The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-10
SOUTH The BEST
PLACE FOR NEGRO
EVANGELIST SMITH SAYS so.
BLACK MAN DOES NOT REALIZE
PRIVILEGES HE ENJOYS.

Former Pastor of First Presby terrain
Church, Rev. j. A. Smith, Arrived
From New YOrk-Says Bishop Pot
ter's subway Tavern Gave ReIiG-
ion BInc<eye which it VIII
Take Fifty Years to overcome
Means That Thousands of Young
Men Will Go to the DeviI-Glad
Keno Is Not Running.
Bishop Potter's Subway Tavern +"
will be the means of sending thous-
ands of young men to the devil and
has given the religious world a black
eye that it will not be able to over
come in fifty years, in the opinion of
Rev. A. j Smith, formerly pastor of
the First Presbyterian Church, who
arrived in Savannah yesterday morn
ing.
Mr.. Smith is doing evangelistjc work
and stopped i'm Savannah en- route to
Atlanta. He does not believe that
politics and the pulpit mix we'll and
for this reason refused to express an
opinion on the political situation in
the North. Mr.. Smith preferred to
talk of his evangelistic work and the
prohibition cause, although he had
something to say about the Subway
Tavern" the race question and the
remarkable growth of Savannah.
Bishop Potter probably thought he
was doing wise thing" said Mr..
Smith, Gin taking part in the open
ing of the tavern. but. he did some
thing in a night that will require the
church fifty years to overcome. He
made fatal mistake, and one which
will mean the loss of thousands of
young men. What the church wants
to do is to open coffee and lunch
houses, and endeavor to induce people
to shun the barrooms. 1t is in these
places that sin and shame thrive"
The Negroes Best Friend.
MANY negroes do not realize it. but
their best friends are in the South"
said Mr.. Smith in touching upon the
race question. ''They are accorded more
fair treatment and are better provided
for here than in the East and West
The sooner the negro realizes the bet
ter off he will be, too
Il am frank to confess that when
came to Savannah from the North l
did not understand the race conditions
in the South. During my residence
in Savannah as pastor of the First
Presbyterian Chursh, however, 1 had
plenty of opportunity to see wherein
had been deceived. And the people
of the North are like / was when
first came South. They do not under
stand the situation. They need en-
lightment
THE labor unions in the North do
not affiliate with the negro la.borers.
The white men refuse to have any,
thing to do with them and, of course,
the negroes cannot enjoy the privileges
that the members of the organized
trade bodies secure. 1t is quite differ
ent in the South, where the negroes
have their trade bodies"
Many Improvements Here.
when 1 went around the Germania
Bank corner this morning I felt like
l was in New York The growth of
Savannah has been remarkable since
l was here last and l have only seen
a very small part of the city this time.
Savannah is a progressive and enter
prising town and has a bright future.
80 there are no longer any keno
joints? Well. that's good thing.
That's where the boys used to go. And
they tell me there were warm times
among the sports for awhile, and that
there were several shooting scrapes. 1
don't guess anybody was very much
surprised. 1 would like to take a trip
through the lanes and alleys and see
what is going on now, and If things
have really changed. / wish / had
time to go searching for policy shops,
and things of that sort, and could get
up and tell all about it once more"