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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.