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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, ISC'S. 5 TR ONG, TIMEL Y WORDS SPOKEN EROM THE PULPITS OF ATLANTA A GAINST CRIME & MOB VIOLENCE Tlif* foliowing excerpts from sermons delivered by the minister* of Atlanta , r «» given to the public with the hope ■hat the strong words spoken will help ; , rystalize a hearty and immovable ..ublir opinion against crime and all : arm5 of mob violence. ' Viils is one step taken by the minls- ,. rs in co-operation with the officers of Business Men’s Gospel Union, to ward an effort to readjust the relations j the races at Che South. - The Christian League, recently or ganized in tliis city with members from both races, is nmv attempting to bring lP( |er out of confusion and harmony out of discord aud hate, through a sane, sound public opinion, to become domi nant among all the people. The end <might is concerted effort to inspire in ail the tvople a greater respect for the *Therc if needed strong public senti- •nfent t<> i’Ack tip the law upon the fol- i.iwiris propositions: I Tii;:’ criminal assaijlts upon wom en constitute the most villainous crime know »i to the catalogue of Iniquities ar.l must be punished to the very ex- Vit nf the !.v.v in the execution of the 1 -j'r. c: d^ntli bv mob violence is nir .b r. >u:rigM. and can have no ex- ‘u's-j or countenance in Christian elvlli- 7a?i.rn or individual or community life. It vi - the law of God -mnd the law pf i. .1 n ;>i dl« : T.v .” i iv.-abiding whit© people aili :1c-.; negroes, as fur as may : b ,. ; . . -v IP aid the proper officers , f t iav ’o apprehend and bring to i-r., .■ :l offenders against the law, - individuals or mobs, regardless „f i ... with such proof to convict as n){t y i> ' i.bin their knowledge and confr*'’. p That I: is the duty of every citizen to lie absolutely obedient to law and to mainmin the peace of the community* as fat as his power and Influence may 8 That in the adjustment of nil dif- ferc*n*«■« between the races absolute ju r;«• as to all legal rights shall be tim! to each individual, irrespective of raror social condition. That the press of the state may be u.«pd to create. In every possible way filch public sentiment as will maintain obedience to law. That all the people may pronounce, positively, against ail undue delays by tin courts, whether in forms of the law ,.r through petty technicalities that Inally defeat the end of justice, and ilemaml such changes in the law os will mko the penalties for violation swift, •**rtain and effective. , \V. ,J., XORTHEX. By REV. E. P. JOHNSON. (Pastor Reed Street Baptist Church, Colored.) Rum. 15: J. Civil government Is a di- hif* institution. Thera can be no wall- regulated society w it hob t law. N Tbe purposes of law’ are threefold; (1) The rmertion of the rights and privileges f each dtisen: (2) the apprehension nd swift legal punishment of the gttll- (3» the enlightenment of each cltl- •m. as to his duties, h!s rights and his n\ihg;s iii their relations to others.. The happiness of each fndiVfritial,-cm£ well ae the content and well-being of community, depends upon the implicit obedience of each individual l»n to law. For, says Lleber; “There ii be no individual liberty where fry «*ftlien Is not subject to the law M'J " here he is subject to aught else diii'i tlie law—that is, public opinion rganit ally passed into the public will -this we rail the supremacy of law.” The basis of all law was given by hliMvah from Sinai and confirmed by lie hold Jesus Christ on the Mount of Beatitudes. The supremacy of the law ought to be upheld by every citizen, inis can be done in three ways: First and foremost, let each one of us respect and obey* the law for himsaif; second, teach our children and those under our care to observe law, and. thirdly, by assisting the proper authorities In the apprehension of ail criminals of ill grades and classes. Proof texts: Titus 3:1. “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to 1h> ! ready to every good work.” 1 Peter* 2:13-13. “Submit yourself to every* ordi nance of man for the Lord’s* sake: whether it be to the king as supremo, or unto governors, as unto thorn that are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for tlie praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to si-> lence the ignorance of foolish men.” We have great problems to solve. Nothing will solve them sooner or bet ter than correct public opinion among; criminal* is farthest ’from our thought, and while we ad mopish our people to bo law-abiding.* and ’aw-respeettng, we are quite sure that they thoroughly understand that actual indulgence of criminality .shares one equally with the guilt. \Ve urge, therefore, just and im partial administration of the law ahd the most sacred obedience to the same, to the end that peace, harmony and prospsrity may reign In our land. REV. JOhFe. WHITE, Pastor 8«cond Baptist Church. Mat. 22:21. We arc In the habit -of saying that Christianity Is not salva tion by character. Quite true. Hut there Is no such thing os salvation without character. We are In the habit of saying that Christ did not come Into the world tt> civilize It. but to save it. Quite true. But a’world saved as Christ would save it would be a world of Christian civili zation. Along the way of His teaching Christ OPEN ALL NIGHT iTill Christinas Kve we will receive wire, phone or special de livery orders any hour, day or night. you lpok thro our Catalog. , i Holiday sellers pay protit emit’ to come hy Express. fH you haven’t a Catalog spend a cop per to postal, fit’s , shot. sav so on a :t 100 to one !• K. URRSH0EC0. Seal Shoes, Atlanta. true to oir- God the thoughtful, fair- minded o . -abiding and liberty loving peopir hese United States will nl- v m*. .s honor and give us favor. G »d niant that we may have the wis dom. the patience, the endurance and the foresight to quit ourselves like men. REV. JUNIUS W. MILLARD. (Psstor Ponce DeLeon Avenue Baptist Church.) The whites and the negroes in the South occupy toward each other tjie relation of teacher and pupil, for the negro race is yet In its childhood, while the Anglo-Saxon has worked up to its majority through centuries of toll and effort Now, childhood is the tkge of imita tion and of all others the pupil is apt to imitate his teacher. But the danger .4 that the imitator seeks to copy only faults and exaggerations, while that which is normal and perfect escapes him. Many of tlie negro's faults he has copied from the while man, and even his outrages upon white womanhood are but a brutal attempt to pay back the white men whose relations with negro women have not always been above reproach. Childhood is also the age of memory and there Is, unhappily, all to much for the negro to remember of unjust trent- ment at the hands of his while neigh bor. And all this arouses his resent ment, terrible, fierce and unreasoning. Let the whit© race, which has long since come into its intellectual major ity. remember that it becomes man hood to possess self-control and to manifest Justico and an even temper, even under the greatest provocation. Only thus can he have the respect of his pupil. And only thus can he have hla own respect, for only children and the insane arc allowed to show unrea sonable and uncontrollable outbursts of tom per. REV. A. R. HOLDERBV. Psstor Moore Memorial Presbyterian Church. Rom. IS; I. The apostle Is here ad dressing the Christians at Rome. But the injunction applies to ull Christians everywhere and to those of all tlie ages that have followed. It is a well-defined doctrine of the Bible that all power and all authority come from Goo’. This j* as true of civil government as it is of God’s moral gov ernment. Kings and princes end all others in authority rule by the authori ty u f God and receive their power from Him. “For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Every Christian Is under peculiar ob ligations to render obedience to civil authority and to uphold the majesty of the law. If the power* that be are ordained of God, then every Christian should be In subjectlcn to tho*e powers. AJ1 mob law is contrary to the teach ings aib 1 example of Jesus Christ and is an offense* to God. The church of God should take Its tland for law and order and good government. What we need today Is not more law, but the prompt enforcement ahd speedy exe cution of such laws as we already have. Kvery violation of law and all need less delay in the execution of the just penalty of the law are an Insult to its sanctity and Its majesty and, therefore, detrimental to the best iuerests of so ciety. Due reverence for law and for those who are m authority should be taught by the churches, because this is one of the cardinal principles of the Gospel ot Jesus Christ. REV. R. T. WEATHERBY. Secretary Colored Y. M. C. A., preached at Central Avenue Methodist church, colored, in the absence of the pas tor. Rom. 10:12. Nothing so strengthens or heightens tlvc aspirations, nor in creases one’s confidence In a govern ment as the just administration of Its affairs. Our government occupies the position It does today. In the front rank of the nations, because of an earnest effort at Just administration. Although countless defects remain and grave mistakes have been made, we must credit our executives, at least, with honesty of purpose. Law is a prescribed rule for the reg ulation of action answering to the needs of n community and Is, there for.*, enacted with a view to the high er interests of the individuals compris ing the community; and as such should be administered without distinction, in all justice and equity. When the object of the law is thor oughly established through its just, if stem administration, obedience thereto will bo the more easily commanded/ Very recent occurrences In our city Hive served to emphasize two or three hitherto unobserved tacts. First. That out* courts can and will give a fair and Impartial trial to the ^Second. That with proper precaution and vigilance the officers of the law are csninl to any possible emergency. Third That under indescribable cir cumstances there is a bare possibility of “mlstakert identity’ and a sacrifice of innocent blood wnicli a fair, though sneedy trial, would avert. leader of our race will , hesitate for one moment to urge upon Iris peo ple the strictest observance of the law when given the •i*surHncc of the ful- Ailment «;f the above conditions, a* was demonstrated a few days ago in out * *Thc Idea of harboring or eontealifigl have still remained In force. There Is no civilization under any sort of government where the laws of the tard are flouted and the majesty of law despised. The London nollc&man, standing like a statue in the street, lifts his right hand without u glance or word and miles of traffic halts and waits till the hand is lowered. “What a great man he must bo. 4 * you say. Not so; say rather, “What a great people, what a great civilization.’' The antithesis Is presented on the streets of Atlanta when a policeman lias to run and shout and threaten, in order to stop a bicycle. The fault is not the policeman's. It is our fault the fault of ouV civilization. It has taken' hundreds of years to Invest the London policeman with dig nity and authority. The process of civilization Is by slow anil painful paths. JBut the principle of it i« not difficult. Its basis is in that eternal righteousness which we call the divine law. All civil enactments must rest there for sanction. In the last analy sis, obedience to law is obedience to God. The greatest duty a Southern borne has resting on It. in our present situ ation, is to educate its children to re spect authority. The Atlanta riot was marked by the presence and the par ticipation of youug men and boys. The significance of that Is the very great probability that these young men and boys came from homes which main tained no discipline or government. The opportunity of the press in the South, If it, shall serve the highest in terest of the Southern people and lay good foundations for our future, is to make the lawless spirit everywhere ashamed of Itself and make it feel the weight of disgrace and dishonor that it represents. if It Is true, as currently reported, that the rioters sworn In as deputies by the sheriff of Fulton county are returning to him the badges of their office and saying. "We do not want this, wo are going to bo free to act for our selves,” then the sheriff ought to take ; their names as conspirators und hold them under suspicion. Let us every one accept the summons of citizenship to uphold the law. If the law is bad, make It disreputable by exe cuting It and then change it through legislative channels. The bottom falls out of everything when the laws of the land are trampled upon. REV. FRANK EAKE3, Psstor Wesley Memorial Methodist Church. It is time for the citizens of Atlanta to stop and consider obedience to law There are laws on our statute books that are being constantly violated by some of our leading citizens. The laws are there and are presumably good. If they are not so, they should be re pealed. Law is the safeguard of socle, ty. Lynching a human being Is bad enough, but to lynch a statute of the code Is Infinitely worse. Committing a crime against an individual is bad, but committing a crime against the state is outrageous. He who winks at the law breaker’s deed Is as guilty as the pros ecuted criminal. The white man who carries u pistol In his hip pocket puts himself on an equality with the negro who robs the hen roost or hall rack. Both are lawbreakers. It is to the. interest of all good citizens to nee that crime Is brought to light und criminals punished. The sentimental gush poured out over high criminals, .such as has been manifested recently In some of our papers, und certain classes of citi zens, Is abhorrent. * Let mercy have its sway, but even mercy must be with in the bounds of law. White aud black alike need to stand together now' in the enforcement of law. The mob spirit is of the devil and its actions tend to nmk© bell on earth. Grand Juries und judges have these matters In their hands. Imws must bo I enforced, even though the wealthiest j an«I most respected are lodged in our i penitentiaries. He who, by word or I deed, fires bis fellowtnen to unlawful acts is the most detestable of all rrlin- i inals. Reverence for law and obedience to authority is our tyily safeguard as a j people. Pine Tailoring to Order by Tom Weaver. CHRISTMAS KODAKS. Ask your boy or girl what they want for Christmas and the answer will be n Kodak. The best gift because they are amusing, instructive and will last for years. A child can operate one. Wo have them from $1 up to $35. A. K. j Hawke* Company, The Kodak House, t 14 Whitehall street. \ BALLARD BIFOCAL. A revelation to glass wearers, does away with two pairs of glasses, both reading and walking vision in on© frame, and looks like one glass. It has proven the most successful of all the advertised Invisible bifocals. They are being sold by all the leading houses In America and abroad. Our oculist’s prescription department is the most perfect system ever inaugurated in this country. Not how cheap, but how well we can serve you. Ask the oculist about us. Walter Ballard Optica! Company, til Peachtree atfeet. VIVA laKHea of people for" tlie iliaInto-|dfopp«<I .uggeatlv. lilula of what nance of order-and law. j Christian civilization would be. Ainomt Xo race ha* a greater opportunity to!« lher thlngr. ite said: "Keniler unto make tor themselves and their chit-1 Caesar the t 111 use that are Caesar's.’ Pretty Parisian Belts lm — m—r-T— h ms 'i' inriiUMii iiifft/rlr'h t? ii a [ .‘ilp. ii •***£" ft# e*«U Very handsome girdle of golden brown, elaborately studded with finest hand-cut steel nail heads. Price 16.50. m > : r* —J ' • ^ m ‘ T 'a fi! ” ■’•8? ’ . MAJ#; f iSfcgTi J * 11 ■ . B. BK& 'p iaHBfpf S'! ' ~ ^ - - SSrc*Wrtfls mF/ Black elastic girdle with narrow panels of finest cut steel and exquisitely fashioned buckle of the same. ' Pries 16.50. Other girdles and belts, similar to these pictured, range in price from 3.00 Up. Elastic steel studded belts of narrower designs. PricSs 1.50 to 5.00. Dainty belts in white and light Persian colors, suitable for Christmas gifts, are shown in many styles, ranging in price from 1.50 to 12.50.