The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-23
OFFICIAL AGN0STICS
REV. A. NJ. WILLIAMS SCORES IN
ACTIVITY OF OFFICERS
IN SUPPRESSION OF CRIME.
SAYS HE'S CALLED 'MICKEH MAC,
THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS"

Grand Jury a Blum and ian As
sauIt with Intent TO Whitewash."
An Indercurrent of OmcinI Ag-
Mysticism in 1t, He Says-Says He
Has Not Entered the Lists as "a
Detective, and Would Not Make a
Good witness, but VIII Continue
to Preach, Since He Is Morally
Certain of the Existence of the
Gambling Evil.
In his sermon on "Omcial Agnos-
ticism'' at Trinity Church last night,
Rev. A. NJ. Williams spoke at length
on the alleged inaction and agnosti-
cism of the authorities in the suppress
sion of the gambling evil, paying his
respects especially to the police de-
partment. the shrevialty and the
| courts.
| Numerous times he reiterated his
statement that he was not a detective,
and while he was morally GER
| tain, he said, of his position
! he didn't care to be brought
before the grand jury or into
the courts. But, he said in his place
as a preacher he intended to cry out
against the evil, if he was the only
man in the community TO raise his
voice, and at the risk of being called
before the grand jury. He said that
he had already been too much of a
| detective.
THE Preacher-Detective."
II shall not enter the lists as a de-
tective l have already done so much
! of it that my children call me Mickey
Mack, the preacher-detective. 1 shall
| investigate these matters enough to
| find out how much truth there is in
| them, and then speak right out, un-
| deferred by the fear of being called
| before the grand jury" said Rev. VIII
liams in this connection.
There is quite a popular word used
these days, agnosticism, and an agnos-
| tic is an ignoramus. There are vari-
| Gus kinds of agnosticism. There is
| simple agnosticism-pure, unadulter-
ated ignorance. This means the illit-
crate classes. The public schools, the
| free library and the newspaper is its
cure. Then there is philosophical ag-
Mysticism. That is when a man begins
| in some way off premise, wanders
about some logical labyrinth, gets
| locked up, can't see his way out and
| on his agnosticism.
Then there is what l call official
| agnosticism. The people in office who
| do not know of the existence of crime
and the places in which it fiourishes.
| The old artist painted justice as blind.
| His idea was that she was going to
| deal with such absolute, truth fidelity
| and equality with every case brought
before her that she saw nothing but
| the right. We see a great deal of
| blindness now in the execution of the
| law, but it is the kind of blindness that
| cannot see the violation of the law;
| that poses as to ignorance of the ex-
| istence of certain forms of crime in
| community; a kind of crime that in
sinuates that men who charge its ex-
| istence are either hysterical or easily
| imposed upon"
The Preachers Troubles.
Rev. Mr.. Williams said that there are
two kinds of agnosticism, one which
| springs from the don't care spirit, and
| the other from the don't pay spirit.
\ One trouble the preacher has in the
! fight against gambling, said he, is the
| desire not to hurt the noble men who
| give him information.
! Il have known men ruined in their
business on account of taking a stand
| for the right here in Savannah. The
lawless go in to break them up, and
the good people cry Why, he is only a
| crank and join in the persecution
! which has put him in the false po-
sition. Why they even try to pull the
| hood-wink over my eyes, tell me that
it is not popular, that | will lose my
| friends, and will hurt myself, if l don't
| mind. They say Don't preach so
plain Thank the Lord no member
of Trinity has ever said that much
to me-"
| Every good citizen must approve
the recent charge of the judge of the
! Superior Court on this great evil"
| said the speaker. at is in the line
| of his duty, it was comprehensive, it
was sufficiently pointed, and as far as
it went put the machinery of the court
| in the hands of the grand jury.
assault with Intent to White
wash"
"There Is, however, an undercurrent
| in that charge that seems like social
agnosticism." Then the speaker quot
ed portion of the charge of the court:
If it is not true. it ought to be ex>
! posed and the charge against the good
name of Savannah disproved.' II can
not understand that language" said
| Mr.. Williams, las part of a
position and serious charge to
a grand jury. 1 do not want
to do any man an injustice, but this
| sentence gives the appearance of a
bluff to the whole charge, and looks
| like an assault with intent to white
| wash"
If the judge doubted the charge that
| gambling was openly carried on in Sa-
| vannah, said he, then he was the first
! person that he had been in converse
| ton with in the last two weeks who
| does. No matter what the grand jury
does, he said, the people of Savannah
know that his charges are true.
II do not believe that the grand jury
! will follow the whitewash suggestion
and take the responsibility off the
| judge. The men 1 know on it. at any
rate, are not built that way. A Yigor-
the guilty and clear the name of the
city. Failure to use the power vested
in them will brand the procedure as a
| whitewash."
"Where Were the Nines"
Rev. Mr.. williams then paid his re-
| spects in no uncertain terms to the
members of the constabulary and the
police for their inaction, asking where
had the "eloquently eulogized nine
and the vigilant police been during the
past week, when in his walks about
the city he found IL as easy to pur-
chase lottery ticket as a box OF
| matches.
Now some people seem to think
! that preacher ought not to make a
charge unless he has evidence enough
10 convict before a trial jury. This
would either lock the mouth OF the
pulpit or turn a preacher into a Grim
| inal LAWYER The law reOufrea va F-tOug