The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-02
JUDGE To PARSON
CAUSTIC REPLY TO REV. w. p. Me-
CoRKLE'S SERMON.
STUMP SPEECH IN A PULPIT.
JUDGE NORWOOD so DENOMINATE
1T.

|
Sensation, Says the Judge, when
He Decorated Him With His Disap-
prOvaI-rhe Filming of the Gam
bIers Explained-JudSe Norwood
| Compares DIR. McCOrkIe's Sermon
to Mt. PeIee's Eruption.
To Rev. w. P. AIcCorkle. Pastor of
First Presbyterian Church, Savan-
| nah, Ga;
Twenty nine negro gamblers were
fined, each, $25 with costs amounting
to $42 The Judge who imposed those
slender and inadequate fines was pros
tituting his office for the protection of
vice and defiling his ermine. | say this
in the full knowledge of what 1 am
saying, but 1 feel it my duty to say it.
1 say it as a minister of the gospel and
/ am ready to uphold it as man.
am accoun table for it to any who may
demand an account. "-Extract from a
stump-speech delivered from the pull
pit of the First Presbyterian Church,
Savannah, Ga, on Sunday night, May
%. 1902, by Rev. w. P. McCorkle, pas
tor.
|
may understand what follows and why
it is written. 1t is put there that you
may see 1T and ponder over it. 1t is
believed by some that one punishment
in He'll is to keep constantly before
the sinners gaze a plain record of his
sins. He sees nothing else. 1t does not
seem very merciful, but, as your case
is one that does not draw largely on
mercy, l thought 1 would try it once in
! this world. The reader must know
| also, other facts.
| You say you read of the twenty nine
fines in the Savannah Morning News
of April Is. We reside 400 feet apart
Both have been here ever since April
Is. We were Enthusiastically, 1
thought You were pastor of my fam
| lily. You OBLIGATED at my wife's fu-
neral. You officiated at my daughters
marriage. Since you knew of those
fines we have met and had a pleasant
chat. Your visiting card. about ten
days ago, was left at my house-no one
being in; yet you never inquired
whether the published account of the
fines was correct, and, if so, the reason
for imposing them.
Now, per contra, when I read your
speech sent to the News office to ask
if some mistake had not been made. I
was assured you spoke those words. AS
reporters sometimes mista Ike words. in
| order that no Injustice might be done
you, l wrote to you. Your reply is too
long to insert here, or would gladly
give 1t in full. But you said you spoke
the above language; that it panied you
to say it, but the language expressed
your deliberate judgment. And, so,
you did not speak hastily. You had
weighed the subject, selected your
words to express your deliberate iudg-
ment. This is the issue between us
squarely, c,early fairly Joined.
You spoke, you say above) 'as a
minister of the Gospel"
OF what Gospel? Surely not that of
Christ. The Devil sometimes quotes
scripture, and, it may be- you have got
things mixed,and Were marching under
the wrong banner. You do not mean
to say that anything Christ ever said
is authority for what you said in that
stump speech on politics from a pulpit
in Chnst's church! He taught:
Blessed are the peace makers, mot
stump speakers), for they shall be
|
Blessed are the mercifuI, mot SLAM
derers), for they shall obtain mercy"
Blessed are the meek, (not bulIies).
| for they shall inherit the earth"
Do justly, walk humbly, love ner-
cy,' is a part of the Gospel"
Let your communication be yea,
yea, and nay nay, for Whatsoever is
more than these cometh of evil"
| Christs Gospel abOunds in such gen
/ I
quoted enough
GU are a minister, l, sinner. You
are privileged to use the pulpit for
stump speeches. ! am not. You can
pray in the pulpit Lord I thank thee
mat am not as other men, (Judg4
Norwood, for instance). 1 have to
stand affair off and pray Lord be rner-
clIul To- me, sinner" You can mount
| your pulpit and denounce nne-the leo
islature, u. S. judges, anybody-and if
is right because you are a minister of
the gospel. The Sleeps skin makes a
wolf a sheep.
Among the attributes of God, if there
can be superiority among things eli
INFINITE and equal, justice is considered
the first and sweet mercy next. Who
uld justly, you or D.? You judged and
aehoerately condemned without a
| nearing, thing even human law will
not permit to be done to a dog. 7
sought you. before a word said. to GET
the truth from your own ips You
sometimes sing the humble Chrisfian's
| hymn: p
Teach me to feel anothers woe.
To hide the faults l see;
The mercy l to Others show.
That mercy show to me-"
DO you not? And then YOU read IN
Chrlsts Gospel, mot yours)
ASK and it shall be given unto
you" "ii'o
l will not question your sinceritv
| When you prayerfully sing that song
think your prayer is answered-but
II not IN Scripture measure, pressed
! down and shaken together and run
nlng over. you must blame me. and
not the Lord. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall
be measured to you again.
The ParsOn Hunting for "A Sensation
I have heard, since you decorated
me with your disapprovaI, that Won
! have been anxious some time to Gre
! ate alton, or, in the slang. We're
spelling for a fight" If you are not
gratifed at your success last Sun
day night, your greed must be in
satiable. How it will pan out, no one
! can foresee. But / read of a lone
traveller on horseback who came llpon
| a crowd at a cross roads engaged in
! a general melee. He rode up and
bawled out, "Gentilmen, ar this a free
hgntY' Yes" yelled the crowd,
pitch in "Wel gentilY71en as tbis