The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-10
THE THREE EVILS
CONDEMNED BY MINISTER'S AT
PARK EXTENSION MEETINGS.
DISCUSSED BY DR.. JORDAN
RED HOT SERMON FROM PULPIT OF
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.

Good Citizens Besought to Unite
for Their SuppressiOn-The Cry OF
Charity Is scd TO Cloak "a Defense
less Position, said DIR. Jordan.
There's Nothing in I-SometbinG
Is Wrong in savannah and some
Remedy Is Needed-Dr. Jordan Says
1t Is to BE Found in the Enforce
ment of the Law.
Rev DR.. john D. Jordan delivered a
red-hot sermon at the First Baptist
Church last night. 1t was directed against
the three evils, the suppression Of which
was made the platform of the ministers
who inaugurated the latest movement for
law and order in Savannah-Sunday
liquor selling, vote-buying and gambling
DR.. Jordan called upon every man in
Savannah and Chatham county TO give
his allegiance and active support to this
movement; he said that no honest and
honorable and law abiding citizen could
in his heart fail to agree with the cor
rectness OF its principles, and the purity
Of the motives of those who were at its
head
His text was from Romans kill: Let
every soul be subject unto the higher
powers For there is no power but of God;
the powers that be are ordained of God.
The words Of my text" said DR.. Jor-
dan. for the clearer understanding of
us all, may be paraphrased thus: The
powers that, be are ordained of Cod let
every one be subject unto Him.. The
apostle is referring to the nations of
earth and his injunction has reference to
earthly governments and their laws The
powers he means are nations and states
and municipalities, and all that l shall
have to say tonight will be in accord
ance and agreement with the words and
the spirit of my text. l expect to deal
with my subject fairly, honorably plainly
and positively.
When you get out of here tonight you
may hear some one around the corner
say He is a Sensational preacher When
ever they can't say anything else about
a man who has bounced upon them and
hit them hard, they murmur: I don't like
sensationalism in the pulpit And yet,
my friends, the greatest figures among
the PREACHERS of New Testament times
were men who always produced sensa-
tons, wherever they preached. John, the
Baptist, was one example of what
mean. Jesus, the Christ, was another;
and Paul, the Apostle was a third. When
we preachers preach without producing
a sensation, we are not following the IL
lustrious example set us of old.
Another term of would-be approach
that they employ is Cracker I'm not
one. but if l were I would be proud of
it, and strive to make the title honora BILE.
! would prefer being a clean and honor
able Cracker to being dirty and dis
honorable cavalier.
1T is antagonistc to my nature to
preach the character of sermon l intend
20 preach tonight. I would not do so
upless there were an overwhelming neces-
sity for tiff the time had not fully ar
rived when the pulpit and the pew must
stand boldly forth for righteousness.
cleanliness and respect for law, or stand
TO our own shame and our own confusion.
at is not with any one man / expect
TO deal tonight. but with measures not
with any set of men, but with principles.
If any of you should hear one say
have preached a political sermon, l would
be gratified if you would tell that person
to have the goodness to repeat that state
ment to me. / have been in your city
nearly four years, and l have never yet
had anything TO do with your corrupt par
tiZan politics.
Il am in no sense a politician. but l
am a strong advocate of patriotism and
craftsmanship. With all the strength
of my nature l hate all that the term pol
itics Stands for. but l love and reverence
patriotism and craftsmanship. The two
ideals have nothing in common; they
are as far from each other as is the
East from the West. The two things are
as far apart they can get, and the
time has come for the American people
10 be statesmen, patriotic and true.
Before l proceed further l want to say
word about charity. Eight ministers
of this city have been criticised publicly
and privately, for conducting meeting
in the Park Extension, raising $1,000 in
money and not organizing a Board of
Charities.
IT'S an old cry, this cry OF charity
which is always raised in Savannah, when
somebody or something has been attack
ed, and that person or thing is afraid to
be seen in the clear fight of justice and
of truth. 1 attack no individual, but
you have been fooled more than once
with this cry. l am here 20 say that the
men who were responsible for those
meetings have done as much for all
charitable objects and have given as
much in proportion to their means for
charitable purposes as any eight men
in Savannah.
THE truth of the matter is that if
there ever was a city under the sun
cursed by charity and the method of its
administration, that city is Savannah. We
maintain separate charitable organiza-
tons in our churches and our fraterna
organizations. we give unwisely and in
discriminatory and the result is that we
are raising up class of professional beg
gars and doing comparatively little real
good"
DR.. Jordan said that what was needed
was compact charitable organization
through which most OF the charity work
of the city should be done. This could
carry on the work on right lines and cor
rect principles. the deserving poor would
be assisted in the ways they needed help
and the Migrants and buns driven out
of the city or forced to mend their ways
lie instanced the efforts that had been
made by the ministers 10 perfect such an
organization and of the scant sympathy
they had received. He said the ministers
would always be willing to play their full
part In carrying on such an organization
Then he dismissed the subject
Il want TO discuss" he continued three
propositions that were made al the last
of the meetings held in the Park Exten-
sion These propositions were promulgat-
ed by eight ministers ofthe city. indorsed
10y eight or ten thousand people present
at that meeting. and by the signatures OF
more than 200 men, on that occasion.
with all my soul ana all the power OF
my right arm J subscribe to and pledge
myself 10 aid IN the enforcement of these