The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-12
SAvANNAH'S IN A BAD WAY.
ACCORDING To nav. J. 4. SMITH
VICE II OPEN AND FLAGRANT.

Pastor of seventh street Methodist
Church Talks About savannah
From a Text Taken From the De-
scription of the Fall of BABY Ion.
story of BeIshREERr's Feast Not the
Only Record OF Drunken orgies.
Vice In savannah Does Not Pay 60
virtue the Compliment of secrecy.
A Red-Hot Roast of Existing Con-
ditions Here as Mr.. smith sees
Them.
Rev. J. A. Smith preached a. the
Seventh Street Methodist Church last
night a sermon upon the evils prcvailius in
savaansh. in common wlth other cities
OF the country. Rev. Mr.. Smiths text
and the theme OF his sermon was from
the fifth chapter OF Daniel: Weighed IN
the balance and found wanting.
The weather was most Indictment, AMI
In consequence Of this fact the cousrcga-
ton that greeted Mr. Smith was com
para,ively small In the inception OF his
remarks he stated that he regretted this
vas true. as he had prepared the ser
mon he expected TO deliver with the hope
and intention OF presenting it TO a large
representative gathering % the men and
women OF the church.
1t Is fact In nature" said AR smith.
that certain results are the hNed and
Inevitable consequences OF certain coIli-
lions Whatsoever a man soweth. that
also snail be reap and " he sows tn
wind he may expect TO reap the wail-
wind.
The destruction OF the power OF Bel
shaEzar and enc fall Of his dynasty. with
the subsequent division OF his kingdom
among the Meies and Pers4ans, had been
forctold by the prophets years ana years
before Il happened. ! have no doupt tnht
they were assisted Ia making these proph-
ecies Of the fate OF Babylon by the CON
temptation OF the conditions that existed
In that city in which idolatry. corrup-
tiou debauchery and wickedness OF the
grossest character we're Haunted by kine
court and people in the very face OF an
outraged Deity
Given these conditions. there could be
bus one final result the destruction 81
the city in which they were permitted
to continue. and the deposition OF tho
ruler whose personal example lent them
the countenanee Of high authority.
This was the situation IN Babylon and
these the manifold wickedne.s that pre-
vailed there upon that fateful and fated
night when the King feastol "a thou.aul
II his lords. The appointments OF Uc
banquet were on a scale OF Oriental on
lencc and magnincence and rich viands
and strong wines tempted the faded ap-
petites OF the pampered debauc hees who
sat around the royal board. That the
last line in the Kings siory Of prOh.ga
might be wrst. that he might add the
last oNonse TO the long calendar o. his
crimes he had brought 10 his presence
the gold snd silver vessels Of the saUctu-
airy Of the Most High God aud prostitutci
them 10 the vulgar Offices 81 thu taul'.
III was amid such scene as this that
a moving hand wrote on the wall OF ia
Kings palace the mystic symbols that
predicted the destruction OF his kingdom.
He had been weighed Ia the balances and
found wanting That night he Was s.aln
and Darius. the Persian, reigned IN Baby
len.
The story Of that banquet e. not the
rrlv orc With which We are rera'ed. Every
day we hear stoiies o: drunken orsi -
Oh sizes -in.44ar Ia II 10 ever lnlng save 'A-
tent. There are influences at work that
prevent these dehauches being shown up
Ia the fun white light % public ". Were
the full stories told their recital would
shock the conscience Of every good man
and pure woman. Things are happening
about US every day that are shameful IN
the extreme.
Right here IN Savannah there are vices
that are exploited openly, that DO not pay
10 public sentiment the compliment Of
masking their existence They walk
abroad. defiant and unashamel. ! tell you
that the contemplation 81 the harvest thal
must ultimately be reaped In savannah IT,
something appalling. for certain II ls that
she conditions are not strlkingly better
than they were In Babylon Of old surely
matters have reached a shameful pass and
public sentiment has lost It's power TOT
good when advertisements. giving the
street and number Of dens OF vice ana m
touttv are scattered about the streets 70
be read By our boys and perhaps oy our
girls.
~ "a n CRYING shame that the preachers
-, ,he city rellnquishci the crusade
against gambling IN which they engAs~'
sorne months since. and IN when thtE
received rcady aid and encouragement
nom the newspapers. 10 the newspaper
lasting credit. Surrey things are as nai
a. ever they were and vice as public
II us,irps the principal streets 81 the city
and ~ everywhere
How can YOU tolerate for single in
stance longer the continuance OF such
conditions How can you bear 10 thlnh
Of one OF our young men. who spends one
evening In the company Of pure ana
beautiful girl and the next evening win
a hbleouslv painted denizcu Of variety
theateri How can you SIT qulesccnt while
such things are not only possible. but
are openly tolerated. How can you ac-
cept for yourselves che responsibility Tor
such a state OF Affairs
Rev. MIR. Smith said that ~ some future
date he would dl.ours these questions
al greater length and would answer some
OF the excuses that persons are accus-
toned 10 make to themselves ana DINERS
for permitting the continuance and
tacltly encouraging the existence Of these
vicious conditions.