The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-04
Sensational Preaching.

Sensational sermons, particularly those 10
which public officials are attacked person
ally, are certain 20 attract attention. In
almost every city there is certain amount
o. dissatisfsction with the way public affairs
are managed, and a great many Of the
citizens believe that their municipal officials
are corrupt. Therefore sermons in which it
is assumed that only bad men are to be
found in municipal offices command atten-
ton and excite comment.
The Rev. DR.. Parkhurst. a distinguished
Presbyterian minister Of New York,
preached q sermon OF this kind recently,
which became the talk of that city. Ac-
cording to the views he expressed It would
be difficult to find city government more
corrupt than that OF New York. He did
not spare any OF the city officials, and was
particularly severe in speaking Of the prose
cutting attorney, Mr.. NicolL He said that
that official had assisted the proprietor Of
notoriously disreputable resort in keeping
his place open contrary to law.
Mr.. Nlcoll was greatly offended and he
insisted that DR.. Parkhurst should go before
the grand jury and give that body the in
0ROA NC OhSCu MS Cu4l kbo.
The doctor appeared before the grand jury.
but was unable to furnish any proof Of
what he had said. The grand jury, there
fore, presented him as a slsnderer of the
prosecuting attorney.
The mistake DR.. Parkhurst made was in
stating from the pulpit as true things he did
not know to be true and which were calcu>
lated to injure the regulations of those
against whom they were directed. While
it is the privilege of ministers to call atten-
ton to evils In a community it is not their
privilege to make charges they cannot sus-
tain. 1t is better that they should not ac-
cuse an official at all than to accuse him
falsely. Most men in public positions are
very anxious to maintain a reputation for
honesty. and it is unjust to attempt to
make them appear before the public as
thieves and scoundrels, unless they are so.
Undoubtedly there are many corrupt men
in the municipal government of New York.
II their practices could be discovered it
would be found probably that they have
very little regard for the public good, and
that they are fully as bad as DIR. Parkhurst
says there are. but DIR. Parkhurst should
not state his beliefs as facts 1t is probable,
however, that he was more anxious to pro-
duce a sensation than he was to get at the
exact truth when he attacked the city
officials Of New York. He could easily have
found out whether or not he would be
justified in making the wholesale charges
which caused such a surprise. But the ex-
act truth might have spoiled bis sermon,
and it is fair to assume, therefore, that his
purpose was to say something that would
startle the city. He succeeded admirably,
but he may discover before the indictment
which has been found against him has been
disposed of that he got himself into very
unpleasant position without accomplishing
any good.
If he had secured proof of the charges he
intended to make the moral effect of his
sermon would have been tremendous. As
it is, those who do not sympathize with
him regard him as one who would ruin a
mans reputation il he could make q sensa-
ton by doing So