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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN,.
THURSDAY. DECEMBER IS, 1S05.
5 T.R ONG, TIMEL Y WORDS SPOKEN
PROM THE PULPITS OF ATLANTA
AGAINST CRIME & MOB VIOLENCE
The following excerpts from sermons
^jlvered by the ministers of Atlanta
/are given to the public with the hope
# t hat the strong words spoken will help
Jj crystalize a hearty and immovable
public opinion against crime and all
forms of niob violence.
Tills i* one step taken by the minis
ters in co-operation with the officers of
lh e Business Men’s Gospel Union, to
ward an effort to readjust the relational
j the races at the South.
The • 'lrristlan League, recently or-
s ani2C<l in this city with members from
L th races, is now attempting to bring
jr jer out of confusion anp harmony out
discord and hate, through a sane,
sound public opinion, to become domi
nant among all the people. The end
sought is concerted effort to inspire in
all tlm people a greater respect for the
11 There \‘ needed strong public senti-
, !ien t to back up the law upon the fol-
inving propositions:
1 That criminal assaults upon woin-
en‘ institute the most villainous crime
Known to the catalogue of iniquities
.,p,i must be punished to the very ex-
,if the law in the execution of the
criminal.
* That death by mob violence Is
murder, outright, and can have no ex-
jucy or countenance in Christian clvlll-
jg'uni .»r individual or community Hfe.
It violates Use la\v of God and the law
of n
1 Beatitudes. The supremacy of the latv
ought to be upheld by every citizen.
This can be done in three ways: First
and foremost, let each one of us respect
and obey the law for himself; second,
teach our children and those under our
care to observe law, and, thirdly, by
assisting the proper authorities in the
apprehension of all criminals of nil
grades and classes.
Proof texts: Titus 3:t. “Put thorn
in mind to be subject to principalities
and powers, to obey magistrates, to be
ready to every good work.” 1 Peter
2:13-15. “Submit yourself to every ordi
nance of man for the Lord’s sake:
whether It be to the king as supreme,
or unto governors, as unto them that
are sent by him for the punishment of
evil-doers and for the 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 solv*».
Nothing will solve them sooner or bet
ter than correct public opinion among
all classes of people for the mainte
nance of order qnd law.
No race has a greater opportunity to
make for themselves and their chil
dren character or honesty, truthfulness
and the faithful discharge of all duties,
respecting law and order, than the peo
ple 7. in pert, represent. If wo are true
to ourselves, true to our friends and
true’to nip- God the thoughtful, fair-
criminals is farthest frem our thought,
and while we admonish our people to
be law-abiding, and ‘aw-respectlng,
we are quite sure' that they thoroughly
understand that actual indulgence of
criminality shares one equally with the
guilt. We urge, therefore, just and im
partial administration of the law and
the most sacred obedience to the same,
to the end that peace, harmony and
prosperity may reign in our land.
REV, JOHN E. WHITE,
Pastor Second Baptist Church.
Mat. 22:21. We arc In the habit of
saying that Christianity Is not salva
tion b.v character. Quite true. Hut
there is no such thing ns salvation-
without character.
We are In the habit of saying that
Christ did not come into the world to
civilize It. but to save it. Quite true.
But a w orld'saved as Christ would save
it would Ite a world of Christian civil!-
ation.
Along the way of Tils teaching Christ
dropped suggestive hints of what
Christian civilization would be. Among
other things. Uo said: “Render unto
Caesar the things that are Caesar’s."
That was to say: “Pay your taxes;
obey the laws: support civil and social
order.” The time might have been when
Mi-r hub t,ie * ,c,vs could throw off the hated
--.i Roman yoke, but Christ’s words would
i 'nei.ua anu i havo Kt „, „ nmil)e(1 tn fo , c e.
There is no civilization under any
Parisian
Belts
minded -abirilmr and llhertv Invimr) n,clT '* emulation under any
" r h«r "nV,t s «i e , »m ,|! *">« of government where tho law. of
penpi nese Lnlten Mates will al- | the , ar( J ure noutei | an(I the ma j e sty
of law despised. *
The London policeman, standing like
honor and give us favor.
T p • ,l: law-abiding white people! God grant that we may have the wls-
-nbidtng negroes, ns far as may i dom. the patience, tho endurance and
ill aid the proper officers | the foresight to quit ourselves like
apprehend and bring to
id offenders against the law,
•r individuals or mobs, regardless
i with such proof to convict as
. niihiii their knowledge and
v That it Is the duty of every citizen
m ho absolutely obedient to law and to
maintain ihe peace of tho community
a.., far as his power and Influence may
That in the adjustment of all dif-
ferenecs between the * races absolute
ju>ti«:c as to All legal rights shall be
nn'il to each individual, irrespective
of rm*.- or social condition.
That the press of the state mqy be
used to create, in every possible way,
such public sentiment as will maintain
obedience to law.
That all the people may pronounce,
pn.-iiiveJy, against all undue delays by
tin courts, whether In forms of the law
,»r through petty technicalities that
Anally defeat the end of justice, and
demand such chunges In the law as will
malm the penalties for violation swift,
certain and effective.
W. J. NOR THEN.
By REV. E. P. JOHNSON.
(Pastor Reed Street Baptist Church,
Colored.)
Rom. 13:1. Civil government Is a di
vine institution. There can be no well-
regulated society without law. The
purpose* of law are threefold: (1) The
protection of the rights and privileges
of each citizen; (2) the apprehension
and swift legal punishment of the guil
ty: (Hi the enlightenment of each dtl-
z*m» as to Ids duties, his rights and his
privileges in their relations to others.
Tli*- happiness of each individual,' as"
«f!i as the content and well-being of
*ver> community, depends upon the
Implicit obedience of each individual
■ iM/.cjj jo law. For, says Llebei*: “There
can mi individual liberty where
“very citizen Is not subject to the law
•md where ho is subject to aught else
titan the law—that Is, public opinion
organically passed into the public will
-this ue call the supremacy of law.”
The basis yf all law was given by
Jehovah from Sinai and confirmed oy
tiic Lord Jesus Christ on the Mount of
OPEN ALL NIGHT
/
I Pill Christmas Eve
we will receive wire,
phone or special de
livery orders any
hour, day or night.
II Spozeu you look
thro our Catalog.
I Holiday sellers pay
profit enuf to come
hy Express.
H you haven’t a
Catalog spend a cop-
pvr to say so on a
postal.
fit’s a 100 to one
shot.
!• K. ORR SHOE CO.
tod Seal Shoes,
m
Atlanta.
REV. JUNIUS W. MILLARD.
(P«,tor Pone. DeLeon Avenue Bipti.t
Church.)
The whites and the negroes in the
South occupy toward eacli other tlie
relation of teacher rfnd pupil, for the
negr, race la yet In its childhood, while
the Anglo-Saxon has worked up to Its
majority through centuries of tail and
effort.
Sow, childhood Is the age of irnltu
tlon and of all others the pupil Is apt to
imitate his teacher. But the danger .
that the Imitator seeks to copy only
faults and exaggerations, while that
which Is normal and perfect escapes
him. Many of the negro's faults he has
copied from the white mhn, 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 treat
ment at the hands of Ids white neigh
bor. And nil this arouses his resent
ment, terrible, tierce and unreasoning.
Let the white race, which has long
since come Into Its Intellectual major
ity, remember that It becomes man
hood to possess self-control and to
manifest Justice and an even temper,
even under the greatest provocation.
Only thus can ho havo tlie respect of
Ills pupil. And only thus can he have
his own respect, for only children and
the Insane are allowed to show unrea
sonable and uncontrollable outbursts of
temper.
REV. A. R. HOLDERBY.
Pastor Moors'' Memorial Presbyterian
Church.
Rom. 13:1. Tho apostle I. here ad
dressing tho Christians at Rome. But
the Injunction applies to all Christians
everywhere and to those of all the
ages that have followed.
It Is a well-defined doctrine of the
Bible that all power and all authority
come from God. This Is ns true of civil
government ns It is of God's moral gov
ernment. Kings and princes and all
others In authority rule hy the authori
ty of 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 powers that be are ordained of
God, then every Christian should be
In subjects n to those rowers.
All mob law Is contrary to the teach
ings and example of Jesus Christ and
is an offense to God. The church of
God should take Ita Hand for law and
order and good government. What wc
need today Is not more law, but the
prompt enforcement and speedy exo
euI Ion of such laws as we already have.
Every 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 Us majesty and. therefore,
detrimental to the best ("crests of so
ciety.
True reverence for law and for those
who are m authority should be taught
by tho churches, because this Is one of
the cardinal principles of the Gospel ot
Jesus Christ.
REV. R. T. WEATHERB.Y.
Secretory Colored Y. M. C. A., preached
at Control Avtr.us Methodist church,
colored, in ths sbience of tho pas
tor.
Rom. 10:11. Nothing so strengthens
or heightens the 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
ot ths nations, because of an earnest
effort at Just administration. Although
countless detects remain and grave
mistakes have been made, we must
credit our executives, al least, with
honesty of purpose.
law is a prescribed rule for tlie reg
ulation of action answering to the
needs of a community and Is, there
fore, enacted with n view to the high
er Interests of the Individuals compris
ing the community; and as such should
bo hdmlnlstered without distinction. In
all justice and equity.
When the object of the law Is thor
oughly established through Us Just, If
stern administration, obedience thereto
will ho the more easily commanded.
Very recent occurrences tn our city
nave served to empties no two or three
hitherto unobserved tacts.
I'list. That our courts can and will
give a fair end Impartial trial to the
''second. Thct with proper precaution
and vigilance the officers of the law arc
cnnal to any possible emergency.
° Third That under Indescribable cir
cumstances there is a bare possibility
of "mistaken Identity" and a sacriffce
of innocent blood which a fair, though
sneedv trial, would avert.
So leader of our race will hesitate
fnr one moment to urge upon his peo
ple the strictest observance of tho law
when giver, the assurance of the ful-
Ailment of the above conditions, as was
demonstrated a few days ago In onr
The Idea of harboring or concealing
statue hi the street, lifts his right
hand without a glance or word and
miles of traffic halls and waits till the
hand is lowered. “What a great man
ho must be,” you say. Not so: say
rather, “What a’ great people, what a
great civilization.” v
The antithesis Is presented on the
streets of Atlanta when a policeman
has 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 our civilization.
Tt has taken hundreds of years to
invest the London policeman with dig
nity and authority. The process of
civilization la by slow and painful
paths. But the principle of it is not
difficult. Its basis is In that eternal
righteousness which we call the divine
law. All civil enactments must test
there for sanction. In tlie last analy
sis. obedience to law Is obedience to
God.
The greatest duty a Southern homo
has resting on It, In our present situ
ation, Is to oducatc its children to re
spect authority. Tho Atlanta riot waz
marked by the presence and the par
ticipation of young men and boys. The
significance of that is the very groat
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 tho 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
o0H*e and saying. “We do not want this,
we are going to be free to act for our
selves,” then tho sheriff ought to take
their names as conspirators and hold
them under suspicion.
Let us every one accept the summons
of citizenship to uphold the law. If the
Jaw Is bftd, make it disreputable by exe
cuting it and then change it through
legislative channels.
The bottom foils out of everything
When the laws of the land arc trampled
upon.
REV. FRANK EAKES,
Pastor Wesley Memorial Methodist
Church.
It Is time for the citizens of Atlanta
to stop niul consider obedience to law.
There aro laws on our stutute books
that are bolng 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 socie
ty. -Lynching a human being Is bad
enough, but to lynch u statute of the
code is infinitely worse. Committing a
crime against ail 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. Tho white man who
carries a 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 sec that
crime is brought to light and criminals
punished. The sentimental gush poured
out over high criminals, such/as lias
been manifested recently in/some ot
our papers, and certain classes of citi
zens, Is abhorrent*. Let mercy havo
its sway, but even mercy must ho with
in tho bounds of law. White and black
alike need to stand together now In the
enforcement of law. The mob spirit Is
of the devil and Its actions tend to
make hell on earth.
Grand Juries and judges havo these
matters In their hands. !.awm must he
enforced, even though the wealthiest
and most respected are lodged in our
penitentiaries. He who, by word or
deed, fires his fellowmen to unlawful
acts is the most detestable of uH crim
inals. Reverence for law- and obedience
to authority is our only safeguard as a ,
people.
Fine Tailoring to Order by
Tom Weaver.
CHRISTMAS KODAKS.
Ask your boy or girl what they want
for Christmas and the answer will be a
Kodak. The best gift because they are
amusing, instructive and will last for
years. A child can operate one. We
have them from $1 up to 135. A. K.
Hawke* Company, The Kodak House,
14 Whitehall street.
BALLARD BIFOCAL.
A revelation to glaaa wearer., doe.
away with two pulra of glumes, both
reading and walking vision In one
frame, and looks like one glass. It lias
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 s/stem eVer inaugurated In this
country. Not how cheap, but how well
we ran serve you. Ask the oculist about
us. Walter Ballard Optical Company. <1
Peachtree street.
VIVA
f . _ ,, — — „-i
’ ■ ———— ■
IMf
lUBBMpa
HI
irpipP
Very handsome girdle of golden brown, elaborately
studded with finest hand-cut steel nail heads.
Price 16.50.
M: * • • m r? -
Y-&. ■ - —...
LtlJB
3, H Efl K ’ {MSB?
llm gj HI:
ji IP, ij-t. /
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.
Prices 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.