The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-04
WHO is RESPONSIBLE FOR 1T?
REV. A. VI. WILLIAMS SAYS THE
CITY IS FEARFULLY WICKED.

bOlt-State Laws DO Not Tie the
City's Hands-Can Raid Negroes,
So Why Not White Gamblers, He
Observation-Disclosures Is the Chief
Troub1e-Comparativ Vice Is No
Argument.
The sermon on Responsibility for the
Failure of Our Moral Quarantine"
preached Sunday night a week ago at
Wesley Monumental church, and COM
mented and written upon so freely after
wards, was followed last night by another
that Mr.. Williams preached as a sequel.
His sermon last night took up the ex-
cuses rendered in interviews, in which the
officers Of the city administration gave
the reasons for the existence of certain
evils in Savannah. The subject chosen for
the sermon was: ''Is the Administration
Excusable for the Failure of Our Moral
Quarantine?' The text was pointed, be-
ing taken from Luke IA, IS: And they
all with one consent began to make ex-
cuse." Rev Mr.. Williams arrangement
of those in authority was, if anything
more severe, than in his former sermon.
Last Sunday night" said Mr.. Williams,
Il discussed the responsibility for the fail
ure in the administration Of the laws reg
ulating the morals of the city, such as
Sunday ordinances, liquor regulations,
laws against gambling, and the demi-
monde. | think / placed the responsible
ity where it properly belongs; on the pub
lie sentiment. There have appeared a
number of interviews with city officials on
the subject. Not one of these undertakes
to deny the allegations of the sermon, and
one, at least had the manliness to posi-
lively affirm the truth of the charges
made. Most of the interviews made ex-
cuse for this failure. Several OF these ex-
cuses are of such a nature as to do the
cause of sound morals and the administra-
ton of law so much harm that, painful as
it is, and as kindly as feel personally to
the authors, l cannot suffer them to go
by without as vigorous protest as 1 am
capable of making, and 1 hope the peop.e
will never acquiesce in the views of adj
ministration presented.
1T is stated that some think sermons
on these subjects do no good. II
preacher never breaches a sermon unless
he is sure he will accomplish the end he
proposes, he will become a son of silence.
The pulpit is charged with creating a
healthy sentiment on all ethical mat
tiers. How can this be ac-
complished without frequent and outspok-
en- sermons on the evils and duties of the
day? The most interesting character in
Old Testament history is Elijah. Did his
fierce arrangements of Ahab and Jezebel
work a reform in either their lives or adj
ministration2
zone of the exousants says Thunderbolt
is largely to blame Is Thunderbolt the
blazing sun of iniquity and Savannah the
little moon palely rejecting the light of
that glorious luminary?
THE responsibility is placed on the po-
eli 4 tIat ho.1Iy
is the one upon which the greater burden
lies 1t is commissioned by the law to do
this thing. Determination on the part of
these officers to exhaust their resources
and to put forth Ingenuity until success
is attained would doubtless produce a won
derful Improvement VIII generally finds a
way. When way is not found we are
forced to think that there is not a very
great will. One of the misfortunes we la
Dor under is such a division of response
bility that it is extremely hard to drive
conviction to the proper point.
THE favorite excuse is that these are
violations of state laws. One of the diff
culties of our admirable government is
that it divides sovereignty, so that 1t is
almost impossible to place responsibility.
But am sure the authorities cannot
dodge this issue by laying the responsible
| tiles for failure to detect on the state
courts. The charter of Savannah gives
| the mayor and police officers of the city.
| Wherever right is given an obligation
! follows. The mayor is a state magistrate
! and the police are constables. If, then,
! these authorities were very anxious to ex-
ecute these wholesome laws they would
have amp.e authority for their actions.
Having the authority and resting under
! the peculiar responsibilities of state Off
| GERS is not the city police department the
| natural place to look to for execution of
! these matters? In cities the real constab-
ularies are the police. What terrible OPP
| position was raised in Charleston when a
! state police force was sent there to exc
cute law. These very people now screen
| ing themselves behind the duties of state
| sovereign would protest the loudest il the
| county should establish a police force or
! the governor should be appealed to on the
4 plea that the law was being defied and
| should send down a force to press this
reform.
But whenever it pleases the city au-
| thorities they overcome all these bubbles
and make arrests. Tonight one week
! ago the police actually raided a gambling
| den, and some of its victims jumped out
of the window and seriously injured them
selves. 1t was lot of negroes in an out
of-theway place. 1 praise the police for
this work; in the yes of humanity and the
| law a negro's welfare is worth as much as
a white mans, but what about the law
/ being state law and not within the juris-
diction of the police? Why should these
poor people be punished and their white
| fellow sinners boast of making $4,000 per
year, and defy the courts to disturb them?
| Why should the Old Fort be protected by
the city and Johnson square be consigned
to the imps of what is forcbly, if figura-
| lively, called the gamblers hell" The in
| tricaeies of courts, constables, city adminis-
/ tration and state superiority perpiexes us
! plain people. In contemplating the ex-
plantations of the lawyers we are forced to
/ think with the poet:
Bred in the courts betimes. though all
that law
AS yet hath taught him is to find a flaw"
! Mr.. Williams said that one official kind
| ly agrees to allow private parties to in
form if they please. Great diligence, he
| said, is shown in enforcing the petty BIZ
! cycle ordinances but the serious question
of morals is left TO the haphazzard of pri-
| vate complaint. My idea has always been
! that in civilized lands the government has
! assumed protection of its people and seeks
| to make the execution Of law impersonal.
/ The theory of personal private inform
]