Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-07-11
NIP THIS EVIL IN TIME
sH BISHOP W. A. CANDEER

1
Men in our cities. who are apologists for
the evil, are deceiving themselves by en-
Pertaining the notion that in standing for
it they are only resisting an outworn and
useless piece of Puritanism. They are
undermining the foundation Of faith
and uprooting piety. Whether they be-
lieve it or not, they are fighting the
cause of all religion. and they are array
ing themselves with the forces of all un-
godliness. They are helping to lead null
titudes away from public worship, and
from all those inspirations and instruc-
lions of the house of God which minister
to godly living and ordinary morality. In
the end they are preparing for their
children a religionless country and for
themselves the most unutterable and I'M
availing regrets.
Our country people are interested in
this matter, and to them we must look
for much help In the good fight of faith
for the maintenance of the SABBATH. Their
sons and daughters come to the cities to
live and engage in commerce. The pro-
cess of transplanting a young life from
the wholesome atmosphere of rural
scenes to the blighting influences of ur-
ban surroundings is always dangerous,
however carefully It's perils may be
guarded against but If the Sabbath be
overthrown in the cities 1t will be fatal to
pl6ly III dlIuOSL every ihSldA4SC. E~OA 1AAS
sake of their children, who have come
into the cities or who may come into the
cities, our country people should make
themselves heard in opposition to the
overthrow of the Sabbath which is
threatened. Moreover. evils in the city
are more quickly now than ever COM
municated to the country. II games OF
ball are allowed in the cities, very soon
rowdy elements will go out from the
Ia rf<H he ANA
of evil-doers in, the country to infiict on
rural communities the same evil. The
automobile and the motorcycle will make
their coming and going easy. Away from
the eye of police they will not stop with
the violation of the Sabbath, but will set
at nought all other right things, and will
commit all sorts of evil deeds. Most Of
our people in the country are church
going people, and they wish the contin-
uance Of the Sabbath handed down to
us by our fathers; but they must now
bestir themselves, or they will lose this
priceless heritage, which when lost can
never be recovered.
There is a phase of this subject which
the good people in both town and coun-
| try should not overlook. 1t is this: We
have state laws against these evils. and
city authorities are not competent TO
nuilify a state law. with reference to
| forgotten. Police-commissioners, city
councils mayors, and other like authori-
ties can not license crimes against state
laws within the municipalities under
their control. and when they attempt 1t
they should be caused to know their
place by the most vigorous application
of state law There ought to be good
citizens enough in any county in Geor-
gia.-including the urban counties that
assume to nullify statutes of the COM
] monwealth,--to have any transgressor of
our Sabbath laws arrested and prose-
cuted.
| If some cities continue their defiance
of the laws of the state, 1t may be-
come necessary to ask the legislature
to enact laws whereby their charters
may be repealed or suspended, and their
government put In the hands of commits
sioners who will see that the authority
| of the state is respected within their
limits Notification by city is new
and dangerous form of anarchy that
must be throttled. No city in Georgia
is wiser and better than the whole COM
monwealth, and any of them can be
spared rather than allow the statutes
of the state to be defied with supercil-
ious, urban contempt.
For the protection of the Sabbath of
our fathers already we have good laws.
1t may be doubted If another statue Is
needed. But it is time to enforce these
laws Buying and selling, gaming and
rioting. are already unlawful in Geor-
gia What is needed is the rigid en-
forcenent of the laws against these dis
| orders. Before we can get these and
many other good laws enforced 1t may
be necessary to enact some further stat
utes to the end that corrupt juries may
be avoided. "The professional juror
lynches the law every time he goes in
the Jury box, If sufficient consideration
appears in view to him. 1t is time to
get rid of him. He should be excluded
from Jury service and denied the right
to vote; for why should perjured an
archist, who swears to support law only
that he may secure the opportunity to
subvert law, be allowed any part or
voice in choosing men to make laws
Clear out the professional Jurors and
if possible, put to work on the public
roads the starving shysters, who TOT
small fees conspire with law-breakers TO
corrupt the fountains of Justice. Tnen
our Sabbath laws and all other statues
will be effective for the ends wnicn tney
were designed to secure.