persons cannot be reached
by him, but he talks in the only language which
thousands understand. He goes down to them and
reaches them.
"Sunday differs from other preachers of today
in that he Is completely his own master and has
his own tabernacle in which to speak. He is at
liberty tp call a spade a spade, black black and
hlte white and no one can put him out But.
other ministers have to be cautious."
"It is hard to aa'y Just what I think of 'Billy'
Sunday, but I do think- he 1b a religious montebank.
It is wonder to me how men of intelligence, such
as the ministers who are behind 'Billy Sunday, can,
descend so low as to be under the control of such a
man.
"I was with Mr. Moody In Boston In 1875, and
it was there that I got my first insight Into religious
tevlval work. Mr. Moody was entirely different
from 'Billy' Sunday, but from him, in some way
ttiat is hard to explain, came the present system
or revival work, which is a curious mixture of
religion and business. Everything Is run under a
very careful business system, like a huge circus,
Everything is arranged for beforehand, and all Is
I used on sharp business and religious emotion.
Mr. Sunday will probably do some good, but It is
ell more of a psychological exhibition than a re
ligious movement A herd of cattle la on the
plains they are startled by a shock, and they
stampede. Nothing can stop them. The spirit of
the herd is prevalent, but they finally become worn
out. and stop of their own accord. It is the same
y-ith the people, but t the end of the eight weeks
they will quiet down.
"Advance agents come and prepare the way for
Billy' Sunday. The public mind is prepared for
a great religious movement Everybody Is looking
, forward to his coming. At the psychological mo
ment he arrives and Is met at the station by a
large group of ministers. Of their own free will?
No. They have been told to meet him. Remember,
tbls Is all wonderfully managed. It is a great big
religious circus. He appears on his stage, backed
ly a magnificent choir. He addresses a tabernacle
overflowing with people. The papers devote whole '
columns to him, and newspaper men follow his
every move, and there la so much clap-trap about
It Bo much clap-trap and sensationalism. With
out his slang and his athletics the effect would not
Le the same.
"A Quaker meeting house Is as full of the spirit
of God as is Mr. Sunday'a crowded . tabernacle.
There is Just as much air In a forest when there
is not a leaf moving as there Is when a tornado is
.tearing It to pieces. The Holy Spirit moves quietly
not spasmodically. '
"I wouldn't oppose, and didn't oppose. Mr. Sun
day's coming to Omaha. I hope that his work will
do some good, but my experience with conversion
and converted people leads me to believe that no
conversion will amount to anything unless the man
Is raised to a higher plane, renounce all of his old
associations and environments and , Is sustained
continually by the moat helpful influences "
Rev. Titus Lowe, First M. E. Church:
"It is hard to think how the great rel!g:ous
campaign Which w have Inaugurated here In
Omah. could hav, had a more auspicious begin
ning. The first day's attendance was simply
sign of the mighty day, ahead. Indifference te
. . . 1 lummg to positive Interest, and
criticism of him is dying a quJck deatil Th, out.
standing thing in Mr. Sunday's ministry 1. his
tlood-earnest sincerity. N0 m who ,
him doubts this for a minute. All Indications point
to a tremendously successful campaign. We look
for the greatest religious movement ever known on
the American continent The city of Omaha al
ready powerful In It. business life. 1. to become
equally strong on It religious side."
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Rev. C W. Savidge, Peopled Church:
"I am not a worshipper of 'Billy Sunday or
any other man. I do not heartily endorse all he
says or dors, but I believe him sincere In his work.
He Is a man of uncommon make-up, very ecccntrlo
and highly nervous. He must either work the way
he does or he cannot work at all. He has had a very
terrible experience with sin. He sees very clearly
the awful results of an evil life and he warns men
of the consequences of sin. He has a simple faith
In God and in Christ and he points men to Jesus.
He has his own way of doing this and no one can
correct him. He disarms tholr criticism and wins
them over to himself. He haa the happy faculty
rf speaking deep spiritual truths and at the same
time In a very pleasing and attractive way.
"Most people cannot get over the money matter
In his case. Many cannot find work and cannot
hold a Job when they get it, and they cannot under
stand how a man enn be right and surpass them In
the money game. The fact is, this man has some
thing to sell that the people want and are willing
to pay for, and there are so many that want what
ho can give that the aggregate sum of their con
tributions Is very considerable. I now see as I did
not see before thathe is not selfish altogether by
any means in this matter of mqney. He can make
(1.000 a day and Is offered that sura on the lecture
platform through the season, and he was offered
$30,000 through the hot months of July and Au
gust, but he refused that this year.
"He will do a great deal of good In Omaha,
Should he die today the sermons that he has
I reached will never be forgotten by those who
heard him. If he lives to finish this meeting he
will fill the brains of our people with thoughts and
their hearts with determination which will bear
fruit in time and eternity. If as professing Chris
tians we would all humble ourselves before Ood and
cry mightily to Him, Omaha would see a revival
tbat would eclipse nil his efforts in other places,
and would cause the devils in hell to gnash their
teeth, and the angels to wave their kerchiefs over
the balustrades of glory."
Photo by
The Dec
Own Artist
Rev.
"Billy1
Sunday as
He Appears Right
Now in the Midst of His
Omaha Revival Engagement
Mayor Dahlman, Our Cowboy Mayor:
"It strikes me Sunday is a fellow who will put
a lot of people to thinking, especially the young
poople. This slang they talk o much about" (ides
not offend, ire evidently has figured out that he
ran reach all classes of people by the use of slang
expressions. The Sawdust trail which some peo
ple think is only for the drunkard and fallen'
women Is Just as much for the fellow who goes
all week practicing hypocrisy and then goes- to
church on Sunday and expects to have his sins
v ashed away by the minister In an hour and a half.
'Bllly' Sunday Is absolutely In dead earnest
Every movement and expression he puts Into his
words Impresses all who hear him. He means every
word he says. He shoots big shells and does not
waste his time with blrdshot. If there Is any
chance to penetrate the hides of some people he
will do It
"I expect to hear him again. I will make him
La official call at his hotel. He is the greatest man
In the world In his line of work. His organization
Ideas are remarkable. I never saw a man who put
co much energy into what he says. He called me
'Jim,' and that was his way. I enjoyed his humor."
Mrs. David Cole, Chairman Woman's
Work Committee:
" 'Billy' Sunday Is a great man. and I really be
lieve he is doing a great work. No, I took no of
fense at his manner of expressing himself. I felt
that he spoke as he did In order to attract attention
and hold his audience and .to emphasize the points
he wished to make. I think his gestures are for
the same purpose. It is the very life of what ht
says.
"As for the work of the committees, I have
never gone Into anything on so large a scale before
There there was better co-operation, less friction
ard more congenial workers than on these com
mittees. Where there are a number of women
forking together there Is generally some friction,
but everyone Is so Imbued with the sprit of the
work there Is no room for disagreements. Many
persons have come to me and asked for some work
to do to help along."
Capt. n. H. Kline, Salvation Army:
"Believe me, Mr. Sunday's average was 1,000
last Sunday. He came to the 'bat three times
and made a hope run each time up. I think that
'Billy Sunday was on the Job every minute of the
t'me. No matter what your opinion may be of the
way be stands up to the plate, or of the way that
he holds his bat, he sure steps out and meets the
tall every time. To change the simile, he Is a
Lunch of nerves and his wallops have the punch
behind them; he is a Judge of distance, and I didn't
notice him falling short or falling to land in, any
round.
"His methods may not appeal to the refined,
cultured, self-contained and Intellectual graduates
ot the modern university, but to some of us who
tre rubbing shoulders with the weakling and the
outcast, the degenerate and the criminal, .to some
of us who come In contact with, work among and
mingle with the common people, his methods are
those which we know will get results. I said last
winter when addressing the Woman's club that the
great need of Omaha was a civic conscience, and,
slthough the editor of The Bee dubbtd the state
raent as 'clap-trap,' I am of the opinion that before
Billy' Sunday leaves Omaha that newly aroused
clvio conscience will be a factor in the commercial,
the financial, the social, the religious and the po
litical Ufa of Omaha,1
1