The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-14
BETTING is WORSE
MORE EVIL TO BET ON ELECTION
THAN TO BUY OR SELL VOTES.
so REV. DR.. JORDAN SAYS
'PUGILIsTs ARE BRUTEs AND EX.
HIBITIONS ARE BRUTAL"

Pastor of the First Baptist Touched
FiShting-Rev. Bascom AnthOny's
Estimate of Dudes Followed Up,
The Pastor Said That Man who
Bets on an Election Is n Gambler,
Hopes to Get Something for Moth
ing, and Is, Therefore, Worse Than
the Man Who Is willing to Give
Something for "a Vote.
Prize fighting and prize fighters were
soundly scored by Rev. DR.. John D.
Jordan, pastor, last night in his SER
mon at the First Baptist Church. Ref
erences to the fistic art, as exemplified
by the pugilists who have made the
sport popular among many in Savan-
nah, and to one phase of elections
vote-buying and vote-selling, were but
incidental to the main theme of the
sermon, which, save for what the pas
tor had to say about matters so de-
cidedly temporal and mundane, dealt
only with religion and lessons derived
from the Word.
Physical power is not to be despised,
the pastor said, but he held that it is
not to be elevated above gifts that are
far more important and that should
win greater favor and regard. Espe-
cially is this true when this physical
power is displayed in a pugilist, one
who has perverted the strength God
has given him to the british profession
of fighting others endowed as himself.
Such man, Mr.. Jordan declared, is
not an object of Gods especial favor,
but an object of His contempt.
II have a beloved friend" said DR..
Jordan, referring to Rev. Bascom An
thony, pastor of Trinity Church, who
was so quoted by the Morning News
after a recent sermon, "who declares
that he prefers prize fighters to dudes.
That is a matter of taste. A dude is a
harmless creature. In one sense he
might be called heavenly, for it is said
of the Heavenly Hosts that they shall
be neither male nor female.
THE pugilist is a brute. The exhibit
tions that are given in this city, where
in men are pitted against each other
are brutal, and the fair name of Sa-
vannah is besmirched and befouled in
that such fights are permitted
In the East some time ago the only
Associated Press news of Savannah
that l could find was of a prize fight
There was nothing else that was re-
garded as of enough interest to send
out to the world. No other news could
l find, and people whom 1 met asked
me If nothing else than prize fights
ever occurred here"
Here the pastor turned to politics.
with passing declaration that was
striking. Il shall not condone corrup-
ton in politics." he said. "Vote-buy-
ing is great evil, and none could hope
for its eradication more strongly than
|. But there is an even greater evil
than vote-buying or vote selling, and
that is vote-betting. The man who
buys vote expects to get some benefit
from the money he pays for it, He is
giving something and expects a return
The man who bets on an election is
trying to get something for nothing,
and he is, therefore, a gambler He
may bet money or he may bet a hat
but the fact remains"
DR.. Jordan reverted to pugilism, say
ing that "if brute force is the mark of
man, then is an OK a better man than
the strongest man; then is the ass a
better gentleman, for he has greater
brute force"