The morning news., 1899-09-05
ANTHONY LOOKS TO COUNCIL.
HE WANTS CITY FATHERS TO SUP
PRESS GAMBLING.


ing of the Public COnscience--Oth-I
er Evils Even Worse Than Gamb-
ling Pointed Out-MOney Lenders
and InstnIIment Dealers AIIuded
to.
Rev. Bascom Anthony, pastor of Trinity
Methodist Church, was asked last night
il there were any further results of his
investigation into the prevalent gambling
evil in Savannah, than those that fur
nished the matter of his sermon Sunday
night.
Il know of nothing l might say that
would throw any new light on the sub
ject," said MIR. Anthony. Indeed, my own
Investigations were rather supplementary
to those made by others than for the pur-
pose of discovering original ruth and only
revealed and confirmed what had already
been forcibly and frankly said in the pub
lie prints. l learned no new facts and
hence can say nothing that would add to
the stock Of knowledge already in the
possession Of the people of Savannah, and
which thev are al liberty to make use of
or to ignore, as best suits their conscieuces
and their conceptions of duty"
Il know this" said Mr. Anthony, land
it is something that might we'll give us
pause. 1t is that since the agitation of
the subject in the court rooms, in the
newspapers, on the streets and in the pull
pit. there has been no cessation of the
evil and no lessening of the extent by
which is is practiced among the gambling
fraternity. 1t would seem that this glar-
ing disregard of the public sense of right
and justice and this fragrant defiance of
the law and the officers who are sworn
to enforce it makes sad commentary
upon the public morality of Savannah and
gives us little reason TO boast of the fan
cied cleanliness and progressiveness of
our city, If our other civic benefits are
to be attained at the cost of all that Is
clean and pure, and if our laws are made
only to be ignored or defed, it is high and
good time to call halt
THE thing must be stopped. For the
sake of our young men and for the added
sake of the fair name of our city, we can
not suffer ii to continue. 1t is a kissing
and an abomination that demands atten-
ton"
1T seems to me-" continued Mr.. An
thony, that the blame for this state of
affairs rests with the City Council. 1t is
vested by law with all the powers that
are needed to enforce this particular
branch of the law, and there is no rea-
son on earth why it should not be en-
forced, if an honest and determined at
tempt is made. 1t is no answer to this to
say, as is so often said, that the officers
of the city government are not acquant-
ed with the names of those who violate
the law and with the localities in which
Il is violated. Ii may be that they labor
under this overplus of ignorance, but they
have police force that can ferret out the
offenders and bring them to justice"
1t is not the duty of private citizens
to enforce the law, though all good citi-
Il -.
their assistance Is really needed and hon
estly desired. The old bluff that con-
sists of threatening those who avow their
acquaintance with the fact that the law
is constantly violated with a summons
to appear before the grand jury has been
worked much too often. 1t is the resort
OF the politician in office, who Is afraid
TO do his duty, who is afraid to run coun-
ter to the element by which the violations
of law are committed.
'The evil can be suppressed, and it only
requires a man with moral fiber and some
backing in order to do it. When it Is done
those who have countenanced its continu-
ance and have done nothing to prevent it,
viii have to answer for what they have
done ard for what they ought to have
done and have omitted to do at the bar
of an outraged public sentiment, at last
| aroused TO a decent regard for the inter-
ests of the city. There will be found a
al4eiil WIN NllG COuldSG necessary 10 6Hl-
bark on this enterprise, and when he
| starts he viii succeed in what he un-
dertakes. Not for much longer can the
present state of affairs be suffered to con
tinue."
There are other evils in our city little.
if any, worse than gambling. The money
lenders, the insiallment furniture dealers
and some others, or some of those en-
| gagged in these businesses, commit daily
worse oHenses against the laws of decency
| and morality chan all the gamblers in Sa-
| vannah. / told in my Sunday sermon of
| one man who had sod a poor woman some
furniture for four or five times it's value
and compelled payment of the installments
| by the most grinding eXacdous. l should
consider any gambler who lived up to the
ethics of his business, and l understand
! that these contain some admirable provis-
! IONS. a high-toned Christian gentleman
| compared with this oppressor of the poor
and needy, who absolutely trades and
| wakes fat of their necessities"
However, Il is not wise to undertake
too much at one time, for fear that we
accomplish nothing. 1t is far better 10
concentrate our efforts upan few of the
evils and endeaVor 10 break up and wipe
out these Therefore, we turn our atten-
ton 10 gambling, and I see in the future
good promise of a more healthy condition
| of public morality in Savannah. I be-
| heve that the time will come when the in
! VitatiOn 10 The youth OF the city to enter
and be ruined win not be as brazen and as
open as il is to-day. While have no hope
for those who have become hardened In
the sin, l think some hing can be and
VIII be done for those who are not entirely
won to iniquity-that these, at least, can
be saved. And at any rate, we are going
TO continue to work along this line"
Mr.. Anthonys forcible method of deal
ing with the subject has diverted atten-
ton from the officers of the courts VINO
| have been bearing the brunt of the criu-
cism, to the City Council who, he says,
| can effaee the evil If they would He re-
cites the large powers given by law to
officers of the police, and calls attention
| 10 the patent fact that the city authorities
ara the custodans of the safety and moral
| ity OF the city, and are entrusted with the
! duty of suppressing those forms of vice
that most tend to the corruption of the
morals and health of the people There
| fore, he calls upon the Council to put down
and keep down this evil Of gambling.
II