The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-27
WON 1000 CONVERTS
THAT IS THE ESTIMATE BY REV
SAM JONES.
TALK. WITH THE EVANGELIST.
HE DISCUSSES SAVANNAH, OFF,
GALS AND REMEDIES.

All Tests That Could BE Supplied
show That Meetings I'm Savannah
Have Been Successful-5,OO0 PeO-
pie, Mr.. Jones Says, Have shaken
His Hand Mt the Meetings-Snvan-
nah Loses when Compared for
Moral Cleanliness With Atlanta.
Thrusts Mt Judge FaIIiGant and
ELittIe BiIIy',--Is Ready TO Return
for n Campaign-NIRyOr's Answer
to the Grand Jury Like Calling a
Man Another. rr
Rev. Sam Jones talked interestingly to
the Morning News yesterday of Savannah,
the success of his meetings here, abuses
that exist in the administration of athe
affairs of the body polite. of one or two
Of the officials. and of the financial side
of his engagement 20 preach to the peo-
pie of Savannah. AS to the success of
the meetings and whether he thought the
results have been of a nature to repay
him and Mr.. Stuart for their labors, Mr..
Jones said:
There are three tests of success of
such meetings. One is the awakening
of the churches another is the arousins
of the public conscience, and the third
is the number of souls saved and the peo-
pie who are converted. The meetings, with
ell three tests applied. have shown sue
cess. The influence of the meetings has
grown and broadened. and people who
first hardened their necks, have come 20
the services and profited. The Scribes
and the Pharisees have been touched,
and so have those of the Sanhedrim who
have occupied the highest places In the
churches. Men in the Cotton Exchange
have been impressed, and there was where
the greatest opposition TO the services was
manifested"
"One example of the good that has
been accomplished by the services was
shown last night, when there was less
beer and whisky sold in Savannah than
there had been on any Saturday night in
twenty years. When such concrete in
stances are offered, there can be no doubt
of the good that is resulting.
"Of coure ii cannot be told with GER
tainty, but 1 estimate that there have been
1000 converts to Christianity made through
the agency of the meetings, while some
5000 have come forward to the platform,
in the Tabernacle, to shake my hand. Not
only people of Savannah, but drummers
stopping over in the city have been saved.
Savannah has been one of the most
corrupt places in the country. Its record
of saloons and crimes and wickedness
has placed it in the same class with New
Orleans and San Francisco. When man
trots out Savannah as an example of
law-abiding city he had better get on
train and travel"
II would as soon expect to find a pine
apple growing in Alaska as to find
gambling he'll in Atlanta that, to the
knowledge of the authorities, like these
in Savannah. was running for the ruin of
all who frequented it. This game of policy
would no more be tolerated there than
would a case of smallpox parading the
streets. Little Billy would no more do his
business in Atlanta, with Judge Gambler
on the bench, than a changing niger
could preside as POSTMASTER at a swell
club dinner In Savannah. Atlanta has had
the best judges in the country and all
this suppression of gambling is in the
nds of the judges of the Superior Court.
Whenever a circuit court is converted
into a cowpen and the solicitor general
becomes the dairyman. the while thing
becomes a farce. Gambler don't let them
milk the CATTLE. His is not dairy; it's
butcher pen. He puts dressed beef on the
market.
There was great preacher spoiled
and no great lawyer made when Judge
Falligant in his younger days, turned
away from the pulpit, for which he was
trained, to the bar. His motherly heart
would have been mighty force for
preacher, but it is 100 tender and SYM
pathetic for a judge. If little Billy would
turn his dairy into a butcher pen, he,
of course, would get less cream but the
public would get more beef"
1t has been common talk among some
that Mr.. Jones would not make good his
threat 40 return to Savannah and take
hand in the next municipal campaign.
When asked about this he said:
Il would not be here in the interest
of politics, but my stand would be for
the publication of the body polite. by the
election of clean, unpurchasable officials.
l should take my text from the Bible. and
ii would be: When the wicked rule, the
people mourn. The man who has a hear
ing and who has something to say is the
most potent factor you can employ. It's
better than money, because the right
message turned loose in the consciences
of men will put them where you can't
hope into the good people, they would
win the fight"
Mr.. Jones was asked about the finan-
cial side of his preaching In Savannah.
He said that he had not seen one nickel
of the money that has been collected az
the meetings. There has been absolutely
no understanding. he said, as to what he
and Mr. Stuart should receive for their
services. IF there were anything of any
interest in this matter of money we get"
said MIR. Jones, you may rest assured
that l would tell II. l never keep back
anything. No not one nickel have
seen. l said the very finst day that
addressed an audience in Savannah that
l was here to give them gospel and
straight preaching and that. II they want.
Ell it that way, they could have il without
II costing them one cent. Whether they
pay us or whether they don't pay us it's
all the same. The preachers are looking
out for the money that Is taken in. Meth
er myself nor Mr.. Stuart has had a thing
to do with IL. / have had nothing TO say
to any of them about money"
There has been considerable speculation
as to the amounts that are taken in at
the services when the ushers pass among
the congregations with their baskets
Mary have contended that the collections
would not fall short of an average of
500 a day. With deduction made for the
very SLIGHT daily pxneuea Of tho conduct