The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-19
WARNING MANHOOD
AND ITS CAUSES
WoRTHLEsSNEsS OF MEN
is APPALLING, SAID REV. DIR. A. m
WILLIAMS IN SERMON.

looms ana
Pnupers Predominant in the Unit
ed States-HeartIess DesertiOn OF
wives and of Families.
From the subject Waning Manhood"
Rev. DR.. A. NJ. Williams, pastor of
Trinity Methodist Church, last night
preached on manhood and its making.
The weak, lazy man was mercilessly
scored, while true manhood, physically.
mentally, morally. and spiritually was
lauded. The text was taken from ii
Kings V: l: He also was a mighty
man in valor, but he was a leper."
a typical woman is the grandest
object in the universe known to man.
said DR.. Williams. Next comes
splendid man. The two are given for
the perfection of this world. They give
sentiment to life and inspire it with
something more than matter or unin-
telligent animalism.
ITO be a man, then. is the supreme
Joy of created existence. Tremendous
purpose is involved in his being and
wonderful endowments are at his COM
lildiltl AAG II uC IMAM BAJ SANN~"-S'
mentally. morally, and spiritually is
splendid and commands an awe akin
to reverence.
Manly in form, muscle. nerves, and
blood manly in mind. faculty, thought.
culture; manly in heart, sincerity, in
tegrity, courage; manly in Gods inn
age shining through him and Gods life
glowing within him. Truly he is mt
object for the admiring contemplation
of an intelligent universe of Gods, an
gels, and man.
DO we often find such manhood?
Is our manhood going on to perfec-
ton? Or, is our manhood wasting,
dwarfing, falling? Must it be written
of the sex. Mighty men in valor. but
infected with the fatal leprosy of sin?
Men in the Churches.
"a favorable theme for the pulpit,
press and pessimist." said the speak
er, lis the threadbare question why
men do not attend church. The fact
is assumed. If general consent could
be considered sufficient evidence, we
might say that the fact was proved.
Facts connected with my ministry do
not tend to establish the proposition.
1T is true that a count of congre-
cation would give superficial endorse
ment. But remember that men are
the workers. and that Sunday work
has so encroached on attendance that
the proportion of workers would ex-
plain the difference. Remember, also,
that conventonality allows much more
room for men than for women and l
think the actual difference in attend
ance would be accounted for.
"As to enrolment in the church, our
- 49, =.
couraging facts. Out of 70 additions
up to this date, 2e are males and II of
them young men. This is encouraging
when 1t is considered that there are
many more women than men in the
state. Some blame the pulpit. The
pulpit is not to blame and If it is, am
not here to defend it. So, with ESQ
plan silence, I therefore turn to ask
another question. d
Men in Saloons.
why are there so many men in the
saloons? There they outnumber the
women, thank God. Is the preacher
TO blame? Perhaps If we could give
the gospel Tom and Jerry order, or
a mint julep flavor. we might have
better success. The path of Goodness
is uphill Does it not stand to reason
that is the easier to roll stone down
hill than to roll it up?
why are so many men in the gam
bling hells? There, too, they out
number the women. Some women slip
into the policy lottery through back
alley black agents. but their number
is small Those who lower the ruin
of the husbands, sons, or fathers
through the card table far outnumber
those who trifie with this poisoned
hook. Are the preachers to blame?
60 The decay of manhood often APP
Ills me. The growing good-for-
n lgness of men is one of the alarming
y features of the day. Visitors among
Sthe families affected by the Slocum
disaster were impressed says a writer,
with the surprisingly large proportion
of cases in which able-bodied, middle
aged, husbands and fathers contribute
ed little or nothing to the support of
the family. Again and again IL was
round that he was not working at
present" or had not worked regularly
for several years. and that the chief
source Of income for the family was
the nineteen Of twenty-year old
daughter or SON.
What these workers found in New
York is being met with by Christian
workers in Savannah. The call for
charity for deserted wives is pathetic.
Whisky and cards fathers that in
humanity to women that makes count
ANSS NiiOuSdlue IlOdIs
POOrhOuse and Prison.
Where are the men? More women
than men in church. In the prisons
back in 1890 there were nearly 10000
men to little over 5000 women. More
males in poor-houses in the United
states than females, Notwithstanding
woman's helplessness. Ninety times
more male than female tramps.
The picture of men fiocking to sa-
looms, crowding gambling dens, desert
ing wives and filling prisons is enough
70 start a new song, Where Is Our
Wandering Manhood To-day Let us
specify few causes that produce these
appalling facts.
The old teaching of two standards
-one for man and another for women
is partly to blame Let the reform cry
be a white life for two Let parents
be as careful of the rearing OF their
boys as they have been of their girls
The rough and ready theory makes
bad men and a waning manhood.
RigidIy Enforce Laws.
Let the laws against vice be rigidly
enforced. The claim that you cannot
legislate morals into men is only a
half-truth. Weak Wills need 10 be for
tined by strict laws rigldly enforced.
Let our laws against desertion OF
families be so changed that the de-
serter shall be put 10 work on the
roads. bis labor valued. and after de-
Quoting The charge for his keeping, pay
the balance 10 his needy family. Be
lieve charity Of this unnecessary and
shameless charge.
Let the pulpit and press turn their