The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-15
A CITIZEN OF NO MEAN CITY.
nEV. CHARLES II. STRONG ON THE
DUTIES OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP.

Text-savannah "NO Mean city"
The Duty of All Good Citizens to
strive for Its Moral and Material
Advancement-TheC City IA Unit and
Not an Aggregation of individuals.
The Interests of One Are the Inter-
ests of AlI-The Church Interested
in Good Citizenship as Well as in
Morals and Religion.
THE Duties of Good Citizenship" was
the topic discussed by Rev. Charles H.
Strong at st. Johns Church last night.
1t was the second of his series of sermons
upon the welfare of Savannah. The words
of the Apostle Paul. Il am a citizen of
no mean city" speaking of his birthplace
furnished the text. The idea running
throughout Rev. Mr.. Strong's discourse
was that every citizen of Savannah should
so labor for the upbuildlng and advance
ment of his city morally socially, pouti-
caly and materially that he might be
able to truthfully use the words of the
text.
There is a double citizenship, Mr. Strong
said, that of heaven and that of earth.
Some people are SO much interested in
the citizenship of heaven that they have
no time to give to the affairs of earth,
while with others the reverse Is the case.
There are many Masons in this city, he
said, who go regularly to their lodge
meetings, go through ritual, which can
not compare, except in some of the high
er degrees with that of the church. listen
to a lecture inferior in excellence to the
average sermon and yet who take no in
terest in church matters. On the other
hand, there are men so interested in
church matters as to engrosS almost all
their time and attention
Something is wrong" said Mr.. Strong,
Tin our conception of religion. There was
never time in the history of Christianity
when the church was not something more
than a place for music and ritual and SER
mons. The church touched the lives of
men at more points during the medieval
ages than it has at any time since the re-
formation, until to-day. 1t is now accept
ed to be the duty of the church to teach
civil ethics and the rights and duties of
citizenship, as well as to teach morality
and religion.
nineteenth century," said Mr.. Strong, ''let
us consider our own city. We can truly
say of it that it is no mean city We do
not hear the hum of factories as much
as we would like, but 1t is a beautiful city,
with a genial, kind and cultivated peo-
pie. Everything seems arranged for city
of future greatness and prosperity. On
every side Is heard the cry that the life
of the city should be broadened, that
its social life should be enlarged. that it's
politics should be purified and its busi-
ness and industries built up"
Mr.. Strong said there were four obsta-
cles to be overcome in building up the
city, selhshness, Indifference to the pub
lie welfare, craftsmanship, lack of interest
in the social and daily life of the city.
One of these obstacles is the indifference
to the public welfare displayed by those
whose position in life is assured. Some
display their selfishness in their religion,
and are so content with their own relig-
iouS conceptions that they are I'M
willing to admit the possibility of
any other view condemuing, for instance,
the higher criticism. which simply aims
to make the Bible a reasonable book to
men. They are satisfied with their views
| because their fathers and grandfathers
held these views. They might as well be
satisfied with the old stage coach and the
other antiquated facilities of their grand
fathers.
Under the head af partisanship, Mr..
Strong said that good citizenship required
every man in the community to be in
terested In its good government. This can
only be done by holding every party 10
its platform and doing away with corrup-
ton in politics. Should the time ever
come, he said, when Inc rich who have
the means to corrupt, and the poor, who
are willing to be corrupted, reach an UNI
derstanding with each other the doom of
free government will be sounded:
1t Is the duty of every citizen TO be IN
terested in the moral and religious well
fare of the community in which he lives.
The church is leaven in every city Close
the churches and the Sunday Schools and
you will have community in which no
decent man will care to live.
1t is the duty of every citizen TO be in
| terested In the material upbuilding of the
/ city in which he lives" said Mr. Strong
4 "Our city is in need of such united effort
/ There is something in the air now. 1 hope
/ 1t will come down out of the air in the
shape of larger commerce and a great
/ er number of factories. Cotton and rice,
naval stores and lumber have been the
dependencies of our city in the past. Cot
ton now barely touches us as it passes
by freshets, lumber and naval stores are
| receding from us. Where are the fac
| tories and other industries to come from
! which are to support our population of
! the future, which will furnish support
| alike TO the stores on Broughton street
and the churches. Unless there is COM
mercial and industrial activity the
| churches, too will be without means of
! support"
Mr.. Strong alluded briefly to several OF
| the prosperous manufacturing centers of
! the country, for the purpose of showing
/. that their prosperity had come from max
| ing use of their natural advantages. New
! England was an exception, he said. She
! had simply stolen the trade from the
! South, though removed a thousand mites
from the cotton fields There is no rea-
son why all the factories should be in
| New England, he said
Natural law determines that Savannah
should be commercial and manufactur-
ing city" said Mr.. Strong. "An argosy
! Of ehipS gbOu'1 n