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A Great Revival by a Great EvangelistTHK greatest religious revival in the history of Joplin in now drawing toa close.It has been the greatest revival Joplin has known for two reasons:First, it has been conducted by a man who. in many respects, is the greatest evangelist in the world of today.Second, conditions in Joplin were favorable to an effort of this kind.The Globe believes that Mr. Sunday has accomplished a great good in Joplin, anti that the results of his mission will abide here permanently. It is a matter of satisfaction to The Globe that it accorded Mr.Sunday the prominence in its nows columnsto which his work was entitled and on many an occasion allowed space for his sermons to the exclusion of Important news.#••••••The assertion that a permanent goodhas been accomplished by Mr. Sunday inJoplin will, we are aware, be questioned. Hysteria, frenzy, emotionalism, an abnormal Rtate of mind- those are the shopworn sophistries that will be offered in decrying this man’s achievements. Such sophistries do not invalidate nor refute either the man or his mission. A cynical philosopher once observed “there’s hop** that a great man’s memory may outlive his life half a year.” Sincerely to subscribe to that doctrine of abdication would mean the surrender of effort, the abandonment ambition, the immolation of our Ideals, continue tc strive for greatness, with or a picture, a story or a message, of in the doing of material things, leaving to the arbitrament of the future this only, but yet splendid, claim—“I did my best.” Courageously and blithely man goes his way, proclaiming his belief In the future, declaring his faith in the permanence of his efforts, by his active, concrete denial ofoblivion.Whenever the dogma of futility is universally accepted, then shall the world have entered into the sere and yellow”of its dry rot.Not all who have professed religion under the ictus of Billy Sunday’s commanding force and persuasion will remain fast in the faith. There will be backsliders a-plenty. In a little w'hile the personality of\his man, who has dominated the thought of Joplin for the last six weeks, will be only a memory. But “his soul is bound to go marching on,” not in the testimonials of ‘ brands plucked from the burning; ” not in the isolated instances of belligerents redeemed and garrulity reformed; how then?The permanency of this revival will be found in the impress Mr. Sunday has made on the thought of the people of Joplin.To take the mind, either of the individual or of the community, and arouse it from the lethargy of its routine and direct it along new' channels is an achievement more lasting than brass; more enduring than structural steel.The Parthenon is in ruins but Pericles is the talisman of “the golden age of Athens.”Gone is the Circus Maximus forever, but Caesar shall live as long as letters live.The Homan governorship of Jerusalem is but a withered wreath on the tomb of a once imperial dynasty—and Barrabas isknown onlv of nrowliner students—but therational people don’t say so. rt in a fact with which all intelligent people are familiar that, the cock sure man on great public questions is frequently, if not invariably, the irresponsible man.On the moral aspects of the brothel, as an institution, for example, there la no intelligent difference of opinion. But it Isnot within the province of Imperial or popular edict to obliterate it, and menconsecrate to the Master, even as BillySundav, bow wearily to an inevitable andsay “Regulate.”The illustration, we are nwnre, is not apleasant ono, but life and Its problems are not wrapped up in lnow and lavender. Wohave offered a citation to describe the redline that divides s« nflment from bard sense. Wo are dealing in facts, not in felicities.As to the saloon, there are those who believe it is an evil, per se, that should be demolished. There are those who do not think so. While thrt. phase of the question doubtlessly helps to determine the alignment in a local option campaign, it is not the only feature of the proposition to he considered.As a public question prohibition has Its religious or moral attributes, hut it also has Its political and business attributes. And Th« Globe believes that the business significance of the proposition Is the paramount Issue in this campaign here inJoplin.In demanding the elimination of the saloon there is no call for moral courage. But that call demand's either material courage or material recklessness. For the elimination of the saloon will mean the permanent abandonment of the great road-building industry of this district, which right now is temporarily suspended because the assurance of money to prosecute this work is in jeopardy until the question of Joplin “wet or dry” is decided January 2 7.Without the fund from the dram shop licenses the question of the city’s finances becomes seriously tangled.Now, we can’t afford to stop the policy of road-building which has been not merely a great stimulant to development in this district, but has created the opportunity and privilege and provided the means of development.And our city government has got to live.What is t o be done if t hi is source of revenue is choked off? Well, every property owner knows.What Improvement would be made along moral endeavor with the elimination of the saloon is debatable. The failure of prohibition to prohibit is proverbial, especially in cities. With the closing of the legalized saloon there would spring up the “blind tiger” and the unlawful drug store trafficking principally In booze. The driving of the liquor business from a status of legality to one of covert outlawry may have its compensations, but moral progress is not one of those compensations in city prohibition, in the judgment, of The Globe.The conditions of rural life where the saloon, ordinarily badly conducted, is a constant and almost monopolistic menace, may demand with logic its eradication, because it serves no essential purpose and in its destruction no w'orse substitute is possible.Fn:VitIrRtW'ablt;MhrnipiRt'WiCJ*pnHrRC80mith'hoK\Soinfticpcthlt;tiiVantalnirtotchimithewo t h f1 sbeisa\sexRara nrvidIna4serevet h (edgIfee\vha tofor ga tlpoloft.imenaslovieve t he us 11 the islievwoidiethathohoifori4Mil 1 at a v
Newspaper Details
Joplin Daily Globe
Joplin, Missouri, US
Sun, Jan 02, 1910
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Joplin P.
MO, USA 30 Jan 2019
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