The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-10
CHURCH PAWNSH0PS
AN INNOVATION REV. BAsCoM AN
THONY WOULD WELCOME.
CHANGE IN CHURCH METHODS
COMMENDED TO A LARGE CONGRE-
CATION AT TRINITY.

Should Receive the Church's At
tentiOn-PawnshOps and Loan OH
ces in Savannah ADMINISTRATIVE
Opportunity to Rear a Decent, So
her, seIf-Respecting Boy, the
Preacher DecIared-ChurchS Should
Rise Up in Its Wrath Against Ex-
listing Evils and Put Men in ONCE
Who Would Not Tolerate Them.
Practical religion, the religion that
prompts its exponent to aid his fel-
! low man, that cries out against DO
nticaI abuses and seeks their correc-
ton, was made the subject of Rev.
| Bascom Anthony's sermon at Trinity
| Church last night, when he was heard
by a large congregation.
What does the church stand for?"
the preacher asked. Primarily" he
declared, at stands for God. but it
stands, too, for the interests of man.
| These interests are dear to God, and
the church should stand for them.
THE demands that are made upon
the church now are not those that
were made seventy-five or one hundred
years ago. The times and the condi
tons have changed, but the church
has not changed with them. The
Catholics teach us some sense. AS
little regard as 1 have for their doc
trinal teachings, l yet recognize the
good they do in looking after the
bodily needs of man.
God has no part, no place, in the
government of our country. He is over
US, but he has no part in the political
machine that governs us: He is not
included in the plans of the poll
ticians. Since the government will
not, the church has got to step in
and look to the temporal interests of
man."
RuinOusIy luxurious.
The minister here introduced the
subject of pawnshops and loan offices,
as they exist in Savannah 1t is one
upon which he has been heard often,
but he has never denounced them more
fiercely. He dwelt upon the hardships
and miseries that so often force the
poor to resort 20 those agencies where
by they may gain, even at usurious
rates, some temporary relief from
want.
1T is hard to estimate the interest
that is demanded by some of these men
who prey upon the hardships and mis-
fortunes of others. l do not know how
much they sometimes charge. One
thousand per cent. was charged in one
case | knew of. l doubt if those fell
lows know just how much they charge
the unfortunates who have to seek
their loans.
Here is work for the church. 1t is
ready and waiting for it, If it can't
be done by law, drive these people out
of business or compel them to make
some show of justice by competition.
Let the church go into the business it
self. Yes, sirs, there is no reason in
the world why the church should not
run a pawnshop.
Everybody knows that the average
pawnshop is a fence for stolen goods,
and that the average keeper of
pawnshop is a thief 1 have more re-
spect for man like Jesse James than
for a pawnshop or a loan-office thief
A man like Jesse James might hold
me up at the point of a pistol and
make me dance, but I would have a
better show with him. l might even
be lucky enough to kill him, but l
would have no chance in the world
with one OF the men of the more evil
stripe.
II would like to see this old church
make up about $1,000 and go regularly
into the business. 1t could relieve un
told distress by contributing, at simple
rates of interest, to the needs of the
unfortunate. 1t could earn enough
through this interest to pay for it's
maintenance For four years l have
walked your streets, and my heart has
ached because of the misery, poverty
and want that have appeared before
my eyes. Since 1 must leave you, l
wish it might be when 1 see you talk
ing up this job"
Pitfalls Bcset Their Way.
Turning from the consideration of
the pawn shops and the loan offices.
Mr.. Anthony introduced another sub
Ject to which he has devoted many ser
mons during his pastorate at Trinity.
This was the perils and pitfalls that
beset the paths of the youth of Savan-
nah.
What chance have you got to rear
a decent, God-fearing, capable boy
here? he, asked. IF you do bring
| up such boy, it is by the merest
chance. 1t is not through the contr:-
| button by the city of those influences
and surroundings that tend to elevate
| and refine, rather than lower and de-
| grade. On fingers and toes l could
count all such young men as were
| brought up in Savannah. Take those
| vaudeville halls, for instance. There
is not another city in the country that
would tolerate them. Even New York,
| in its palmiest days, would not have
| permitted such vicious places to -four
lsh. You owe the stamping out of
such influences to your boys and to
! humanity. 1t is the business of the
church to see that such abuses do not
| exist, and the only way to stamp them
out of existence is to put men in office
| who will not tolerate them. If you
haven't got a decent man in the town
who will run for it. you should go
somewhere and get one. You will saw.
perhaps, that this is not religion. that
1t is politics l am preaching, but l tell
| you that have never preached better
religion to you than l am preaching
right now"
Reference was made by the minister
TO the recent arraignment and filming
of the keno den keepers, a process thai
| ne dubbed the "shearing of the sheep, >
The inference of the CONGREGATION was
| that he judged that the fines constitute
a species of license, and their payment
entities those upon whom they were
imposed to continue for another year
in the prosecution IF an illicit business.
Correct with the Ballot.
You, gentlemen, permit this. You
allow your sons TO be debaucbed and
their lives ruined by a business that
goes quietly along. without let or
hindrance from the authorities, You
can stop it. There is nothing the poll
ticians fear like the wrath of the peo-
pie. But the politicians laugh at YOU.
whom they they call the church people.
They say that you %ill shout, but that
you will not do anything. And some
OF you may be attracted by the state
| ment that business administration IL
hot Wa