Category: Campaign

South Bend Tribune labels Billy Sunday as the ‘Real American Product.’

BILLY SUNDAY REAL AMERICAN PRODUCT

EVANGELIST IS DISCUSSED BY WILKES-BARRE, PA., MAN.

COMPARED WITH OTHERS

Billy Sunday, 1908. Author’s Collection.

Writer in Newspaper Compares Former Baseball Player With Famous Evangelist of Few Year Ago—Does Much Good.

The Tribune’s Special Service.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa., May 9.—Rev. William A. Sunday and his methods have been reviewed from so many angles that it seems difficult even for a veteran to add anything to the sum total of knowledge of this wonderful evangelist, says “G. A. E.” writing for the Wilkes-Barre Record.

Continuing “G. A. E.” who made a careful study of the evangelist while he was conducting his campaign here, says:

“However, as the preachers say, ‘firstly, secondly, thirdly and one word more,’ and this may be ‘finally and in conclusion.’

“Billy Sunday, as we now familiarly term him, stands in a class by himself, and if I compare him with evangelists of other days it is not for disparaging comment or odious comparison. He is peculiarly an American product and becomes immediately at faith with his audiences because of his intense patriotism, his love of the starry flag and his intense belief in the present and future greatness of the United States. He is a paladin of defense.

Sunday Protector.

“No, siree, the devil shall never capture this country so long as Billy Sunday can put up his dukes or raise his voice in protest.

“I have been privileged to hear many great pulpit orators and revivalists both in this country and abroad, among the latter, Weaver, Spurgeon, Booth (before his Salvation army days) Moody, Torrey. Of these for keenness of argument, beauty of diction, fierceness of invective and charm of pathos. I would place Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon in first place, with Gen. W. Booth in the next. But from speech of my mother and grandparents even these giants could not compare with Whitfield, Williams O’Wern, Charles Wesley, Christmas Evans and Rowland Hill. The men I have named were all different in their method, none of them staying long in one place, and their work was largely denominational in character. These men were all successful and their trumpet calls led many to a newness of life.

Orthodox Gospel.

“The story they told and the gospel they preached was the old orthodox one, ‘He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned.’ Sunday’s success is in proportion as he sticks to the old doxv and the old ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ but it is worth noting that while the old exhorters emphasized ‘hell fire,’ and ‘fire and brimstone,’ Billy does not add to the agony of those consigned to the place prepared for unbelievers by using those words.

“Mr. Sunday, like Spurgeon and many other successful exhorters, is a voluminous speaker, but not a profound thinker. He has read for dramatic effect, he has skimmed the literature of the English race for illustrations, and is endowed with a slang vocabulary that is simply astounding. He uses his knowledge with such marvelous effect that all who come ‘to scoff return to pray.’ His earnestness, his transparent honesty, carries all his hearers with him and his slang solecisms are all forgotten in his clarion call for repentance, his denunciation of all that is bad, vile and wicked and in his praise of God, home and country.

More Lasting Good.

“The old school of revivalists were of the itinerant class, moving rapidly through the country, their evangelism seemed sudden in its effect and I am afraid somewhat evanescent in its general results. It is just here that Mr. Sunday’s campaign gives promise of more lasting good. His coming has been carefully prepared for, his meeting place is undenominational in character. It is a movement conducted with great business acumen and sound common sense. He trains the ministers and church workers in such a way as to make them capable of caring for the harvest when it comes. Like a good farmer, he prunes the fruit trees with vigor, cuts out all the dead wood and sprays them well to get rid of moths, beetles and canker worms, so that when the new fruit shall ripen it will be sound and beneficial. ‘And the leaves of the trees shall be for the healing of the nations.’ Mr. Sunday is a man endowed with a great faith. He prays for the blessing, he prepares for the blessing, he is sure of getting it and it is therefore no surprise that he is so eminently successful.

Campaign Well Conducted.

“The late revival in Wales was a marvelous spontaneous outburst of religious fervor and roused large sections of the community. It was conducted by a young man named Roberts, who was ill fitted both mentally and physically and he subsequently broke down. Want of well directed effort, want of unity on the part of the churches to look after and care for the converts robbed the movement of much of its success. The converts were left to the mercy of the world, flesh and the devil, and thus the promise of a great and last revival petered out.

“The Sunday campaign is conducted vastly different. It is an old evangel, presented in racy Americanesque speech and run upon up-to-date business principles. The evangelical churches are a unit. It has been aided by the enterprise of the daily newspapers and publicity is given to the religious movement unknown to our fathers. Despite a few doubting Thomases the spirit of success is in the air, for the Wyoming valley is realized that the ‘hour and the man’ glorious religious revival has just passed and the effects of it are to continue.”

The South Bend Tribune. Fri, May 09, 1913 ·Page 7

Rescue the Perishing ‘personal worker’s’ resource during Billy Sunday campaigns, c. 1911

RESCUE THE PERISHING

PERSONAL WORK MADE EASY.

That ye may KNOW how ye ought to ANSWER every man.—Col. 4:6.

SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND HINTS FOR BEGINNERS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

And take the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.—Eph. 6:17.

ARRANGED BY “FRED” R. SEIBERT

Author’s Collection

Books Proving Handy.

Those who assist in the personal work at the tabernacle are finding that the little book on this line of endeavor sold by Fred Seibert to be of much value. The ex-cowboy, in addition to selling the book on personal work, handles the hymnals and has for sale two of Billy Sunday’s sermons, ‘Moral Lepers’ and ‘Three Groups.’

The South Bend Tribune. Mon, May 12, 1913 ·Page 9

Billy Sunday souvenirs sold at his revival campaigns

PUBLISHER OF SUNDAY SOUVENIRS IS IN CITY

H. A. Lorberg Will Remain Through Balance of Campaign.

H. A. Lorberg, publisher and dealer in postal cards, portrait buttons and other souvenirs of the Billy Sunday campaign has reached South Bend and will remain in the city throughout the balance of the revival. Mr. Lorberg, who has followed the party for years, has secured quarters at the Y. M. C. A. and will shortly open a place in this city, where his wares will be placed on sale.

Mr. Lorberg not only carries with him pictures of Billy Sunday, but he also has copyrighted photographic souvenirs of various kinds relating to other members of the party. He also has charge of the sale of a number of songs and books, which were written and published by various members of the party. Among these publications is the book of the Acts, written by Miss Grace Saxe.

For a long time Mr. Lorberg had difficulty in keeping possession of his book of hymns for worship in the tabernacle. This he overcome or attempted to overcome several months ago, by marking with letters two inches high on the backs of his hymnal “Thou shalt not steal.” The scheme has been effective, Mr. Lorberg says.

The South Bend Tribune · Mon, May 05, 1913 · Page 7 · (South Bend, Indiana)

Poem sent from Wilkes-Barre, PA to Billy Sunday c May 1913

Just prior to starting the late April 1913 South Bend revival campaign, Billy Sunday finished his campaign in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He was apparently sorely missed just days afterward as a citizen-employee from Vulcan Ironworks sent this poem to the South Bend Tribune, published Mon, May 05, 1913 ·Page 7.

Copyright 1908. Author’s Collection.

Tribute to Sunday.

Tell your friends, we knew a fellow

Who’s the real thing through and through.

He’s a friend well worth having,

And he’ll be a friend to you.

When he came to old Wilkes-Barre,

Some of us were pretty tough.

And we thought that Billy Sunday

Was a grafter, sure enough.

But, one night we went to hear him—

With a banner and his band—

And we found that Billy Sunday

Is the best man in all the land.

How he hits the old ‘booze-fighter,’

And his cussing, spewing life—

Tells you how he starves his children,

Kills his poor, long-suffering wife.

Then he preaches Christ the Saviour

And His divine love, until

All the crowds just melt around you,

“Leaving God and you and ‘Bill.'”

When he says, ‘Don’t trust your feelings

“Come to Christ. He’ll never fail.’

And he holds his hand out pleading,

‘Fore you know, you’ve hit the trail.

Why, he makes sin seem so awful,

And religion seems so grand,

That you wish ten thousand “Billies”

Could sweep over this whole land.

But the best part can’t be told, friends,

How God fills your heart with peace,

And with hope and strength and courage,

And with joys that never cease.

So, three cheers for “Billy” Sunday,

Yes, three cheers, and three times three,

For the man who makes salvation

Plain to men like you and me.

And through all this great republic

‘Twould be mighty hard to find

Your grateful bunch of fellows,

Than his friends, the undersigned.

The South Bend Tribune speculated in 1913 that Billy Sunday would be a good ‘politican.’

SUNDAY WOULD BE GOOD VOTE GETTER

POLITICAL WRITER LOOKS OVER BASEBALL EVANGELIST.

COULD HAVE CROWD SURE

Billy’s Fearlessness and Independence Would be Bound to Win Masses if He Was Out for Office.

BY THE POLITICAL WRITER.

It may be said safely that a good percentage of the men and women who sat in open mouthed amazement at the tabernacle yesterday and saw Billy Sunday sway thousands by his magnetism, hypnotism and Lord-knows-what-ism afterward asked themselves the question: ‘Why didn’t he go into politics?’

Billy Sunday’s most bitter enemies must admit that he is a leader of the natural-born species. His characteristics, his personality, his impulsiveness, his methods and that seductive ‘come-on-I’ve-got-you’ smile make him a power whether it be in evangelistic work or in a ‘swat the fly’ campaign.

Could Get Votes.

Billy Sunday, c. 1908. Author’s Collection

On the political stump Billy Sunday could get votes. It is idle to deny that fearlessness and vote-getting go hand in hand. They are so closely interlocked that there has never been a great vote-getter who was not brave and courageous in saying what he wanted to say regardless of the fear of adverse criticism. That’s just Billy Sunday’s line. To him a liar is a liar, a hypocrite is a hypocrite, a man is a man and a woman is a woman. He calls a spade a spade and does it from the housetops.

Billy Sunday undoubtedly would achieve as much success in politics as in a religious movement. Perhaps the latter critics are possibly more charitable in the belief that this gives the one under the acid test a greater opportunity to show his good. Billy Sunday does not seek charity or consideration, but rather goes after his auditors hammer-and-tongs.

Like a Fighter.

In politics that would result in delivery of the goods the same as in religion. All men like a fighter and Billy Sunday yesterday demonstrated that he can scrap from the drop of the hat. Such an individual would have followers in politics, followers of all kinds and description from curbstone heelers to nation wide statesmen.

Under a convention system Billy Sunday would shine. Any man who can double himself into a knot, hit the floor and ceiling alternately, chase from one side of a platform to the other, shake his fist at a packed auditorium, telling all of them that they are doing wrong and telling some of them that they are quite on the direct route to hell—any man who can do so much in one breath and get away with it would have no trouble in turning a political convention into his way of thinking. If Billy Sunday appeared at an old time county convention and made a speech as dramatic, as fiery and as spectacular as he did yesterday, the delegates would be fairly falling over one another trying to get aboard his political band wagon.

“A Real Dandy.”

Asked what he thought of Billy Sunday, Gov. Tener, of Pennsylvania, who played ball against him back in the nineties, made answer in his semi-soliloquy and semi-quiz fashion: “Wouldn’t he make a dandy in politics?”

Those who know something of politics and who have heard Sunday quite agree with Pennsylvania’s chief executive.

The South Bend Tribune. Sat, May 03, 1913 ·Page 13

In the same edition of the newspaper, this story was also posted.

SUNDAY WOULD LIKE ONE POLITICAL JOB

EVANGELIST LETS OUT SECRET OF AN AMBITION.

Billy Pines to Get on School Board Some Time so He Can Raise Salaries.

Billy Sunday let his audience in on a nice little secret ambition of his, during his talk at the tabernacle last night. Mr. Sunday does not particularly aspire to the job, but if he ever gets into politics he wants to be a member of the schoolboard. This he confided to the crowd during his eloquent discussion of home problems.

The evangelist gave his reason for wanting the job, in the following manner:

“I would like to be on a school board so I could double the pay and arrange 12 months work a year for every school teacher under my jurisdiction. It is a disgrace, the wages we pay ministers and school teachers. Raise teachers’ salaries and we would have better influence for good among the scholars as a result.”

Billy halted his speech for a moment, then added:

“There is one thing I would do if I was a member of a school board and that is I would give back to the teacher the right to lick our boys and girls. It was one of the greatest mistakes of the nation in depriving them of this right.”

How did it happen that Billy Sunday, as a young child, became an orphan?

Citation: The South Bend Tribune. Fri, May 02, 1913 ·Page 17

HOW SUNDAY BADE HIS MOTHER GOODBYE AND JOINED ORPHANS

Billy Sunday and his brother, Ed, spent five years in an orphans’ home. Here is the story of his farewell to his mother and his journey to the orphans’ home:

My father went to the war four months before I was born. My mother drew a pension of $12 a month and the guardian ran off with most of the money. The wolf scratched at the cabin door, and finally mother said: ‘Boys, I’m going to send you to the Soldiers’ Orphans’ home.’ At Ames, Ia., we had to wait for the train and we went to a little hotel and they came about 1 o’clock and said: ‘Get ready for the train.’ I looked into mother’s face, her eyes were read, her hair was disheveled. I said: ‘What’s the matter, mother?’ All the time Ed and I slept, mother had been praying.

We went to the train; she put one arm about me and the other about Ed and sobbed as if her heart would break. People walked by and looked at us, but they didn’t say a word. Why? They didn’t know, and if they did, they wouldn’t have cared. Mother knew. She knew that for five years she wouldn’t see her boys. We got into the train and said, ‘Good-bye, mother,’ as the train pulled out.

We reached Council Bluffs. It was cold and we turned our little thin coats around our necks and shivered. We saw a hotel and went up and asked a lady for something to eat. She said: ‘What’s your name?’

‘My name is Willie Sunday and this is my brother Ed.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘Going to the Soldiers’ Orphans’ home at Glenwood,’ I said.

‘She wiped her tears and said: ‘My husband was a soldier and never came back. He wouldn’t turn anyone away, and I wouldn’t turn you boys away.’ She threw her arms about us and said, ‘Come on in.’ She gave us our breakfast and our dinner, too. There wasn’t any train going out on the ‘Q’ until afternoon. We played around the freight yards. We saw a freight train standing there, so we climbed into the caboose.

The conductor came along and said: ‘Where is your money?’ ‘Ain’t got any.’ ‘Where is your ticket?’ ‘Ain’t got any ticket. You can’t ride without money or tickets, I’ll have to put you off.’ We commenced to cry. My brother handed him a letter of introduction to the superintendent of the orphans’ home. The conductor read it and handed it back as the tears rolled down his cheeks. Then he said: ‘Just sit still, boys. It won’t cost you a cent to ride on my train.’

‘It’s only 26 miles from Council Bluffs to Glenwood, and, as we rounded the curve, the conductor said: ‘There it is on the hill.’ We went there and stayed five years.’

(Editor: 1872-1876)

Former Old Soldier’s Home, Glenwood, Iowa.
Former Old Soldier’s Home, Glenwood, Iowa. Billy Sunday lived here as a child with his brother, from 1872-1872. Author’s Collection.

South Bend pondered what to permanently do with the tabernacle at the beginning of the South Bend campaign

Citation: reported in The South Bend Tribune. Thu, May 01, 1913 ·Page 11

TABERNACLE MAY BECOME MARKET

PERMANENT RETENTION OF BUILDING IS URGED.

Disposition of Large Structure When Sunday Campaign Ends, Causes Speculation Among People.

Author’s Collection

The permanent retention of the Billy Sunday Tabernacle as a public market house is one of the latest suggestions made relative to the future of that very large structure.

South Bend has been experimenting for some time with a public market and the interest which it has created makes many feel confident a permanent market in good quarters ought to be established. Those who favor the use of the tabernacle believe that while the location may not be the best, it is probably the best that can be found at the price and under existing conditions. Surrounding the tabernacle is sufficient space for a hay market, while the interior of the building is large enough to accommodate an indoor market for many years to come.

This is only one of a number of suggestions that have been made for utilizing the tabernacle when the Sunday workers are through with it. The possession of a structure as large as this is beginning to be regarded as a great advantage to the city and it is not impossible that before the Sunday campaign ends a movement may be started that will result in the retention of the building for a market or some other purpose.

The South Bend Tribune. Thu, May 01, 1913 ·Page 11

TABERNACLE MAY BE LEASED FOR SUMMER

Business Men Believe Building Can Be Left Standing for Time.

Business men and members of the different political parties in South Bend are still in favor of securing the Billy Sunday tabernacle here at the end of the campaign and using it for public meetings this summer and fall. As a rule the tabernacles are torn down at the end of a campaign but it is thought that if a combined effort is made the building may be left standing for a time at least. The tabernacle belongs to the St. Joseph County Evangelical association and it is probable that some overtures will be made for securing the building for public purposes before Billy Sunday leaves South Bend.

The South Bend Tribune. Wed, May 28, 1913 ·Page 12

Billy Sunday on ‘Revivals’? c. 1913

What of Revival?

So what’s the nature of a revival? He was praying for a revival. As a nation we are facing the danger of the dominance of the material over the spiritual; we are commercially drunk. Take a bushel of nickels and walk down the street of the average town and you can lead the bunch so close to hell that you can smell the sulphur fumes as it belches from the inferno below.

The biggest coward in America today, the biggest coward we have in the profession of christian religion, who is afraid to come out and declare himself in a campaign like this, is the business man. He is afraid that some saloon keeper, some brewer, some black-leg gambler, some madame of the red light district and others of that kind—they’re afraid they’ll lose their trade by it, and by the eternal God they ought to be punished before the moon changes.

[Cont.]

All Kinds of Revivals.

Listen to me. In the economy of nature God provides for an occasional copious downpour of rain. You would be a fool to growl because it didn’t rain all the time. God has arranged His spiritual kingdom so that He has a copious downpour of spiritual blessings. God is rolling in spiritual wealth as well as material. It is not thought unwise to have a revival in business, oh, no—every town has its commercial club. It is not thought unwise to have a revival in politics—on, no.

Some people are scared to death that somebody might be saved from hell by out-of-the-ordinary methods.

Political leaders will hire leaders, newspaper editors, publishers, and will spend money for voters—in order to get those who are indifferent to the political situation interested—that is nothing under heaven but a political revival and you don’t hear anybody growl about it—you didn’t hear anybody growl about it this last election—that is, nobody but the republicans. Well, I am one myself.

In the business world, listen. In the business world men must make the market as well as the goods for the market. He must make the goods, then he goes into the market. He’s got to do both. You’ve got Chambers of Commerce, you’ve got all these institutions to create a demand for the product—these are business revivals—you have auto shows, they are auto revivals—you have county fairs which are nothing but revivals where they show cows, pigs, chickens, bread, butter, horses, and all the products of the farm. Then what the revival is to business, what the election is to politics, the revival is to religion; what health is to the individual the revival is to religion. Martin Luther saved Europe—a spiritual revival under Martin Luther was the cause of the reformation, nothing, but a revival, and why any Lutheran will snap, snarl, growl about a revival when his church was born of a revival I don’t know.

When Revival is Needed.

A revival is needed when the worldly spirit is in the church of God. It isn’t necessary to do something grossly inconsistent. A ship is all right in the sea, but all wrong when the sea is in her. The church of God is all right in the world, but all wrong when the world is in the church. Some people come to church on Sunday morning and on Monday morning they take a header into the world and the church never sees them again until Sunday morning. They squat and take up a little space in the pew and stay there and put a little money on the plate, but you never see them again until Sunday morning. I tell you, I believe half of the church members could die and the church wouldn’t lose anything of its spiritual force; it would lose them in numbers, but it wouldn’t lose anything in spiritual power. I tell you, my friends, we need a panic in religion, the world don’t need informing, it needs reforming. We are going to the devil over culture clubs, as if the world needed informing. It don’t need anything of the kind. There are people who go to church and go to a certain denomination because their wife goes there. They got their religion and their property in their name. They go to that church.

Must Have Revival.

“I want to say if a public school teacher knew no more about the work and methods of teaching than the average Sunday school teacher knows about the will of God, she would not be on the pay roll 16 minutes.

“Go down to the dance halls, the nickelodeans, the picture shows, the cheap-skate dance halls — there you will find young girls with dresses to their shoe tops. I ask you, why? I’ll tell you: the spiritual destitution of the multitude. Thousands never darken the church doors. A revival is needed when sinners are careless, licentious. * * * A general revival of religion has got to sweep over this country or it will mean the dissolution of the church, the home and of the nation. I don’t care a rap how you fortify your shores; how many ships you build; America has got to have a revival or it means the end of your religion. Wealth and culture never saved Rome, Babylon or Nineveh, and if you have the sins of Babylon, you will have the judgment of Babylon.

“What is a revival? It is a campaign in the name of God against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and against a revival you will find every brewer in this valley; every whiskey seller in this valley; every saloon-keeper in this valley; every black-leg gambler in this valley; every she madam of the red light district; every man and woman that feeds and fattens and gormandizes upon the virtue of men and women so if you want to line up with a bunch like that, God pity you; that is the best compliment on God’s earth.

“Men say the day of the revival is over. Fellows harp on that in the Methodist conferences, in the Presbyterian meetings, in the Baptist associations. In the Congregational associations,—the day of the revival is over. No, it is not. No, only with the fellow who vomits out the sentiment; but it is not over with God.

The day of the revival is over. God Almighty leaned over the battlements of heaven and looked down into the coal mines of Wales and said, ‘Oh, Roberts!’ and out of the depths of the coal mine came that grimy, soiled man, with dirty face, with a little lamp in his cap, and he said, ‘what is it, God?’ And God said, ‘I want you to go and shake up Wales,’ and he gave Wales the greatest revival that ever swept over this land since the days of Pentecost. There was not a college professor or preacher in Wales that God would trust with the job.

Citation (excerpted): The South Bend Tribune. Wed, Apr 30, 1913 ·Page 14, 16