The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-21
PLEA OF GAMBLER
FOR REMOVAL OF JAIL SENTENCE
SCORED BY REV. A. NJ. WILLIAMS.
PETITIONS ARE DANGEROUS
WHEN USED TO INTERFERE WITH
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Williams, as idea OF secrecy
Draws Many Signs-PetitiOner in
This Case, Mr.. williams said, is the
Central Figure of Dark Element
Working Against Law - Judges
Should Raise People to the stand
ard of the LAW and Not Lower
Standard to the Level of the Law
less, the Minister Satisfaction of
the Court in Imposing Jail Sem
tence Warmly Commended.
From the text For Rulers Are Not
Terror to Good Works, But to Evil"
Rev. A. NJ Williams, pastor of Trinity
Methodist Church, last night dealt at
length with the petition for removal of
the Imprisonment sentence which was
imposed in a recent trial on a Savan-
nathan found guilty of running
gaming house. The gambling evils and
the gamblers were also roundly scored.
After defining law and it's purpose
the speaker stated that it's effectiveness
depended on three principles-the de-
lection of crime, the certainty Of con-
viction, and the certainty and efficacy
of the punishment imposed. Gambling
things prohibited by the laws of Geor-
gia and its prohibition characterized as
a wise act.
Il note" said Rev. Mr.. Williams.
that the judge of our Superior Court
announced recently that gambling was
on the decline in Savannah. 1 hope he
is correct, but l fear he is rather opti-
mistic. The rigid adherence to the
policy followed by Judge Seabrook and
himself of infiicting a sentence Of the
Jail and the changing will abate the
evil. The actual incarceration of those
already sentenced and their serving the
sentence will be a mighty step in max
ing our rulers terror to the gamblers
as evil doors.
THE three leading men sentenced are
not in Jail. They also make their
boasts that they will not go to Jail, CT
at least, their friends do for them.
Doubtless they are out on legal ex-
cuses. 1t would be extremely interest
ing to know how they are employing
this period of bail. The newspapers
represent one of them as making a good
pile on the races during the fair and
more latterly of occupying a place of
distinction in a political club named
after a distinguished attorney.
The Petition Discussed.
THE time of another has been spent
in inventing and having circulated a
petition to escape the mild sentence
pronounced upon him. He shudders
at the idea of Jail and longs for the
tiesh-pots of old Egypt, the much loved
| tine-system, the real license to violate
law. Remember that this case rep
resents a cluster of crimes. Sunday
liquor selling, keeping a gaming house,
assault with intent to murder.
70
of the community was flooded over the
entire country and that the occurrence
was while the city was filed with dis
tinguished religious visitors. 1t is the
central figure of that dark company
that solicits the people of Savannah
to weaken the effort of the courts to
suppress gambling, and to enforce
law.
81 desire to enter a vigorous protest
against this petition. l do not believe
in the petition as an element in fixing
penalty for crime. There are serious
and dangerous elements in it's use.
1T is a private and not a public af-
fair. The solicitation for signers is a
highly private affair, and especially
has it been so in this case. If 1 am
properly informed our usually diligent
reporters had not found cut this move
of the gambling element. If they had,
they were induced for some reason
|
Publicity is needed to make men
cautions in what they do. Many a
man will sign a petition because he
believes that it will never be known.
If the petition is to figure in the courts
the law ought to require a publication
of the petition and its signers.
"In matters effecting the highest in
terest of a community such interfer-
ence is deleterious. And tends to law
lessness. The court is responsible
He is under oath, the shaping of
policy to effect the community for
veal or woe is upon him. 1t is ex-
treinely dangerous to introduce for
eign element to interior with a sem
tence imposed by a court.
The Petition and Its Signers.
Everybody, too, knows the nature
of a petition. chemical analysis of
this one would show it to be COM
posed of visciousness, carelessness,
haste, cowardice, and recklessness.
And what of the signers
"Our friend the gambler could get
a large following of his own ilk.
fellow feeling makes us wondrous
kind! Next he comes to the sign
anything class. You have all heard
of the man who signed a petition to
have himself hung. Then he comes
to the busy man. who will do anything
in the world to get rid of the inter-
ruption. Then he meets the man who
yields when told why, everybody is
signing it, Then there is the skeptic,
who yields to the argument that his
business will be injured If he does
not sign, increased if he does.
SHANE on the petition business! The
man who signs for trade reasons puts
himself in the position of a bribe-
taker. Should the judge be influenced?
Assuredly not. A good judge, a great
court, ought to rise above popular
clamor and lift the people to the stand
ard Of the law, not lower that stand
ard to the level of the lawless.
1.-The plea may be made that the
public opinion does not sustain him.
Such a plea would be a disgrace to the
community. petition obtained in
this step-easy manner cannot be con-
strued into a reflection of public opin-
ion. The presentments of grand jury
after grand jury have called upon
the courts to adopt the policy of this
judge, and is not this the strongest
evidence of public opinion?
Endorsed Sentence of the Court.
Excuse my Indignation at the man
ner in which this vice is palliated One
speaks of good character in connec-
ton with one of these sentenced men,
Good character In taking money with
out giving value received! Good char
acter in leading system around which
clusters ruin of persons and degrade
tion of communities Good character
I HHa4nla 10 N.Nt 80