The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-25
THE SIN OF THE CITY.
Rev. o. +. Cook Points Out the Duty
of the Church as Il Remedy.

the second was continuation or the nrSI
The sermons embraced graphic
portrayal of existing conditions in the city
and an earnest exhortation TO the men
and women of Grace congregation 20 arise
confront these evil conditions and forever
ousting them.
Rev, Mr. Cooks text was taken from
Nehemiah. IA and 2;17. In his discussion
OF the subject he said:
Ninety years after the first return of
the Jews from captivity and seventy years
after the dedication of the second temple
at Jerusalem, certain men came from Ju-
dab to Shushan, the chief capital of the
Persian empire, and reported to Nehemiah,
who was cupbearer to the King, that their
brethren, who were left of the captivity,
were in greet affection and reproach; that
the wall of the city was broken down and
that the gates had been burned with fire
The text tells us what Nehemiah did after
hearing the sad news and gives us appro-
PIRATE lessons and suggestions under the
conditions by which we are at present sur
rounded.
Certain of our brethren from the grand
jury, the press and the pulpit have
brought to our attention the distressing
fact thai our beautiful and beloved ely
is in great afflicHon and renroach, the re-
| suit of the undisturbed presence of the
gambling evil; that the walls of morality
| have been so broken down by it that our
young men and boys are costly allured 10
destruction; thai the fires of lust and
greed for gain have burned away the gates
Of purity and honesty"
They have brought us sufficient evil
dence for any man with common sense 10
/ believe thai upon our public thoroughfares
gambling rooms are kept Open and the
law violated daily by the open conduct of
games of roulette, faro keno and others
that fortune wheels, policy and bucket
shops are operated without molestation
from the men elected and paid to enforce
law; that men of all classes can enter
these places without passwords or any
signs, as used in other cities, where some
effort is made by the authorities to keep
sacred their VOWS"
Some good people of Savannah don't
seem TO realize the enormity of the crime
the magnitude of the evil, and therefore
are not conscious of the aflliction and re-
proach into which it has brought us
Gambling seeks gain by loss and thus ar
rays the interest and welfare of one man
against that of another; gambling awakeus
evil passions-the greed for gain and the
lust of possession; gambling differs from
stealing but by a pretense Of mutual
agreement; gambling corruDts politics ana
defeats the ends of justice-clearly evident
in our city, 100 many believing thai duty
done Is synonymous with job lost. The ire
may be known by its fruits-its effect uro1
the lives of men and boys, and its COnse-
quences in many bones. 1t is responsible
for the fall and failure of many men in
positions of honor and trust and 12nds
more boys than the one the Morning News
told about, in debt and and disgrace"
A. IN evidence at shame
and misery il introduces in the homes of
many persons. l relate the fact that re-
Gently / called on a poor woman OF this
church. whose husband was a. gambler,
drunkard and deserter, and found her ana
her family in destitute circumstances, hav-
ing been persuaded by a negro representa-
tive of a lottery 10 spend their lasJ nickie
for a ticket. Since then we have had 10
supply them with provisions.
Gambling excels the saloon as a crime
breeder. 1t is the nursery Of covetOus
| ness, rSee, malice, deceit. falsehOod,
fraud, quarrels, murder forgery embez-
element and suicide. The gambler un-
true to himself. becomes false to others
and wholly unreliable. Worse than the
/ contagion and fury of a pestilence, ii is a
/ passion that sweeps morals and motives
of honesty into vortex of vice That's
how bad you are, MIR. Gambler!
"If the citizens of Savannah allow these
1 Of law and depend upon men in office who
/ seem to care SO little about the mora wei
| fare of the city the time WI soon come
/ when prosperity in business. religion in
! churches and morals among the people
/ Will be hard to find"
| so much for The sin Of the city Now
! what is the duty of the church?
First a sympathetic contemplation ami
! consideration Of these surrounding sor-
rows. Like Nehemiah, a true patriot. we
! ought to feel shocked and Ike Paul, a
! Christian citizen, when he went to Athens
4 and gaw he city wholly given o ! .oaty,
| we ought TO be stirred. We have heard
/ enough to make us sit for a season and
weep and mourn. There is probably more
| devil to the square yard IN Savannah than
! in any other a Of the SoIlh. il is enough
! to axe the sun out Of our he wen, the stars
out Of our sky the beauty out of our
| earth and the music out Of the sweetest
! toned instruments, at least for certain
days.
Second prayer, Nehemiah prayed be-
! fore the God of Heaven" We are opposed
by forces multiplied by the social life of
Savannah. from the parlors OF the rich
and influential where too OFT a game of
/ cards is Nat, stale and Improbable with
/ out a wager. and by the performance
/ Of duty by The sworn officers of he law.
] We might become discouraged ard fail 10
| overcome the difficulties Therefore, like
Nehemiah again. let us Introduce he su-
perna uial ard the omnipotent to The enc
my by Unfortunate prayerGcd, with ore IS
a majority"
"God answered the prayer of Nehemiah
! by making ArteTxerXes favorable to his
! request to return to Jerusalem. God can
use bad and unfaithful men for purposes
/ of good. He can make the very wrath OF
| man 10 praise him Bishop Gambler says
/ ''God can move even a politician. but that
| is the utmost reach of His power"
! believe that in answer to the united and
unceasing prayer Of His people, he can
| move even the politicians of Savannah;
! either to do their duty or get out Of their
| offices Paul has instructed US 10 pray
| for Kings and for all who are in author
| lty over us Let us pray for the officials
Of this city and county.
Third. Personal investigation. Nehe-
miah left the court. Travelled four months
| and satisfied himself about the truth Of
| the report by view, in the night, OF the
condition Of the city. The Mayor of this
| city has said thai he did not know about
| the existence Of these evils. He and any
| other officials who know So iittie about the