The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-10
TO PREACH ON CITIZENSHIP.
REV. A. NJ. WILLIAMS TO LET IN
SOME LIGHT ON LOCAL POLITICS.

He VIII Reply Tonight to Mayor
Myers Challenge of His Good Citi-
zenship and VIII AIlude to His Eff
fort to Obtain Access to the Police
Court RecOrds-City Attorney Adj
ans Opinion in Regard to AppIica-
tions TO inspect the RecOrds-Chicf
McDermott Furnishes some Police
Statistics.
The subject of Rev. A. NJ. Williams
sermon at Wesley Monumental church to-
night will be What Constitutes a Good
Citizen"
The sermon viii be of general interest,
because of the fact that 1t grows out Of
last Sunday nights sermon by Mr.. VII
lams on the subject of the anti-barroom
bill, and the attitude of the city admins-
tration toward the liquor interest and
Mayor Myers comment thereon. Mayor
Myers, in commenting on the sermon,
challenged Mr.. Williams good citizenship
and inquired why it was that if he knew
the things which he stated TO be true, no
did not present the facts to the grand
jury. Mr.. Williams sermon tonight grows
directly out of Mayor Myers remarks on
the subject of his citizenship, and it Is
class of citizenship which he considers is
represented by Mayor Myers and that
represented by himself.
Mir. Williams said last night that he will
DISCUSS what constitutes a good citizen in
politics as well as in other duties of life.
He has been a close observer of political
affairs since he has been in Savannah,
and he proposes to tell what he has seen
nd inf
authority. The prospect is that he will
throw a light upon Savannah politics
which will be both startling and unpleas-
ant to the politicians.
Mr. Williams will quote from a recent
sermon by Rev. DR.. Joseph Silverman of
the Temple Emanuel New York, in which
he asserts it to be the duty of the pulpit
10 discuss political themes, in support of
the position taken by him.
i do not desire to give the outline of
my sermon now" said Mr.. Williams. Il
nave no intention of making it personal,
tnough l shall mention Mayor Myers and
PROBABLY others"
In response to a question, he said that
ne would allude to his effort to obtain &C
cess to the records of the police court
ana the refusal by Mayor Myers, but that
ms VIII be only an incident Of the SER
mon.
As the matter has excited some inter-
,7l and comment, the Morning News pub
lsheS the letter of the city attorney con-
tanning his views upon the law bearing
upon applications to inspect the books and
records in the Office of the clerk Of cOun-
GU 1t viii be noticed that Mr.. Adams
uoes not undertake to express any Opin-
ION upon the question as to whether Mr..
williams application ought or ought not
10 be granted. He has only submitted his
Views upon the section of the code bear
1sg upon this general question in the light
OF the decision Of the supreme court of
me state referred to. The letter,
aqqressed to the mayor, is gen.
eral and imDersonal and says and init
mates nothing as to the propriety or ex-
pedlency of granting the particular re-
quest before the council, this being re-
aarded by the city as a question for de-
lermination by the city authorities and
not by him. His letter is as follows:
beg to put IN writing the substance
ot what l said the caucus, in response
70 request thsa 1 submit an opinion as
70 the law bearing upon the right of a
cltlzen to inspect the information docket
ana the proceedings of the police court.
Section IT of the Code of Georgia. pro-
Ndes that -all books kept by any public
9ihcer under the laws of this state shall
We subject to the inspection of all the
'iuzens OF this state within Office hours