A statement / by D.W. McGregor

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A STATEMENT
BY
D. MT. McOItEGKXR.
During the past weeks in all the differences between myself and Dr. J. W. Walden, and the session of the Pres byterian Church, Athens, Ga.; I carefully refrained from giving expression to my position, and avoided by word or deed anything, (although often importuned,) that would in anyway have aggravated the condition of affairs. The time however has arrived when I ought to give a statement of facts that will enable all fair minded people to see mat ters in their true light. t
Not only has there been a wholesale denounciation of my letters by the parties, more immediately interested, but there has also been in a general way considerable crit icism passed on me in reference to these now famous mis sives. Some little information regarding them will there fore be first in order.
Mr. J. M. Hodgson had called on me and offered me The beginthe option of trading out an account in provisions I had ninf of the against Dr. J. W. Walden. We got into considerable dis- ^e^ers-- cussion over the condition of the affairs of our church, and, tionfrom I said to Mr. Hodgson, surely the time is pressing for the ^T. faithful two or three to be insistent in prayer to the end HodgSOO. that some relief might come. After I accepted Mr. Hodgson's proposition to settle Dr. Walden's account, he extracted a half promise from me that I would write to Dr. Walden who was then in Florida, a letter that would be helpful to him. I never was able to bring myself to write to Dr. Walden but I wrote to Mr. Hodgson on July 1st, a long letter; here is part of it.
"Instead of writing Dr. Walden I have for some time realized that it was my duty to address yon.
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I am not writing in any quarrelsome spirit, but the very opposite. Just as you have from a sense of duty done a magnificent thing, so from a sense of duty I am led to talk to you about it. No offense is intended but what I have to say is offered to you in the spirit of helpfulness, and my right to do so rests on the fact that when you un dertook to remove a disgrace from the church by arranging Dr. Walden's debts you made us all partners to your trans action.
For two years I have not made any secret of my atti tude toward Dr. Walden, but as a personal matter there has not been and on my part there does not exist towards that gentleman any vindictive feeling or even any personal No Person- dislike."

al Animus ^ji mv jefcters demonstrate that I had no personal Walden animus; and even after all that has passed I can still truth
fully say that I have no grudge against the Doctor. My motive in writing the letters was pure and simple
to challenge Dr. Walden in regard to his apparent indifTae motive ference as to the pressing needs of our church. The buraad Burden den of the letters is a pastor who personally acknowledged Of tlie to me that the church was relatively dead, but who, said Letters. ^^ jje was no^. responsible for it.

As to the subject matter of the letters being purely a personal issue between myself and Dr. Walden, I most em phatically deny; for I had and still seek as my end not any victory but that truth and righteousness may prevail. Of course Dr. Walden's usefulness centers on his conduct, on his private life and personal character just as much as on his official acts; and a preacher is not immune from the

a fit sub-6 ject for Criticism,

Laws of God any more than any other person, rather the

opposite. When he does wrong, the elevated position he

occupies, but emphasizes his shortcomings. Dr. Walden

appeared very much supprised that I should consider him

a fit subject for criticism. I know preachers somewhat,

my only brother is a Presbyterian preacher, and he is a

pretty fair specimen of a man, but after all the ideal

preacher is the Apostle Paul. He is the model for all

preachers of all times, and he did not object to being criti

cised.

,

2

Christ's role for judging preachers is the same as for

judging anybody else. "By their fruits ye shall know

them." "Judge not that ye be not judged" was not

uttered to debar us from putting a proper estimate on a

preacher's work.

Mr. Hodgson differed with me as to the cause of the "sad

condition" of the affairs of our church. As also did Dr.

Walden. Mr. Hodgson wrote to me on Aug. 16th, from The one to

the Highlands, N. 0., "I could not agree with you that Dr. JJsune for a

Walden was the cause of the low ebb of spiritual life in rhn

our church." My reply to this letter is of Aug. 25th. In

which I put the question and answered it. " Then who isf

Is not the pastor of the church in the position of Comman

der? Is it not the leader's place to be continually moving,

guiding and urging to "go forward"--Can you deceive

yourself with such a fiction as that Dr. Walden is not to

blame for the spiritual stupor of the ohurch. When Dr.

Rice was with us was there not a wonderful response to

his preaching?" Mr. Hodgson also allowed in his letter

of Aug. 18th, that there was "friction" in the church. Two

years ago Dr. Walden said if he did not receive more sup

port and co-operation, he would shake the dust of Athens

off his feet. Was it because I put in letters over my own

signature and stood up on the street and told Dr. Walden j^

face to face what many people were saying behind his Ecclestical

back, that made me an ecclestical criminal?

Criminal.

Save we teen, mislead about the actual issue before usf

Was it after all really the letters that I wrote that was the

issue? Or have they been used as a bogie to scare us all?

| Was all this machinery that has been set in motion (Ses-

sion and Presbytery) just provoked (a secondary issue that

should never have been heard of) in order to cloud the

real issue that should have been dispassionately consid

ered?

Who but the favored few (the session) have read the

letters? I understand Mr. Turner passed judgement on

them,and gave them to some of our church members; to read

and my prosecutor, Mr. Hooper expressed himself quite

freely to me about them, and my actions; all this, while

the matter was up for consideration before the session and

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Two Hem- these two gentlemen sitting in judgement on my case. bers of the This is what our book of Church Government has to say; RrMlr'tlie "Pending the trial of a cause any member of the court who Law while 8naH exPress bis opinion of its merits to either party, or to Slitting in any person not a member of the court;--shall be thereby Judgement disqualified from taking part in the subsequent proceed
ings." As the reader will see later, little (?) irregularities
like this did not have any deterring influence with cer tain members of the session. The community was also cognisant of the fact, that Dr. Walden and Mr. Turner were continually in council for some two weeks dating from Sept. 5th.
I also understand that for electioneering purposes ex tracts were read to certain parties from the letters. I have a facetious preacher friend who has the utmost contempt for extracts. He says you can prove anything you want out of the Bible with extracts, and gives this as an argu ment for suicide, "Judas went and hanged himself," "go thou and do likewise."
I am not afraid of the letters, nor am I ashamed of them. Letters * ^ave ^one no^^QS unmanly, nor have I stooped in all
these days of provocation to anything mean or disrepu
table. There is one letter that I should not have written; and
reference to it will be found further on. A suggestion has been made of civil suit against me in connection with these letters, but it seems to me that the shoe is on the wrong foot,in as much as Mr. Hooper,Mr. Turner and others have used these letters in a way calculated to bring me into contempt before the community.
In connection with all this what can we answer to the persistent questioning of the thinking people in our midst. "I do not understand this matter, there must be more in it than appears on the surface, tell me what is the real trouble or is it all a hugh joke or burlesque?" This very thing throws upon me the burden of trying to explain the action of our session, so that the odium of its members being willing actors in a church farce will be removed. I can assure the community that they did not see anything
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of "a farce" or, "a church play" in their procedure and I throw back the insinuation upon those who made it. How ever much it was to my injury the members of the ses sion of our church laboured under the belief that they were engaged in very serious work.
On Saturday morning July 5th, Dr. Walden met me on Olayton street and we talked over matters quite a little while. During the conversation a number of business men some of them our church people passed us and noted the fact that we appeared to be rather in a contentions than The in a friendly mood. Dr. Walden's parting words with me Parting of were, "Oh well if you do not have any faith in me, I can- TMe wavsnot do you any good." On Sunday morning Dr. Walden went for me from the pulpit.
Four days later I wrote Dr. Walden, "on Monday, your conduct was much commented on in the city, amid ridicule and condemnation."
"What was the need to create an artificial being for my benefit, a creature with a hereditary vindictive trait ? and then behind the fortress of the pulpit, set to tear it in shreds. I was-down in the dust before, why trample on me ? Was there anything manly in using your pulpit as an ambush ? You failed to cajole me into line. Did you think you could whip me into line ?"
Further on the letter reads: "I wish to say in the plain est manner that where I have used language against you that appeared personally vindictive, that I shall in the most public manner withdraw the same and publicly apol ogise to you. This, of course, should follow the discipline that you suggest I shall receive before you and your session. But here is where the distinction has to be made. In my letter to Mr. Hodgson, and in my statement to you on the street on Saturday I sought by repetition to impress on your mind that my contention with you was not a per sonal matter, but the great issues were the want of spirit ual life in our church. You sought to confuse these great issues and tried to turn them into an attack upon you per sonally. Once and for all let it be understood that towards you personally I have not a grain of dislike, but the very opposite."
5

How Dr. Walden Failed to Gather me in.

This then was the final parting of the ways. Would any other preacher have taken the way to straighten out matters with me that Dr. Walden did ? Can we think it likely that such conditions could possibly have existed between myself and any other pastor?
To begin with, would it have been in my power to say to another, you admit our church is dead, but in spite of your denial of responsibility for this sad condition of things, I charge you before God and man as the cause of it. If I had made such a charge against an average Christian Preacher would he not have said something like this: "Is what you tell me what others say of me ? I know I have not been insistent in prayer and in labors for our people as I should hare been. We have had no refreshing show ers of blessing for a long time, and I am afraid I have almost grown indifferent My brother, this that you tell me makes my heart bleed. I know I am very much to blame. I am afraid I am and have been allowing my church to conform too much to the world. I am told you have been criticising me, but you say you have no personal dislike to me, then I surely can claim your aid and help. Come with me and let us devise some means by which we can start up for our church anew spiritual epoch. As for myself I shall spend much time before God in prayer that he may be gracious unto us all and send us a blessing." Dr. Walden could have gained me at any time on that schedule. Did he even exhaust the methods laid down in the Book of Church Government? Here is the method of dealing therein prescribed. "If thy brother ahaJl trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou has gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three wit nesses, every word may be established?" Dr. Walden never in person made any other effort than that described as the meeting on the street to reconcile me; and his man ner towards me especially in hie tone of speech from the pulpit on Sabbath morning July 6th, was very repellant.
I have a friend who understands Dr. Walden and I be lieve, now I understand him somewhat myself. This man,
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(Dr. Walden,) stands for vindication written large, so large you can look up into the sky and read it when he moves on Br. Walden that line. He had to vindicate himself on Sabbath morn- *s Synonying July 6th, from what I told him on the previous Saturday. Some years ago he had a newspaper controversy with a pastor in our city on the observance of Easter. Theending up of the newspaper fight did not agree with him and he took the matter up to the General Assembly and had a ruling there against the observance of Easter. Why this everlasting desire on his part to be vindicated? If a preacher is much with his God and a man of faith will he need to strain the Heavens and the Earth to be vindicated before men? Surely the Lord could have taken care of him and cleared him if he had been a faithful aerva.niz.'s, He has done to His servants in all times. Header do you not be lieve this? What was the object to be gained in setting all the machinery of the church at work to crush me?
At a Session meeting held at Dr. Walden's residence on Friday night, Sept. 5th, the Doctor presented his resigna- Dr. Waldea tion and gave as his reason that he realized that his peo- Resigns. pie were not in full sympathy with him. He also laid down my letters and asked the members of the session to look into them. Why not come right out at first and say McGregor's letters is the cause of my temporary resigna tion ; if you will deal with him I will withdraw it. It ap pears that right from the start, (I have to guess a little,) Mr. Hooper must have both inspired and anticipated Dr. Walden's wishes. "I can imagine him saying, I will bring in McGregor into our court, and compel] him to withdraw all his letters, apologize abundantly to Dr. Walden ; we will run him out of the church, and gloriously vindicate the Doctor. No one will ever know but our selves until all is accomplished that the Doctor even threat ened to resign ; then we will hand him back his resigna tion amidst great acclaim." But things did not work out that way.
Mr. Hodgson banded me on Saturday morning Sept. 6th an invitation for me to appear before the session on the following Monday night. I replied to Mr. Hodgson, "this has come too late, I prefer to keep my own counsel."
7

I had asked to be allowed to appear before the session a month or two previous, but no provision was then made for a meeting. To the invitation of Sept. 6th, I replied in writing saying, I had had my say out with Dr. Walden and Mr. Hodgson and had nothing to lay before them. On the following morning I received (Tuesday Sept. 9th,) a "cita tion" demanding my presence at a session meeting that same night. This is the written reply I made.
Sept. 9, 1902. W. W. Turner, Esq.,
Clerk of Session, Presbyterian Church, Dear Sir:--
Tours of Sept. 8th to hand. Your communication is intended for a citation for me before the session but is not without fault; the indictment, the lack of the name of the prosecutor and the witnesses and the further lack of time, the ten days that should be given to the party cited--are all more or less ignored.
However as an Elder of the "Presbyterian Church in the U. 6." I overlook these things. The object that I have been working for having been taken up by others relieves me of any anxiety as to the final outcome of mat ters. : I have made none of my correspondence public and deny your charge to this effect.
I informed Dr. Walden that I was ready to apologize for any language that I had used regarding him that he can show is unwarranted, and if he will kindly point it out to me in writing I will do what I believe is right.
I regret you should see fit to quote Scripture so loosely, I could give you a hundred or perhaps a thousand texts which would convince any unprejudiced mind that I am in the right and have only done my duty.
I can see no object to be served by my now appearing before you and most respectfully decline your "citation."
Very Sincerely,
D. W. McGKBGOK. .
All this precipitated a change of programme. Mr. Hooper, who was author of the citation, blamed himself for constructing a faulty trap. Three members of the
8

session Messrs. Hull, Cobb, and Gerdine refused to par- The

ticipate in the programme as mapped out; and recog- Session

nizing the dignity of their office and their Christian duty DivUca-

sought to find a way to end this extraordinary condition of

affairs. Dr. Walden put a brave face on the matter; the

"resignation" began to be talked about and it also got into

the newspapers. On Sabbath morning, Sept. 14th, the

Doctor explained from the pulpit that the secret had pre

maturely been given away, that later it would have been

duly announced, but now he feels called on to explain etc.

Now it is not that same apparent reason that he gave to

the Session that lead him to resign but owing to

a "cause," he had asked the session to place his resigna-

tion before the Presbytery, "as the cause which led him to

take the step had not been removed."

"Cause.

So here is where I come in; I had not gone before the

session and bent my neck to the preacher's heel. I had not

given Mr. Hooper an opportunity to work out his pretty

little scheme, but on the other hand, there was the resig

nation sticking, and some good excuse must be had for it;

henceforth I am to be the "cause." Was this not a'some

what humbling position for Dr. Walden? We recall

a story about a poor half witted Scotchman, who had

a penchant for saying his prayers in all sorts of places.

One day ha is behind a turf wall and he is telling the

good Lord what a wicked sort of an old fellow he is

and if this wall would tumble over on him and kill

him, he would only be getting his deserts. Some rude

boys on the other side were listening and just at the right

moment pushed the wall over on him. Our worthy friend

is seen scrambling out among the debris, crying, "Lord I

did not mean it, Lord I did not mean it." Did Dr. Walden Did Dr.

seriously mean to resign? or was it only a bluff to move ^^ *,

the session to force me out of the way?

Mean to

But to proceed with our history, Mr. Hull and Mr. Resign?

Latimer, paid me a friendly visit on Wednesday Sept.

12th. I do not think that Mr. Hull at this time appreciated

the attitude of some of the other members of the session,

but I did very much appreciate Mr. Hull's kindly and

Christian way towards me--he sought to prevail on me to

9

withdraw my charges against Dr. Walden and later that

day sent me a letter pointing out what were the "objec

Mr. Hull's tionable" charges. I complied with his request so far as to

Request send to the session a withdrawal of these said "objectiona

Complied With.

ble" charges. Mr. Hull returned this to me two days later asking me to put it in better form accompanied with this

statement; which I copy verbatim from Mr. Hull's letter.

"Ifyou will address the withdrawal to the session, and send

it to me or to Mr. Turner it will receive prompt attention."

I again complied with Mr. Hull's suggestion. Mr. Hull is

Chairman of the session but apparently he was treated

with as little courtesy as I was, for his purpose as indi

cated here in his own words was entirely overborn and ig

nored.

I thought it possible that having withdrawn the "objec

tionable" charges, Dr. Walden realizing that I would not

take back statements that were self evidently true would

be satisfied and swallow the balance, but this was not to

happen. The session's letter to me bearing date of Sept.

16th, reads as follows:

Mr. D. W. McGregor.

The Ses

Dear Sir:--The session of the First Presbyterian Church

sion Indor at its meeting last night endorsed the statement made to

sHeusllM'sr.Pro posal.

you by Elders Hull, Latimer and Hooper, to the effect that the citation addressed to you September 9th, was not a summons for trial, but an act intended to give you an

opportunity to withdraw or substantiate the charges made

againt the Pastor of our church.

Very respectfully,

W. W. TITRNBB,

Clerk of Session.

The Formal Citation.

On Sept. 24th, I received the first formal citation. Mr. Hooper also read this out in the church on Sunday October 12th. We are now starting in over again, all that has been

done is rubbed out, all but my offence. I also replied in

writing as follows:

"Athens, Ga., Oct. 8, 1902.

To the Session of the Presbyterian Church,

Dear Brethren:--I duly received your explanatory

statement of Sept. 16th, inviting me to withdraw or sub-

10

stantiate charges I had made against Dr. J. W. Walden. I further received your citation of Sept. 24th, indicating what these charges are. I hereby withdraw the said charges as specified by you. I would like to mention the conditions under which my letter of Aug. 6th to Dr. Wal den was written, I was both soul sick and indignant, I had asked the Doctor, (as he himself had suggested to me) to call a meeting of the Session that I might be heard before it, I construed his reply as an attempt to mislead me. If I was in any way right, or altogether wrong, you can de cide; but that letter ****** should never, have been written.
To you, my fellow Elders, I express regret that an issue should have been raised on my private letters that has given you so much trouble, and I pray that we may not again miss the way and involve the church in endless tur moil. Our Book of Church Order and Dr. Hodge in his work on "The Ruling Elder," say that we are called to a dispensation of mercy and not of wrath, and that the ob ject to be kept in view is the reclaiming of the erring brother,--I am not begging for clemency if in your judge ment I should be disciplined. The way will become clear to us if we approach the matter in a true Christian spirit.
Yours sincerely,
D. W* McGRBGOR."
Next morning, Oct. 9th, I was again ordered to appear before the Session at 12:30 P. M. to which I answered.
Athens, Ga., Oct. 9, 1902. To the Session of the First Presbyterian Church,
GENTLEMEN :--I know of nothing more I can say by appearing before you. I have already on two occasions come all the way you have asked me, and therefore most respectfully decline your kind invitation of this morning.
Sincerely,
D. W. McGBEGOR.
Sabbath forenoon, Oct. 12, found me all alone in my pew. I had taken my wife and children over to the Meth odist church so that they might not be present at the severe castigation that was to be measured out to me. With the utmost callousness Mr. Hooper went for me with
11

a will that would have done justice to the times of the inquisition.
In connection with my suspension from the Sealing Ordinances of the Church kindly note these things:

NotSns-

l WAS NOT SUSPENDED FOR WRITING THE

pended for LETTERS. My suspension was for Contumacy; for not the Letters, appearing before the Session. With all the machinery of

the church in motion, session, open meeting and presby tery--does it not throw a peculiar light on the offense of

the letters? Even with all this effort, no punishment is

meted out to me for them. How can we explain this ?

The average mind becomes confused here. What about

this "cause" that there has been so much fussing over ?

After all, are the letters but a mole hill made into a

mountain to serve a certain end?

Again, Mr. Hooper says he did it all according to the

rule of the Book of Church Order. It is perfectly true that

Mr. Hooper he Obeyed one little rule of the Book--that is, he obeyed

bound. *ne wor<^ f *^e Book in one particular--but he defied the

spirit of the Book from beginning to end. "The word

killeth, but the Spirit giveth life." Christ says, when

necessity demands it you can break the word of the Law,

but the Spirit, never. All Evangelical churches direct that

church trials and discipline shall be gone about in the

spirit of prayer, keeping in view the reclaiming, not the punishment of the offender, and those who participate in

them are to be spiritually minded restoring the offender

in the spirit of meekness.

The True

Can it be that the procedure against me was undertaken

Purpose of for another and an entirely distinct object than the true

Church purpose of church discipline? If it was to reclaim me why

Discipline, the haste? Why fcry to rush me before the Session on a

few hours notice? Why the intensity and depth of denun

ciation as proclaimed by Mr. Hooper? Why the vindic-

tiveness against me if it was not for some one's vindication?

As I read the rules of discipline all that I should have

received from the hands of the Session was a scolding in

private for writing the letters, and an admonition in pri

vate not to repeat the offense. Is it therefore not as plain 12

as day that I was, sought to be done to the death to

serve some special object?

.

DM the

In a passing glance at the Athens Presbytery ; I am ^*7^8

constrained to beg from the hands of a goodly number in y*61^

our community a reversal of the expressed condemnation Qoosider or

that has been too readily and unthinkingly passed upon Understand

the worthy men who compose this body. A shower of un- the Real

answered questions has been thrown at them. "Did they 'S8ue-

read the letters"? ulf they did not, why join in the hue

and cry against me?" "Was it wise to ignore so large a

minority and their grievances?" Was it not equal to a

miscarriage of Justice on their part to pass judgement on

an issue with which they never acquainted themselves?"

Along with the Session of our church they were charged

with being actors in a big church bluff, but were they in

anyway blamable? Let us go slow here, these worthy

preachers as a rule are as guileless as children, and where-

ever the blame should be located, we can afford to give

them credit for acting in all good faith.

As to the part of Mr. Hooper and the Session ; their

whole course was a continuous series of blunders. Mr.

Hooper stood up in the church and told how he blundered Procedure

over the word "citation." It does also look as if he a

misunderstood the word prosecutor and read it persecutor. Continuous

The explanatory statement of Sept. 16th, was a big blun- Blunder.

der against themselves (the Session.) Mr. Hull and Mr.

Latimer called on me at the wrong time; visits should

have been made to me ; Elders to come and pray with me

and to plead with me to forsake my evil ways ; before any

suggestion of a "citation" had bean made to bring me be

fore the Session. Mr. Turner the clerk called upon me

one evening and asked me if I was to send a communica

tion to the Session, which he should not have done, and

so the blundering went on to the end. But to the

consideration of one or two points. In the letter of

Sept. 16th, which the Session sent me, you will find

therein written that I had the option to "withdraw or

substantiate." This statement in writing irregular on the

part of the Session gave me the right to "withdraw" in

writing. I also again repeat that Mr. A. L. Hull the Chair-

13

man of the Session over his own signature invited me -in

these words to send in a withdrawal in WRITING, IP YOU

WILL ADDRESS THE WITHDRAWAL TO THE SESSION, AND SEND IT

TO MB OR TO MR. TURNER, IT WILL RECEIVE PROMPT ATTEN

TION. How came it that Mr. Hooper ignored all this? KEPT

BACK all these facts? What purpose had Mr Hooper in

view, in so persistently representing me at my "suspen

sion from the sealing ordinancies" as an individual guilty

of some great crime ; and entirely ignoring the true facts

in the case? I had come twice all the way the Session

asked ; what more was there to do, which I did not do ex

cept to appear in person before the Session? Then why

should I come before a body of men who did not appear to

be acting as shepherds seeking a straying sheep to restore

it to the fold ; but who were waiting for me with an up

Was my Church Death the

lifted whip? To have come before the Session meant for me my

Object? death as a member of the Presbyterian church. Staying

away I could only be suspended. If the Session could be

so irregular; if it was iu the spirit to deal with me

as an erring brother, not to be punished but to be re

claimed, should it not have allowed me just a little of its

own latitude?

My only Refuge.

Was any other way open to me tut to take refuge in a dignified silence? Had I so much as uttered a monosylla ble against the procedure would I not have been held up and scorned as a fellow of the "baser sort?"

The conduct of some of our own members throughout

the time of the Congregational and Presbytery meetings

was not what it should have been--I may be wrong, but I

believe it was in my power to have set our people by the

ears. One reason that kept, me quiet was to avoid being the

"cause" of contention in the church. Certain of our mem-

Some

bers who I am sure voted for Dr. Walden, showed by their

Voters for jesting ways and light talk that they were not loyal in

Dr. Walden spirit to the church ; as they did not restrain the remarks not Loyal. Q^ outsiders in speaking of the whole proceedings as a

piece of church humbug. I think Dr. Walden could put

in a little of his scolding on this line to some advantage.

14

I am with a publication that says there is nothing more demoralizing to a community than a church trial. When shall we ever, recover from the effects? As long as I live I shall ever be sorry that I should have been so badly mixed up with such a regretable affair. I can however, console myself with the thought that I am not responsible for it; and the greater is the sin of those who promoted it and carried it on. How easily an alarm can be raised on a wrong issue. Much more so than on a solid issue. A false cry of fire has sent many an audience crazy. Did Mr. Hooper not for some purpose raise a hue A*annand cry, and start a man hunt on me that the real issue might be lost sight of?
I do not blame Dr. Walden; he believed his living was at stake and then he was. his own lawyer, Mr. Hooper had j)r> let down the bars for him over my suspension so that the bis owo Doctor could get out, and he went out and took possession Lawyer. of the whole field. It may be many a day again before such a big emotional crusade can be carried on. If some of our friends are short on financial ability they can show they are mighty long when it comes to manufacturing sympathetic capital. I do not blame Mr. Hodgson. If I had paid my preacher's debts I too would have ** moved the universe in his behalf. The concluding words in Mr. Eodgson's letter to me from the Highlands are asking an interest in your prayers and giving you a place in mine, I remain yours truly." Some day, Mr. Hodgson, and I may see face to face in the truth.
Mr. Hooper may challenge my interpretation of his conduct on the ground that he was acting in the interests of the church as my official prosecutor. He is a bright young man; but in this case he allowed his zeal to outrun his duty. Less haste and more acquaintance with the rules of discipline would have saved him and others lots of worry and the possibilities of the aftermath.
Dr. Walden said he would not withdraw his resignation unless the "cause" was removed, I, he "cause," am here The"C*Bse" fwoorrdgiso?Aod, (D. V.) Has not the Doctor swallowed his own K^octBOvcd.
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The Voting Here is an estimate just as good as some others that

Under Dif- have been made in regard to the open church meeting Sun-

anutnces day Oct-19th - Thirty-four voted against Dr. Walden,

forty-three present did not vote at all. Would they not

have voted for him had they wished him to remain? One

hundred and forty-one voted for Dr. Walden. Some

previously opposed, voted for him because the appeal

in his address moved their sympathy; one hundred and

twenty-five stayed away for mixed reasons. If the

voting was done over again, a sermon preached by a disin

terested minister pointing out our real duty as church

members; no appeals to sentiment, no building up on a

perverted issue, no electioneering, the result might prove

A Recapito- ^ar different.

lation.

Thus it is seen that though I fully complied with

Mr. Hull's proposition (endorsed- by the Session at

their meeting on Sept. 16th) withdrawing all charges they

requested, this did not end the matter as it should have

done. Evidently the arrangement was not wholly satis

factory to the parties interested, and the subsequent in

sistent citation was resorted to. Do not become confused,

keep the facts clearly before you and I believe your just

I Trust I am conclusions will prove me not so far in the wrong.

not Misnn- j trust I am not misunderstood in making the foregoing

en ' statements to my fellow church members and my friends

in the community. I realized that not only had a wrong

been done me, but that truth and justice also required

some showing in the way of putting before others the

material that would enable them to arrive at a true

conception of matters.

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