The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-17
FOUR SERMONS ON GAMBLING.
WILL BE DELIVERED FROM SAVAN-
NAH PULPITS TO-DAY.

Denunciations of the Evil Are BE.
coming More Frequent-Last sun.
day There Were Three Sermons
Rev. BascOm Anthony, Rev. Arthur
j. smith. Rev. OsgOOd +. Cook and
Rev. J. A. Smith VIII Take Up the
Questionable Preachers Are De-
termined to Push the Fight TO a
COncIusion-FaiIinE to Eradicate
the Evil by Accusing the Public
Recourse VIII Probably BE Had to
the Law.
The ministers of the city show no evil
dence of retrealng from the position
they have assumed on the gambling ques-
ton in Savannah. On the contrary, they
are using every endeavor to fortify them
selves and are bringing up achievements
20 carry on the fight. 1t is to be a battle
that will have but one result, they claim.
and that will be the Punishment of the
evil from the city. Nothing they can
say or do will be left untried to accom-
plish that end, and in their fight they have
the sympathies of the great majority Of
the best people of the city.
Last Sunday there were three sermons
delivered against gambling and other ills
from which the city suffers To-day there
are to be four. Rev. J. A. Smith, city
missionary OF the Methodist Church, will
preach tonight at the Seventh Street
Church following the sermon of last Sun
day night from Rev. f. F. Morgan with
another on the same line. Mr.. Smiths
text will be from the seventh chapter, six
tenth verse, Of Acts: Now, while Paul
waited for them at Athens, his spirit was
STIRRED within him. when he saw the city
wholly given TO idolatry."
Rev. Arthur J. Smith has been one of
the leading spirits in the campaign against
gambling. He has devoted much time to
the accumulation of evidence This he
may disclose from the pulpit before the
agitation of the question has achieved
what seems likely to be its inevitable re-
suit, and gambling al least openly, in the
city shall be no more. He will conduct
services at his church, the First Presby-
terrain, this morning and tonight At the
evening service his sermon will be against
the city's evils
Rev Bascom Anthony is the pioneer in
the movement for better morals in Savan-
nah, particularly the suppression Of
gambling. He il was who delivered the
first sermon Of the present crusade. Thus
far he has preached twice, and 10 might at
Trinity he will deliver his third exposition
of the evil. 1t is expected the pastor will
not refrain from references 20 the citys
administration that win show clearly
that it is his belief the officials are
TO blame for the prevalence of the vice.
Rev. Osgood f. Cook of Grace Church is
a recruit on the preachers side. From
the inception of the fight he has been ar
rayed with the opposition to the practices
carried on in the city, but his espousal of
the cause viii be made known openly to
his congregation this morning and to-
night. He breaches at both services on
1.-The Sin of the City and the Duty of t1e
Church" Mr.. Cook is a young man of
force and determination, and his accession
will be a valuable aid 10 the preachers.
The ministers seem TO have adopted the
course of molding public opinion to a form
that cannot tolerate the continuance of
gambling in the city. If they are success
full in that the end will be achieved. Ii 4
is found that they cannot so arouse tie
public, one of them intimates VervstrOng-
ly that il will become their plan 10 press
the matter through the courts The min
isterial association has taken the matter
up and ii is quite likely that an organize d
movement viii operate through iesai chan
nels in the event of the saddre of the pres
ent crusade, to eradicate the evil.