The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-26
WHY MEN ARE NOT PI0US.
ONLY ONE-TENTH PROFESS CHRIS
TIANITY SAYS REV. ANTHONY.

lief of Those In Savannah-it Is TO
the Nine-tenths That the Bar
rooms, Gambling Dens and Haunts
of Evil owe the Patronage That
supports Them-MascuIine, Instead
of Feminine, Influences should he
Thrown About Boys in Day schools
and Sunday SchOOIs-Men of In
huence Appealed 10 TO Exercise 1t.
why There Are Not More Pious Men"
was the subject of Rev. Bascom An
thongs sermon at Trinity Church yester-
day morning. The text was from First
Corinthians, 1913: "Quit you like men;
be strong" The sermon despite the
rather cold and clustering weather, which
prevented many from attending, was heard
by fairly large congregation.
Rev. Mr.. Anthony has observed that
there are comparatively few young men
in Savannah who have come out openly
and unreservedly for the church. AL
though admitting he had no definite
knowledge Of the proportion of young men
in the city who are members of the
church, he said he believes there are not
10 per cent of them avowed Christians.
Reduced to another way of stating IT,
Mr.. Anthony said he does not believe
there are 10 per cent. of the young men
of Savannah who openly stand for hon
esty, sobriety and steadiness which Chris
tianity inculcates This he said, is APP
palling. Gen. Roberts, In South Africa,
would be startled to learn that there
were not 10 per cent. of his men who be-
lieved in the honesty and justice of Eng
lands cause, and merchants in Savan-
nah should look to it when but one IN
ten believe in those principles that are the
fundaments of the Christian religion.
To this great preponderance of unpro>
fessed Christians among the young men
OF the city, Mr.. Anthony attributes much
of the evil that exists. By the count OF
last year. to the best of his recollection.
Mr.. Anthony said, there were 2H bar
rooms in Savannah, while the wholesale
houses where liquor is sold and the brew.
cries ran the number of dealers in intoxi-
cants up to SO4. Besides, there is a mu,
titude of gambling dens. to say nothing
of those haunts of vice to which men
are lured to their ruin, and the existence
OF all these, the preacher maintained IL
due primarily to the ungodiy young men
of the city
The places are not patronized by women
10 any appreciate extent. he insisted, nor.
as a rule, are they frequented by old
men, They are the product of young
men who care not for the gospel II is
they who maintain them by their pa from
age and by the force of their example.
induce still younger men and boys to
lend themselves to the denominations.
It's a deplorable state this of Needless
Young
their early youth and davoting themselves
to the fostering of such evils, Mr.. An
! thony said, but il cannot continue for
ever. The whole social scheme is rotten
and cannot stand. The excuses that are
pracused are sure to tell upon the COM
mercial and social life of the CITY.
The preacher had his reason for the con-
d.tcns he charges. He attributes them to
! the men Of the community having turned
/ the church over to the women to TOO
great degree for their guidance and
goNerna nee. No atterpt was made to dis
eredlt women, for Mr.. Anthony has the
highest respect and admiration for them
1 but he believes the church is of too vast
Importance to be relocated to the care of
one sex. The men should share the re-
sponsb.lity with the women to a far
greater extent than they do, devoting
their time, their thought, their labor and
thelr mems to the church for its regener-
ation and the placement of the evils that
are widespread
Commerce would not be turned over to
the women. That the men think TOO high
ly Of, and to it they devote their own at
tention, leaving the more important
| church to those whose abilities they deem
OF too low an order to cope with such ar
! fairs The women are the pride and the
stay of the church now, but the men
should lend the power of their example
and the force of their presence, their wis
| dom and their counsel for the oblteration
| of menaces TO the social system. broad
enfng the influence of the church and
| bringing more young men to a realization
| OF right and the detestat ton of wrong.
Ihe lack of stability in many young
| men was attributed by Mr. Anthony to the
public school system, being suuh as to de-
| mand the employment of women instead
of men as teachers. The legislature he
said, is too niggard in its treatment OF
the schools to pay the better salaries men
would demand, SO that the education of
! boys falls to women. when the stronger
masculine mind should exercise its infiu-
ence. In chilG's early years there is no
| influence like that of woman, but in the
| formative period of youth there should
| pc man to mold the character. After
| a certain age the manly impress is needed.
That which is true of the schools of the
| week days is true also of the Sunday
| schools. for men Of influence, force ana
! A"NhNi oit wv DNaA. 100 lDcOnSlQelhte
or too unapprecative of the need to enter
| the schools as teachers, and the result Is
| that women cannot ho.d boys after they
| get beyond a certain age. Nor can the
| men sit Idle and say they turn such things
over to the clergy and to the women. The
clergy the pastor said, are not suited to
the demand or equal 10 the responsibility.
| for it is like people, like clergy, not like
| clergy like people. Preachers unfortu-
nately, are nodded to a certain extent by
| the opinions of those about them. The
public conscience is reflected in the clergy.
| You can't expect too much of the clergy
| for they come from among the layrnen
| one must be a layman before he becomes
preacher, and formed from such mate
rial. there is no wonder that the clergy
| are not perfect Preachers, Mr. Anthony
continued, are not infrequently moral
towards in the way III y grow fearful and
| have TO bend before the influence about
them. Often their sermons are likely to
be shaped by habits around them rather
hqn hKr ha gsfa1f-r Il