THE CHAP-ANDER CIRCUS.

NZ Truth, Issue 405, 29 March 1913, Page 7

THE CHAP-ANDER CIRCUS.

ADMISSION" AND ITS MISSION. THE RELIGIOUS REVIVAL RACKET. UP TO DATE HAS PROVED A FROST.

There is a mission m Wellington. It is necessary to say that this mission is here for the alleged purpose of saving souls, snatching brands, Bringing up to the scratch the unregenerate ancf the .back-sliders, '-fit jis necessary to ' mention that the. mission is*l>eing- carried oh, yor '& Baitl to be carried on, m the name of God, otherwise folk would stick to the " possibly - formed opinion that some world-famous circus HAD STRUCK THE VILLAGE. When we come 'to think _ of it, the Chapman - Alexander mission has about it all the essentials of a circus. The advertisements m the daily press lie cheek by jowl tfith J theatrical and amusements advertisements, and one theatrical manager has assured "Truth" that it has been his bad luck to strike the "circus" Wherever he has been m .New Zealand. In additicA to the artful advertisements ,m the daily press, nightly, since Wednesday,' a band plays outside the Town Hall. "Buttoners" waylay the wayfarer oflering for sale Charlie's hyjnn-books, a bookstall is erected just outside the main*, entrance to the hall, and once inside the hall, the Christian with cash to spare is .met by some Yankee person who takes him to his seat with a line of talk on hymn-books. The most noticeable 1 feature? of the evening's amusement, and amusement it is, is that -nothing is free. If the Christian ignores the plate passed under his nose, a significant sniK from the "Personal „ Worker" indicates that the "Unpardonable Sin"has 'been- committedThe "Chap-ander" mission opened m Wellington on Wednesday evening. It might have opened on Tuesday, but it happened. that that night there was "a scrap" or two on, and Wednesday, therefore, had to be boomed as the great, grand opening night. And the 'opening ! „ "Square Deal" Bill Maasey, as Prime Minister of Wowser-ridden New Zealand, gave it a boost by publicly lending his presence. What is Bill's bit of, bluff ? Is he angling for Wowser support? Is he remindful of the v fate of his predecessor m office, who RODE THE WOWSER COCK- > ; HORSE and came, a cropper^ Bill, beware J Have a care ! . On Wednesday the show opened up to :big business. Then it became painfully apparent that Charlie Alexander, who, since he was nere last, has taken unto himself, a wife who has a million or so 'm her own name, has lost his dash. His voice j is cracked ;> he can't strike a tenor J top-note; He isn't as funny as ot yoro. Probably the chilliness of the reception by the local Wowser "heads" had something to do with it. Or, it may be that Charlie hasn't got his heart m the work.' Whatever the reason, as a singing revivalist, he isn't m the same street with J . J. Virgo, who, because he happened to be ail Australian, wasn't considered of much account. Of course, there it still the trace, of the old clown about him. He perches himself up on the roost, and makes everybody join m the chorus, and, dear brethren, on Wednesday n^ght ho over-reached himself by calling on the Meenisters to sing "tbo chorus," just like a lot of little schoolboys, and dreadfully untuneful was the effect. Again, on Thursday night, Charlie was out of sorts, and it must bo mentioned that there were more at the boxing contest on Tuesday night that there were on Thursday. Good young men. wero thero m scores. Here and there were a few reveren-tial-looking grey-beards, but of the half-filled Town Hall, fully ninety per cent, present were women, young women of the emotional ago. In vain, did Alexander try to infuse that enthusiasm of his. Somewhere "Truth read that Alexander has a personal magnetism, but it failed to attract the steel that night. His efforts to be funny were puerile. The "choruses" were out of joint and riopo seemed to be enjoying them*selves. Of course, Charlie Alexander, tho singing missionor, is ONLY HALF OF THE SHOW. When associated with that fiery old | warrior, Dr. Torrey, he went big. He was IT. But J. Wilbur Chapman dampens the turnout, He is not as tricky os Torrey, or as genial as Giel, and Giel is one of the 'cute Yankees who didn't come to New Zealand, but labored m tho profitable field of Australia. Now, as a religious revival turnout, or stunt, or outfit, or whatever it is, it is not "a roligious bair." It can't revive a cent. It hadn"t up till Thursday night got anybody going. None stood up and profeaied or confessed. Up to dato tbero has not (been any hysterical manifestations. Of course, it is possiblo that It will comp ftiong. Still, Chapman isn't Torrey, and ho isn't Giel. Ho con talk some, and drawl some, but tbo rant ami raving isn't sincere. He becomes dreary and weary. ilis imagination isn't a 1 rich one, Vie cannot revive because there isn't.

much to revive. We're all too good.

Of course, the Yankee method i<s apparent. He makes all sorts if appeals ;to those who want to .bs bitten. He invites those, who want "(Gawd" to stand up or hold up the right arm. Many young women wanted "Gawd," apd, judging by their number, they must be m a very bad way. "Chappy's" text on Thursday night • was, "The effectual fervent prayer of the righleous avail-

eth much/ Now, his idea of effectual, fervent prayer is a long, drawn-out, agonised, insistent sort of thing, but he omitted the main thing. He didn't give us s HIS IDEA. OF THE IUGHTEOUS MAN. Prayer, prayer, prayer was the burden of his Yankee-dbodlo discourse. He' told all about *Martin Luther and John Kn'ox and Jonathan Edwards, and their agonised prayers, but he didn't mention', probably because ho didn't know, that when the old Puritans of the Commonwealth era prayed, m aa agonised fashions, they were then most dangerous and up to the most devilish tricks. And talking of tricks, ft strikes "Truth" that the Yankee revival mission business is all trickery. The methods of Chnpman are the methods of all. They strive to stir up the religious emotions of their hearers, and to stir up the religious emotions of yoMng women is the easiest thing imaginable. Just as the conjurer on the stage employs deception, jso do the Yankee revivalists. 'They are, m fact, religious conjurers. They use American slangisms which must hurt the sensitive feelings of a divine like Dr. Jim Gibb. _For instanco, there was an outburst of applause once when some Salvarmy kids sang a hymn of Alexandor'a manufacture set to a popular air, and Charlie just chortled, ' YOU MtfST "QUIT" THAT. Vancy Ur. Jim urging his Scotchbytcrlans to quit anything. Chapman, on his part, works his Yankee drawl for all it is worth. Ho jumbles his sentences, mispronounces his words, ami, generally, glories m hia Yankee methods. His methods reflect on tho "good" dono by the local parsons. I Ho urges putting ginger into the religious game, and ginger of a sort ho puts m. "Truth"- doesn't know how long tho snow is gwing to remain In Wellington. It has started off unsuccessfully, and financially it has proved a frost. When finances are mentioned tho soft spot is touched. It must alarm the local pulpiteers when they reflect on tho number of "th rummers" which the Yanks ore going to take away.'with them. AH that ir\ left m return are large numbers of Alexander's hymn-books.