Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-20
SAM JONEs' SUCCESS.
Number and Character or tho Southern
ReviVAlist's Converts.
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CorTesOondeaoe oftAe Ndshu,Hs 4 0srjcan.
MURFREEsBoROuGH, Tenn, July i6.--
Prominent among those who made an open
profession Of religion during the week uu-
der the ministrations of the great evange-
list are Capt James Clayton, William
Mitchell, Col N. G, Collier, n. G. Nancy,
Dan Brown, the Hon. g. B, Wade, Maj
d. II. G. Taley, Capt. Ben Beatty, Sheriff
Maj. Brum Ridley, attorney; James Lane,
G. G. Roberts, A. G. Tompkins, W. T.
Gum, e. f. Burton, attorney; A. G. Hin,
.. p. Hill, Horace keeble, Wat Keeble
John V. White, William Kimbro, W. b.
Patty, j. Nj. Overall, Mayor; William
johnson, L. Overall, John De Jarnette,
Frank AVcnt and John Fleming. He
leaves here Monday for Missouri with
Mrs. Jones, where he is engaged to evan
gelize several weeks.
| freely confess myself much less at a
loss to make up my mind as to whether
Brother Jones Is great preacher than |
have been to finally determine whether
Grant is great General. II he were not
thoroughly earnest and honest in his pro-
feBeiOns he could not deceive not only the
people whore he has preached abroad, but
those at home who have known him Gas
saint and sinner) from infancy, as u min
-
VeTsed with gentleman who was long
resident Of the county in which Carters-
vile Jones home Is situated. He thinks
very much Of thta modern JOnab} says
every word Is true OF the story he himself
tells Of his former reYelry and rspsoallion-
ism. That be drank, drank, drank and
went down, down, down, until ne got TO
driving dray for living. This may be
true or not; II not, nope Brother jones,
fr 1,f % 4
candidly admit that not the newspaper,
but the people, are the champion liars o
the age. Newspapers are always honest,
truth-telling interpreters. lnceed, they
could not be otherwise. They reflect. just
as a mirror does, that portion Of the world
held before it, and II liars are abroad, or
lies, like lousy bats, enciTcle the air, they
must be represented in the faithful news
gatherer. Papers are invariably truthful;
il is you, sir, and you, and you, who are
the liars.
No ordinary Georgia scrub could come
TO Tennessee and take possession as
Brother Jones has done. lie is either
the greatest revivallst of the
United States to-day or Tennes-
seeans are the most consummate asses
living. so, indeed, are the Texans, M is-
sissippans and others, for be has aroused
the came excitement everywhere. Col.
him the great pulpit cOmmoner, as Pitt,
Clay and Johnson were the great COM
mOners Of the political world. Pick out
from the list of the converts the names Of
the few "hardeDed sinners" at the head
Of this letter. They are men of brains,
courage and convictions; men whom no
ordinary breeze could move from any po-
sition, Read his sermons. Are they not,
for the most part, full Of plain, practical
sense and theological OrthodOXyg If the
Christians Bible is the foundation Of
hope, who could better testify 10 the COM
mon people or the uncommon people,
either his faith In the divinity Of the
written word than when he says:
II believe the whale swallowed Jonah;
believe It literally. | only do not believe
that Jonah swallowed the whale simply
because the Bible doesn't say he did"
To the sinner who hesitates, who waits
for his feelings" to move him, who
wants 70 ''feel' that he is good enough 10
20 before he makes any change IN his
conduct, was there ever q more hOmely
or more convincing illustration presented
than the anecdOte Of the man who sat
down, ak in hand, at the root Of u tree one
cold, frosty morning, waiting for the
sweat 10 break out before he went to wOrkY
Brother Jones admits his natural weak
nesses. He has the appearance Of a man
of a hasty and once violent temper. IL
must have been difficult at first to keep
lock upon his lips; he Is no doubt man,
brave, impulsive, cOurageOus-the very
sort open to temptation. Was there ever
IA better illustration OF one liable to fall,
Yet determined TO stand, than that made
yesterday of himself;
Il don't care how often one err, il he'll
honestly strive 10 restrain himself and re-
cover his proper balance when he does
err. All along the way We meet with con-
ficts aud temptations. When ! stumble
and tall, thank God | always fall like an
India-rubber ball---I fall bouncingl God
wIli put his angels on balf ratiOns to keep
an honest man and his family from starV-
ing"
Withal, he reaches men Of less impOs-
sible sympathies by mixing horse sense
logic with horse sense anecdotes and H.
lustratiOus. for no one can more clearly
establish 10 the multitude his proposition
that ''religiOn is Il matter Of principle and
conviction"
Bnt the best answer 10 all his critics 10
10 point 10 results. What II Brother
jones' words are plain and bluutY What
though he prefers tO call the devil the devil
rather than 'hls satanic excellencY from
the burned di5trictP Or likes unshirted
help better than "sbeOP IN purple and
due lineny lie moves his hearers. lie
holds In his hand the assembled thou
sands; and whether he preach forty min-
utes or two hours they hang on, ObeGient
% his Will let results decide toe issue.
Men OF all grades and classes enjoy
his sermons alike. They rise az IA the
morning to prepare for his q O'Clock
seryice-men, women, aud children,
who, perhaps, have never seen the sun
rise iii now And wheu the eXhOrtatiOu
IL delivered aud "Psalms Of Victory"
sung, they move forward from all parts Of
the tent. and "thOse who came 10 scot re-
main 20 pray" The barkeeper aud his
patron, The gambler and his victim, the
doctor aud his patient, men and women,
lawyer ana client, good and bad, hardened
age aud tender childhood, til, within the
past three days, at this meeting alone,
500 or 400 have either prOiesscd religion or
declared themselves pcnitent.
10 Is the proud boast Of Brother Jones'
friends aud admirers that in sluge re-
yiyal at Knoxville he closed u barIooms,
aud thus redeemed 2TO drunkafds. How
poor and Insignificant seem AL the results
of the Maine liquor aud bleeding Kansas
prohibition laws, In comparison with q
work like thatl
Davitt Condemns the Land Bill.
DUBLIN, July iO.-Miohael Davitt
anenkfnu M ffamOro today oOndomuQd