Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, October 24, 1915, EDITORIAL SOCIETY, Image 13

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    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&
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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."