The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-12
THEY HURT THE BUSINESS.
PREACHERS AGITATION INTER-
FERES WITH THE GAMES.

fENE<S VIII III THE ia MES
Sermons of the Pastors Widely Read.
The Professionals Eye Them
Askance and Try to Figure Out
whether 1t Means Their Days OF
Profitable Operation in savannah
Are Numbered-It Is said "GRme"
Can't BE Got So Well with the Ag-
itatiOn in the Air-Mayor Myers In
dOrses the Line the Preachers Are
observation-disclosures the Way to
Eradicate the Evils Is TO Create
Sentiment Against Them.
The vigorous sermons from Rev. Ed f.
Cook. pastor of Wesley Monumental, Rev.
f. f. Morgan, pastor of the Seventh
Street Church, and Rev. Arthur j. Smith,
pastor of the First Presbyterian Church,
were read in the Morning News yesterday
with great interest, and with varying tx
preston, some indorsing freely and I'M
qualihedly and others commenting unfay-
orably upon them.
Those VINO heard the sermons delivered
read them. Church-goers, who attended
worship at other places. read what the
ministers who dealt with violations OF law
in Savannah had to say and the IN
churched read with just as great interest,
for to not a few of them the issue raised
was personal. Gambling rooms and bar
rooms gain their patrons from large pIo-
portion Of the population, though the for
mer have not so many as the latter me
disparity may be accounted for by the diff
ference in number there being far more
barrooms, according TO the statistics FUR
nished by the preachers, than gambling
places.
None read the vigorous sermons minis
tiers have been delivering of late with
more interest than those against Whoh
| they are directed. The professional gam
bier eyes them carefully sums up the
| situation doubtfully, consults with his con-
| freres and goes to work to make up a
| good game for the night, counting on that
| persistent contribution to the kitty to
| provide against rainy day and the wrath
| that may be engendered by what the
| preachers say. Those of the fraternity
| know not what day may bring forth,
! with agitation of such a vivid character
| abroad in the city, and they hasten to lay
up treasures where moths and rust do cor
rupt and thieves break in and steal.
| Some of the professionals regard the
crusade as a sort of persecution. They
see no reason why they should be modest
| ed, claiming the law is bowed TO and their
! fines frequently paid for their violations,
| Ii is freely admitted that game is being
| driven off, the agitation being apparent
| ly too great for those who played in the
past to stand for" the unfavorable light
| in which it is observed they are regarded
by many of the good people of the city.
Some have been heard 10 declare that
they did not fully appreciate in just what
estimation gambling was held until the
| sermons commenced. Understanding the
| strong aversion with which it is viewed
! by che preachers and many of the best
| people, they have determined to give Il
| up. Speaking sarcasticaly along this line
a member of the profession remarked that
! he was just beginning to see how bad he
had been. He went on to say that pat
| ronage of the games seems to be falling
off considerable and 1t was to the cru
SADIE that he attributed it.
Mayor Myers thinks the preachers are
along the right line. 1t is his opinion tha
the evils of city may best be struck al
by the ministers shaping public opinion
against them. The Mayor says there are
laws enough to eradicate gambling anC
other transgresslons If there is but a sen.
timent behind to make il plain that thu
people want things conducted on princi
| Piles of right
The preachers, the Mayor believes
should create such a sentiment agans
gambling and other evils they desire t
suppress that their congregations woult
gladly enter the lists with them, deter
mined to put a stop to the practices H,
says 1t would become so that, with tn,
preachers shaping public opinion, employ
ers would give their employees TO under
stand fhst It would be at the risk Of los
ing their PAGES that they entered a gam
bling place. This antagonSm woult
spread, and it would soon become so tina
those inclined to WOO the tickle goddess
by rustling the pasteboards in the allur
ing game of draw or the seductive one o
stud. watching the marble as II spin
swiftly around when urged by the def
fingers OF the roulette operator" wait
ing for the call of the keno man or ener
geticaLy and vociferously pitching th
bones could not stand the pressure.
The Mayor believes that the preachers
In summing up the number of haunts o
vice and places of free and easy conduc
that are 10 be found in Savannah, shout,
remember, however, that this is a seapor
city, and therefore not to be compared II
point of morality with inland cities tina
have not the same conditions with whit,
10 contend. The Mayor says this noatinj
population of every seaport serves To fur
nish patronage for these places that the,
might not gain were they TO rely upon ma
tives inclined to go the pace. For that rea
son there is an increased number of bar
rooms and gambling places in Savannah