The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-19
ATLANTA A MODERN SODOM.
Hawthorne breaches a Sermon on the
City'S IniQuitieS.

An Army of Men Worse Than Redwine
and Hill Walking the Streets Un-
whipped of Observation-Disclosures of
Woman's Honor and HiRhwaymen
of the Business World Pets of the
Parlor.
Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 1S.-Dr. J. b. Haw-
thorne, pastor of the First Baptist church,
created great sensation to-day by his
sermon, which he announced under the
head of Throwing stones from glass
houses; the inconsistent attitude of so.
ciety towards such men as Lewis Redwine
and Harry Hill"
The church was packed to its utmost,
and the sermon has been widely discussed
during the day. Launching into society,
the doctor said: 81 am not mad, but speak
the words of soberness and truth, when l
say that many Of our homes are schools
of vice and crime The influences which
fill them and surround them train the
children to false conceptions of life and
fill their imaginations with pictures that
beget a longing for unlawful and ruinous
qualifications.
CANT AFFORD TO sPURN HIM.
Considering these facts, when we look
upon young man convicted of embezzle-
ment or forgery, and about to be sent to
a felon's prison, we cannot afford to spurn
him and anathematize him, because his
crime is simply the product of the corrupt
ing influences which pervades the whole
commercial world and for which every one
of US is in some degree responsible. Tried
by Gods standard of honesty, which re-
CARDS what is in mans heart as well as
what is in his life, that young man is
not more than thousands who
stand high commercially and socially.
Let him among you, who never
planned anything crooked in his own
business, or winked at croobedness
in others, and who is in no way RESPONSE
BILE for the spirit of dishonesty in the
world of trade-let him step forward aud
hurl the first anathema at the young man
who stands before the tribunal of human
justice convicted OF the crime.
UNFINISHED THIEVES.
81 stand aghast today, not as l look
upon a criminal like that, but as look
upon the great army of colossal thieves,
who walk abroad unwhipped of justice,
and whose example and influence
have led millions of people to think
that dishonesty is disreputable and de-
state. 1t is the conduct of these imperial
rogues that is spreading and strengthen
ing the doctrine Of the anarchists that
all property is theft; and that is hasten
ing revolution which will make the
bloodiest picture In the book of time'
THE RUIN OF WOMEN.
"Look, too" exclaimed the doctor, "at
the victims of the polished devitries of
men who still move in what are called
the highest circles of society
The world is dotted all over with
the graves OF deceived women
women who were robbed of their
virtue and deserted, and who, in the mad
ness of their despair, sought refuge in the
arms Of death The destroyers of these
women are murderers, and yet they are
neither punished by the state nor ostra-
cised by those who claim TO be the very
cream of our social life.
"If Christ were upon the earth to-day
he would stand up in these society cir
cles, where Partisan ideas, sentiments
and fashions prevail, and pointing to
some house of shame, he would say, Let
him who is without shame cast the first
stone at it,
THE FIGHT ON THE HOME.
"It humiliates me to know that there
are men and women of our community
who are too clean and prudish to counte-
nance the erection Of a home for the re-
formation of harlots. but whose sensibili-
ties ara not at all disturbed by the senti-
ments and customs which promote the
growth of harlOtry
IF all the thieves were put into the
chaingang tomorrow it would make gaps
in the business world too fearful to con-
template. 1t Would wipe out Wall street.
1t would annihilate the grain rings, the
whisky rings and the meat rings. 1t
would destroy the manufactures and
shut up two-thirds of the brokerage Of
fees it would suspend half
Of the water works, cancel majority
of the street paving contracts and utterly
exterminate the plumbing business. 1t
would thin the ranks of legal and medical
fraternities. take thousands of insurance
agents from the field, shut the doors OF
real estate Offices, and so reduce the repre-
sentation in congress that no quorum
could be obtained until after the next
election