Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-30
CIR AGENTS
The Bpe cher I'iitOn Sorrow.

On the inside Of the REPORTER will
be found very much relative to the
great--the most gigantic scandal
of the age. Very much more testimo-
ny than i contained in this issue has
been given to the public, all Of which,
sad as il is to say ii, is extremely dam
aging 70 the great preacher. Still We
must withhold comment at length, as
we must in all charity refuse to pass
judgment before we shall have receiv-
ed Mr.. Beechcr's detailed statement
which must very shortly appear Two
noted lnen are arraigned before the bar
Of public opinion. To be sure a com
laittee Of investigation has been an
pointed to examine into the fact, AMI
the public viii await with an Intense
anxiety ITS report; but there is pa
grander jury than that committee, a
jury composed of the thinking men
and women Of all christendom, ana
while they viii give due consideration
to any verdict that may be rendered
by the committee Of six, yet it is at
the hands Of the grander jury, before
the bar OF public sentiment, that Mr..
Beecher must he exhonorated and ac-
Quilted Of the great crime with which
lie is charged
Sad indeed will be the day, "a most
~'woeful. woeful day." to all men,
and to all trnth, and to all that is
grand and ennobling in every princi-
pie Of social ethics, that must witness
the rendering Of the verdict by the
great jury, -GUILTY. For a quarter
Of century the whole world has look
cd up to the eloquent expounder of
'ths Plymouth pulpit, as to a living
God. His words have been words Of
fire burning deep into the heart, and
we venture the assertion that not one
human being in al the civilized world
but 5 better for his good teachings,
than he would have been had those
eloquent lips been dumb. lie has
been the standard bearer Of the relig-
ious hosts 5Ie has been the exponent
OF the Right j all battle with Wrong,
and in him IrGth ever found its most
earnest and eloquent champion. If
now, the wetll must look upon the
great Beechcr IS : white sepnlchre, -
must see through that halo of glory in
which he hes b8en enshrined only a
worse than semblance Of purity-the
vermin-gnawed skeleton Of virtue, bet
ter would have il been for the world
and for the mighty fallen had the
womb been barren that conceived the
hideous deformity Bat we will not
pcrcolate the seeming filth, but will
await the settling af the waters, hoping
Tor some reveaiiags that will dissiplte
the oppressive gloom of this blacklist
night that ever setde3 Hpoa the elu~e
of morality ana religion. We fear no
evil results TO the cause Of christianity,
even though it, idol be shattered
The truths that Christ promulgated
two thousand years s@e are as sound
and as sacred in the present hour, as
when by the shores of Galilee He ia
augurated the new doctrine -''Peace
on earth. good viii to a@men." What
may be it is hard to determine, but
this We do know: though tid,ngs come
that bad Is worse, an though gIiIt h,
written in giaring letters uooa 4 lie
hitherto SO beautiful, SO grand, so use
full, yet there will be sounding in every
loving car the sweetest words Christ
every spake-''haye CHARITY"