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vm THE LAKE SHORE NEWS, FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1921 THE OPEN FORUM Reserved to Our Readers as a Medium for the Expression of Opinion on Matters of Interest in Wilmette and Kenilworth THE VILLAGE THEATER (Does it Minister or Menace?) Editor, The Lake Shore News. Dear Sir: â€"Que- Important feature of every life is recreation. Whether it shall be a game, or some form of art,J£Le music, or just unadulterated fun, is of less consequence than that it be wholesome. Lyman Abbott, introducing his literary snapshot of the greatest American entertainer, P. T. Barnum, said, "there is a place in God's world for play, and the professional enter- tainer is doing God's service if .he carries into his profession the spirit of honesty, generosity and purity; that is,Jf he gives his audience their moneys worth, treats his employes and associates with generosity, and rigorously excludes from his enter- tainments anything which panders to jfice or tends to degradation." â€"Abbott found Barnum frankly^an. entertainer, not a reformer, yet-so able to guage the wants of the peo- ple that he sensed accurately the elements that brought the theater of those days into disreputeâ€"intox- icants and wrong womenâ€"and con- ducted a successful, what we now call vaudeville, a clean one. Does the Village theater of Wil- mette "exclude anything which pancE ers to vice or tends to degradation?" Such a test must obviously be applied first in the interest of the youth of the community. The nation that gave more^of the foundations of Literature and Art to the world than any otherâ€"Greeceâ€"had a law that cor- tupterg -ft* ynntfi T>e put to death. That corruption of youth should be perpetrated for money can be con- doned only by assuming that the cor- rupter is unconsciously put out of tune with his community by his. greed. He should be promptly elim- inated from the possibility of further harm to the community. A serial now running orr Tuesday afternoons and attended by children of tender years, is entitled, "The Phantom Foe" and is of the same character as the yellowback novels that are contraband in all respectable society, because they contaminated youth. Is it not logical that visual- ization on the screen should con- taminate many fold? A short time ago a risque play was â€"shown containing a scene any board of censors of our village would have cut out. It pictured girls at a bathing beach undressing behind a screen so they were sharply in silhouette. Youth around 16 or 19 in the theater guffawed with pleasure. What will be the effect of the emblazoned title, if not the play, such as "Her First Elopement,"~"HerUnwillingHusband" or "The Devil to Pay"? To be con- sistent the Library Board of our village should put on the shelves Diamond Dick stories, and novels with salacious titles, and place on Wilmette avenue suggestive, highly colored posters advising young men and girls of the village to get the books. Neither the importance nor the justice of the question is in any way affected by such things being lione on private property where an en- trance fee is charged instead of its being done on public property and maintained by a tax. The morals are precisely the same. The Village theater occupies a position coordinate with our schools and churches and the theater manager should be as zealous in his service to the commun- ity as the principal of the school or the minister. We have the same right tc take our children to the Vil- lage theater with the same assurance they will not be degraded, as full confidence as in sending them to the village school or Sunday, school. • C. E. Drayer, 1034 Elmwood Avenue, Wilmette. ANOTHER VIEWPOINT. Editor, The Lake Shore News. The subject of issuing a permit for the erection of a "Bahai Temple" in Wilmette appears open for discussion, thus, this expression from one who, though not a Bahai, is interested in the Bahai movement. "The Brother- hood of Man," or, as the founder or the movement states in a most brief but complete form, "We desire but the good of the world and the happi- ness of the nations; that all nations shall become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of af- fection and unity between the sons of men shall be strengthened, that the diversity of religion shall cease and differences of race be annulled. So it shall be, these fruitless strifes, these ruinous' wars shall pass away on the 'Most Great: Peace' shall come" is surely a worthy one, Otherwise, why the upkeep and large attendance of a Sunday Evening club, where man of repute come to speak on subjects such as "Aristocracy and Democracy," "America as a World Power," "The New American Front," where the un- dercurrent or sequel seems to be best expressed, "United We Stood, Di- vided We Fall." It is not each individual who is not willing to join hands universally, re- sponsible for the present world-wide suffering, by their narrow-mindedness, itching palms and the eternal grasp-, inp for the "Almighty Dollar?" Why not extend a welcome to all in a get-together meeting, as it were, for the spiritual as well as material wel- fare of all concerned? In John 21:17 4lH?-Bible savs.i'Feed My Sheep." Arc we doin* this mto^lPfi £«£, *«£& -f "SSSj of a structure not being com- some evittenw oi i pleted for lack of funds, or the possi- bility of losing members of our vari- ous congregations, to be our mo- tives for refusing a permit for the construction of an edifice which, if carried out according to present archi- tectural plans, would be a credit to Wilmette from an artistic standpoint; not only, but an honor as being the first to co-operate in a movement seeking to unite all men as brothers and children of one Father. As for present adherents, I might quote, "Be- ware, lest we are entertaining angels unaware." As a closing suggestion may I add: Abolish prejudice; for "the Light is good-in-whatsoever Lamp it is found Burning." A Friend of Justice. WHY SUNDAY BLUE LAWS? Editor, The Lake Shore News. A. great many who are in favor oi the "Blue Laws" are so from a relig- ious standpoint. The people who profess Bible religion should discover from the fourth commandment that the Seventh Day is the Sabbath and not the first day of the week (which is called Sunday). Sunday keeping is a tradition for which there is no scriptural authority. The prophecy clearly warns against receiving "The Mark of the BeastT The "Blue Laws" are the entering wedge. A despotism will be rapidly established which will command men under pain of death. Let us beware of the union of Church and State. It is this "unholy alliance" which makes the "Image to the Beast." The "fallen church" com- pelling the^ civil power to do its bid- ding. The "seven plagues" of Revela- tions, (sixteenth chapter), will follow rapidy as this demon work is consum mated. - "~ . Subscriber. The Lake' Shore News, Wilmette, 111. Gentlemen: The following suggestions are sub- mitted at- the request of several busi- ness men of Wilmette in response to the invitation of The Lake Shore News to discuss in its columns the ap- plication for a permit to build in Wil- mette a Bahai temple: It ought readily to be admitted that 4-he belief of the applicants, whether religious, irreligious or otherwise, should not be taken into considera- tion in.r: determining their right to a permit. This must be conceded by all who believe in the guaranty af- forded by our constitution. Atheists are entitled to this guaranty and every sort of belief te-eatitled to ita protection. No matter how deluded the belief may be the law gives it re- spect. Even though its adherents may in other countries engage in prac- NOTICE I Have vour piano and player tuned. Now is the time. We do fine work. Patterson Brothers. 828 Davl» »treet. Evanston. Phone Bvanaton 664 «jd Wilmette 56. MNMl-tfO Keep a Record of your expenses by paying your bills with checks. No chance for disputed[accounts as your cancelled check is the best receipt you can have. No risk of losing money carried in your pockets nor trouble in making change. Come in and let us show> you the imany advantages of opening a Checking account with ~ ___- Your Home owned and controlled by experienced busi- ness men of Wilmette, Evanston, Kenil- worth arid Gross Point. WILMETIUTATE BANK Capital and Surplus $150,000.00 tfr7s^ir7^ir^r7s?i!yift?SYliY«^ NEVER TROUBLE TROUBLE Till TROUBLE TROUBLES YOU When your shoes begin to cause you discomfort and trouble have the fault remedied at the DEPENDABLE SHOE REPAIRING FACTORY ^M^NQRIQKJBrop^ Lake and Ridge Avenues Phone Wilmette 2358 i! Oratorioof Elijah J^^^l^l^t^l^l^t^t^l^m^^ Announcing the Re-Opening of the Interpretation by Dr. Theodore Soares of the University of Chicago Wilmette i Sunday Evening Club Wilmette and Lake Avenues Jamtar^3Qy^tt 7:30 P. M. Mjusic from the Oratorio by m l|We; wish to announce that the North ^11 Shore Garage will be open for business on February 1st. if7 Mr^Bttrton Thatcher, . . .. Baritoin We have installed a complete new ^qniprn^nt and wf can offer to the residents of Wilmette a first-class, up- to-date garage r< in every to furnish efficient service. All Welcome Seats Free â-  Courteous Service Efficient Mechanics Complete Machine Shop all makes of cars Splendid stock of automobile s MIELElTBROS^TPi^ir 611 W. Railroad Ave., Wilmette Phone Wilmette 234 i« itr^M r^^i r/«\i r/s>i r^«Ai r aS\ . r^s^i r as% i rA»ri r^»\i r/«\i r^s>i r.^^i r^ii r/«vir ttlTATiTTWW^fl,â„¢^^^