The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-10
ANTHONY'S MESSAGE
TRINITY's PASTOR ON CITY AT
FAIRS AND OFFICIALS.
SAVANNAH HAS NO POLITICS.
ITS ELECTIONS BUT 4 MAD SCRAM-
BILE FOR OFFICE.

the BarroOms should he Taxed
More and That Music Halls should
Mt Least BE Made as Nearly Decent
aS Those of New York when an
Outraged Public Smashed Tam
many-says Detectives That Can't
Find Policy shops Can't BE Elk
pected TO Catch Thieves.
In his Message to the Citizens of
Savannah" Rev. Bascom Anthony in
Trinity Church last night, delivered
one of the most scsthing arraign-
ments of public conditions and officials
that has been heard in Savannah
since Rev. Sam Jones conducted his
series of meetings here last spring.
The speaker took his text from
Psalms cxxxvii:5-6; IF / forget thee,
o Jerusalem, let my right hand forget
her cunning.
IF / do not remember thee, let my
tongue cleave to the roof of my
mouth; if prefer not Jerusalem
above my chief JOY"
These statements, Rev. Mr.. Anthony
said were made by a patriot as well
as singer, and he explained the cir
cumstances under which they were ut
tered: while Israel was captive in
Babylon. They express, he further
said not only the profoundest fidelity
to the Temple of Jerusalem, but sincere
patriotism, for patriotism and fidelity
10 God always go hand in hand. He
is the truest patriot who is the noblest
saint. What was true of the Hebrews
of old is also true to-day: the noblest
manhood in the world must have its
roots in reverence to Almighty God.
For man to be what he ought to be
he ought to be both patriot and saint.
The Pulpit and Politics.
Il know there are certain lines along
which the church mas no business;
lines where the mouth of the pulpit Is
stopped and ought to be. One of these
is politics. On politics it is silent and
it ought to be silent. Now politics is
question of what is best but you've
got no politics here and you haven't
had since the scalawags left Politics
is the contest of great parties on the
question of principles; high tariff, free
trade and similar issues; and in such
a contest the pulpit should have no
these matters and l vote because I'm
free and white. but 1 have nothing to
say about them.
But the term politics is also used
in lower sense; as to who shall hold
office, and it is applied in this sense to
the scramble that takes place in your
city. Both parties are tarred with the
same stick and so your methods are of
no consequence, nor is a matter of any
moment to me who holds office, that is
/ care not who is your treasurer or
your tax collector; don't give bau-
bee about it; but when you strike Of
fees that are concerned with public
morals then you strike a question on
which l will be heard.
Many men are afraid, l know, the
views of some preachers-God bless the
good men-I have heard their views and
] beg leave to differ with them, and
propose to do what l think best"
The speaker then told of his visits
to all parts of the city and the misery
and want that he found in all quar-
ters, much of it brought about by the
evil influences of the institutions that
he said are allowed to flourish in the
city. Then he said
Don't Care Who Holds ONCE.
Il don't care who holds Office, so he
discharges the duties of that office. AS
<, i
care nothing about who fills them. But
some of them are important to public
morals, and l do care about who fills
these.
II would like to see a sheriff who was
better built for travelling than for sit
ting down. and who knew the differ
ence between a keno bank and the
banks of the Wabash, and who clearly
understood that policy wheel was not
he fNfa Nxr11a oil rnI.
Il Would like to see a Mayor who
was neither ignorant of law nor in
different to its enforcement, and who,
when he gave orders, would have them
obeyed or discharge his men.
II should like to see an aldermanic
board which. if il would license bar
rooms, would make them pay four
times the taxes they now pay, so that
some reduction could be made in the
taxes upon the homes of the people, and
especially upon the homes of widows,
who spend their years toiling as galley
slaves that they may have money for
the tax gatherer when he comes. And
when he has gotten it it goes to pay
the salaries of men set to guard the
public virtue and morals, many of
whom are as destitute of both as a
desert is of flowers.
A. to Dance Halls.
1 should like to see some city rather
who in licensing vaudevilles and dance
halls would a least raise the stand
ard as high as New York city had it
at the time an outraged public rose
and smashed Tammany's machine. That
which was too vile to live in New York
is above criticism here. My cry against
the citizenship of Savannah is that il
has lost the power and the sense of dis
gust at such shameful things.
1.-THE existence of such evils among
us would not be so bad II we only had
left a mighty sense of shame, but II
having departed from us, leaves our
house desolate. Let others do as they
may, but as for me l will not stand
tongue-tied and lip-locked in the
presence of such shamelessness. My
children's ancestors shed their blood
to redeem Savannah from British
rule on the day that Pulaski fell and
Jasper died. and so help me God, /
shall try to maintain among US that
decency and liberty for which they
died.
And yet l am invited out by my
fathers house by those from distant
shores. whose coming among us has
been 80 recent that they cannot frame
their mouths TO speak our language.
As people, we have forgotten the
God Of our fathers and have framed
new decalOgue. our affairs are run
upon the basis that the dollar n SUI
preme. License anything 20 ~ brings
d0llar-c0in character into currency
and transmute the innocency Of chill
hood and the hhppineEs or home into