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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1915)
nday Bee PART TWO EDITORIAL PAGES ONE TO TWELVE PART TWO SOCIETY PAGES ONE TO TWELVE VOL. XLV-XO. 19. OMAHA, SUNDAY MOUX1XO, OCTOBKK 24, 1915. SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. The Omaha Billy's Me "Omaha Has Been a Peculiarly Hard Nut to Crack," Says Billy ASKED for an interview on the Omaha cam paign, its strong and weak points and what remains to be done after he is gone, in order to reap the greatest results "We'll eiv the devil's team a run for Its I'.'oney. "Omaha has been a peculiarly hard nut to crack. It Is a city still In Its infancy of develop ment. Measured by the gauge of history it is hardly more than three-score years old. Yet here it stands, a great, thriving, throbbing city, a city of commer cial greatness and of tremendous possibilities and irobabllltles. "In this very rapid growth lies pretty much of the reason for its wide openness. In its material success it has said 'good bye to the Lord, 'I'll see you later." "Of course, I don't mean that everybody has paid that. Not by a Jugful! If they had it would b5 'Good Night, Omaha.' God has retained His chosen ones here in good number and I believe from now on they will grow faster and give these God-forsaken, whisky-soaked, morally-dead white livered, black-handed imps and pimps of hell a fight like they've never had before. Once get God'a forces to fighting and they can send the cowardly bunch of the devil tumbling with all their rag-shag, bob-tail gang to find their holes. You bet your life. "I've never been In a city where I saw so many drunks on the streets as I've seen right here in Omaha. They seem to be everywhere, poor, old forsaken, whisky-soaked, blear-eyed, spewing, sput tering wretches straight on the hell-ward road with out even a red-light set against them to warn them. ' "The city's gambling hells I am told are run in open defiance of the law. Gambling is sapping the life of the young men of the city who fall into the clutches of these places. "I have never seen a city that is so dance-crazy as this and I'm appalled when I think of the horri ble results that must come from the operation of these recruiting places for vice of the lowest kinds an young people reel to the strains of fascinating music and in the embraces of the opposite sex. I have more respect for a saloon keeper than I 'have for a dancing master and the proprietor of a publlo dancing hall is too low down for words. No Other City So Dance-Crazy. ' "I have been astonished at the opposition to this campaign which has come from people who rrofess to be on the Lord's side. It's beyond me how they can sit smugly in their cushioned pews rnd see all the people going straight to bell and dot peep. They sing their hymns and pay . a little toward the support of their dead church and thfnk they're going to get to heaven when they die. "It's been one of the hardest things I've ever done to keep my mouth Bhut about some of the things I have seen in Omaha, the low-down, sneak ing, mean, contemptible things that have been done 1 bodies that are supposed to be organized for the welfare of the youth and of others in the city. "But I shall leave here without any malice. When my train pulls out of Omaha across the Mls Bouri river I will have forgiven any who have been opposed to me and shall bear no ill will. They know not what they did, but it is appalling to think of the evil results that may come because of their rrtlons, because they tried to stand in the way of this campaign. Of course, they dldn t hinder the mccess of God's work. He can overrule the ma chinations of men and make them of no effect. "As to the results of the campaign I assume no responsibility for that any more than I assumed responsibility for the preliminary and preparatory v ork for the campaign. It's up to the people of Cmaha. I have preached God'B word and we have tried to reach everybody, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, those who live in luxury and those who toll in mills and factories, offices and stores. We have preached and pleaded and worked for seven strenuous weeks. We have done all that we could do and now it is up to Omaha. Work Is Organized for Continuance. "The work la organized for continuance. There nre 133 Bible classes which will meet every week; there are Bible classes and clubs for Christian work rganlzed in schools. Even the house maids have lien organized. We have left no stone unturned. I can't stay here all the time because other cities ore calling for the preaching of the Gospel. "Decidedly it's up to you. I would consider it nothing less than wilfully malicious to charge the evangelist with failure if the Christian people don't do their part after I am gone. "Just get that straight. We've put the devil on the run and he's scared and scared bad. I can' just see him holding conferences with his black r.Dgela and they're saying: " 'How about Omaha? The situation looks mighty serious up there. We've never had much trouble holding eiu in line, but now this fellow, Sunday's been preaching up there and got 'em stirred up. Why, some of our best lieutenants have deserted and gone over to the other side, men that we could always depend on to to their damndest for us. What're we going to do?' "And the devil tries to cover up his worry. He tiles to laugh and says, 'Oh, don't get excited. As soon as Sunday is gone they'll begin to flock back. We'll get 'em one by one. They won't get away from us. I'm going to send up a regiment of temptation-Imps to work in Omaha for the next three years. D'ye think those Omahans will be able to resist all them? Not much!' "And that's Just what you can look for. Thjj people who have been converted during the meet- ssage a Good-bye, It's Up Evangelist He is Ju& i - i ( V ?!:-.., . . - ' .. I v AV f fs 1 J - 1 : - I x ( jT, mM I " v; y i , 1 . ' ' V i L J -' " ' IK 1 ' : ' . , - V 1 ...!' f4 I . - J - ' - . " " " ''' ' i - V- " i t y v k -I . . : . ' v;-. 'a ? i 7 v ' ( Omaha, to You!" Reviews the Campaign Which Bringing to a Close Here in this Authorized Farewell Statement to The Bee ings and those that have reconsecrated themselves v 111 be assailed with temptations and all the fiery Carta of the devil. It will keep the Christian work ers busy to hold their forces. But with God on their sldo and by means of work and prayer that regiment of Imps will be withdrawn when the devil finds they aren't delivering the goods and that Cod's people are standing pat.' "Some people think it's up to the preachers, that's a mistake. It's up to the individuals. The individual is more important than the preachers. Jf the individual sticks, If the individual works for Christ, if (he individual studies his Bible and gathers strength from prayer, Omaha will be regen erated wonderfully, more wonderfully than you can imagine. We have been here seven weeks and see how the city Is stirred. What will bo the result hen the work has beeen kept up seven monthsT Think of the thousands who have promised to be personal workersl Why, if each would Just win one soul a week think of the result! Everybody in Omaha would be won in a short time. Has Preached Gospel Without Compromise, "The city has been stirred because the Gospel has been preached without compromise, without fear or favor, without modifying it one Jot or tittle to satisfy some rich contributing member who might withdraw his support if he didn't happen to like the way God's word was preached. That must be kept up. Don't dip God's colors ono Inch to the devil's gang. And if they don't like it, let 'em go to the devil where they belong. They must take Cod's word or leave it. They can't go through and tiuo pencil the parts that don't suit their puny per sonalities and that rebuke their pusillanimous URalllnlmltlei and set the seal of sin on their deeds. "Three things,! would mention as necessary for ihe people of Omaha to do after I am gone. First, Continue to witness for Christ; second, try to keep winning souls, don't stop; and third, strengthen themselves through Bible study, church service and home religion. "The family altar Is a most Important thing. The man who has that guards his home with a bul wark. An old missionary who returned after twenty years In Africa was asked what was the thing he missed most In the life of the people there. And he said, 'the family altar.' "Mark my word, nothing can resist the power of the praying people of Omaha. "They've got the chance. We've put the devil's rang on the run here. We must go now to another part of the field with our forty-tVo-centi meter's. All that remains is for God's forces here is to fol low up the fleeing remnants of satin's black horde rnd slay them. "Go on, with flying banners and the sword of t'le Lord, to victory. "Goodbye, Omaha, it's up to you.' Action Photo Taken Exclusively for The Bee by Our Artist The Bee's "Billy Sunday Special," con taining full account of Omaha campaign and principal sermons as preached from day to day in the Tabernacle, replete with illustrations thirty-two pages in all out tomorrow. Prico, 10 cents. Order now. Revivals and Survivals Careful Observer and Oldest Inhabitant Hold an Interesting Debate on This Most Timely Subject with Far-Reaching and Illuminating Conclusions E AUK living in a day of revivals. A re vival now and then is good for an indi vidual, city or nation. Bo Is a vaca tion. That which Is good In small measure is llke v ise beneficial to the last dimension," remarked the Careful Observer to the Oldest Inhabitant, as this conversational duo reveled In their matutinal perigrlnatlon from the postofflce to those environs of the city where the corncob pipe Is de rlgeur and the ordinance regulating migratory domestic fowls is in a state of decadence. "But what we also need la more substantial survival. How much of our revival really sur vives? We have a revival of this and a revival of that; a person is kept in a state of constant per Tlexlty to keep up with the caravan of cosmo polites," replied the O. I. "You are not progressive. As usual, you align yourself with the hopeless minority of retrogres sive. You do not hitch your buckboard to one of the celestial luminaries. You are content to Jog" r.long In the same old rut. You need a pulmoter and a trip to the springs. You need a physical and mental revival. You don't know you are alive, but what you don't know won't hurt you. You are a dead one. I commiserate you," continued the C. O. The Oldest Inhabitant's choler at once became an upstanding reality. To ascribe to him a moribund s:atuB had about the same effect as trying to ad just footwear on a nervous mule. He denied the allegation of his demise in words which were (barged with heat units. His feelings had a re vival. Out of bis slough of mental despond came forth an enthusiasm which pleased his comrade. He said in substance as follows: "I may be a dead one, as yon say; that's your diagnosis of the case. You may remember the say ing, that It Is difficult to determine by the appear ance of a frog's countenance Just which way ha will direct his movements. I believe In conserva tion of natural resources. I do not favor burning up a lot of gasoline Just to boost the mileage fig ures on the speedometer. We are running revival Liad; we have a revival for any and every thing, tvithout rhyme or reason, without applying the acid test." The Careful Observer gloated covertly. He had revived his contentious mate. Even as the proof of the pudding Is in the cook book, so was the reasonableness of hU position reflected in the awakened adipose tissue and mental recesses of his friend. The C. O. haa a few more pertinent words to say: "Men, political parties, countries and churches all need a revival now and then. Even the home laU team needs reviving. A revival is good for. what alls you. Your liver needs a revival. Put a little pepperlno and tobasco Into your apathetlo anatomy; you will have more verve and new lnter bt. Business men believe in business revivals. Most of the important achievements are the result of revivals. Omaha is a great city because the spirit of municipal revival is alive here. Columbus MtL a revivalist when he embarked upon his famous boat ride across the uncharted seas and rre-empted a claim in the western world. The VJlgrlm Fathers held a revival meeting at Tiymouth Rock." "I dunno, but maybe you are nearly right about it." Then they aat down and sang, "Brighten the Corner Where You Are."